An Investigation to Support Decision Making in Management

This report investigates the use of tablet technology by managers to support decision-making processes. It explores the application of TTF theory, considering technological characteristics, managerial decision-making tasks, and individual manager characteristics. The report analyzes the benefits of tablets, such as portability and network connectivity, while also acknowledging potential drawbacks like network dependency. It examines how managers utilize tablets for various activities, including accessing information, reading documents, and participating in meetings. The study highlights the importance of usability, customizability, and screen size in enhancing the decision-making process. Furthermore, it differentiates between formal and ad-hoc application usage, emphasizing the role of web-based and communication-driven applications. The report concludes by summarizing the findings regarding the impact of tablet technology on managerial decision-making.

Running head: AN INVESTIGATION TO SUPPORT DECISION MAKING
AN INVESTIGATION TO SUPPORT DECISION MAKING
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

2AN INVESTIGATION TO SUPPORT DECISION MAKING
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Section 1 – Critical Review.............................................................................................................4
Section 2 – Additional References................................................................................................10
Section 3 – Literature Gap.............................................................................................................11
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................15
References......................................................................................................................................17

3AN INVESTIGATION TO SUPPORT DECISION MAKING
Introduction
Managers now-a-days are very much mobile and they mainly deal with the decision
making process of the organization they are involved in. in order to achieve their individual goals
they can use the means of technology inventions in order to support their decision making.
Innovation in every sphere of life has made the process of decision making for justified with
appropriate research involved in a particular decision which is being enforced (Hu 2016). The
decision made by the managers is highly essential with regards to the working of the
organization and the pre goal selection process (Kennerley et al.2017). The goals which are set
by the managers the organization work with respect to the goal. Proper utilization of the goals
can directly affect the proper working of the organization.
The popularity of the tablet computers was introduced and began its popularity after
apple first introduced iPad in the year 2010. Despite their popularity, as tablets being a customer
oriented device it provides a wide range of business functionality with regards to business which
may include and help in decision making capability. The strategy which is related to business is
the fastest growing application category with Apple’s iOS app store. Managerial user of the
tablet uses this implementation of the technology to read documents and communicate and some
are pushing IT departments to a streach in order to get a greater access to management system of
support. As the customer are bending more towards usage of tablet computers, it is very much
common for the employees to use it, including the managers using this aspect of technology in
order to achieve their individual business goals. With emphasis to decision support vendor they
offer many version of their software for tablets like Tableau, cognos and business objects, while
developers emphasis onto decision related aspect with mobile technology as a issue which is top

4AN INVESTIGATION TO SUPPORT DECISION MAKING
priority with managerial demand . Managers are a very important group in any business aspect in
an organization. However there is argument about the use of tablets by the mangers in order to
support managerial decision making.
The main purpose of this report can be considered twofold. This report mainly deals with
the evaluating strategies with regards for the solution of the applied research problem in
information system. Bringing into account and collecting with analyzing information system data
using applied research method. Synthesis and communicating information system research in
order to inform business decision with the practice. Furthermore limelight would be put on the
ways in which a manager of an organization use tablet devices in order to make decisions and
why they put emphasis on such technology to achieve correct decision making.
Section 1 – Critical Review
The main focus of this research is the study of the decision making capability of the
managers. It is not only about why they do it, it is also why they do it. In order to conduct the
research TTF theory (Dell et al. 2016) is taken into consideration rather than the TAM theory
used by (Dell et al 2016). TFF offers the base by which we can study the characteristics of the
manager, the technology and the task (i.e. the decision making situation which is a special kind
of managerial task).
The theories that can be used in order to explain the concept mainly can be brought down
to three major aspects.
1. Characteristics of the tablet device (technological characteristics): the main feature of the
tablet that may be a vital contribution to a manager in order to take a decision. The different
aspects include physical characteristics such as adaptability, portability and network connectivity

5AN INVESTIGATION TO SUPPORT DECISION MAKING
with it application features such as user interface design and functionality (Fetherstonhaugh et
al.2016).
2. Characteristics of managerial decision making task (task characteristic): it mainly revolve
around the decision making aspect that a manger is usually involved in which comprise of
mobility, time criticality, interdependence and strategic nature of the decision or tactics (Bogacz
el al. 2016).
3. Characteristics of the manager (individual characteristics): personal characteristics of a
manager which may include computer expertise as well as positional characteristics such as
managerial level (senior, middle or operational) (Marshall el al.2016).
The location where the participants use the tablet for decision making may include
meeting room, while commuting officers, at home, public places like cafes and hotel rooms.
Meeting room and home where the most common locations. Taking into consideration a meting
aspect tablet always acquired dominance with aspect to mobile phones and laptop. The main
activity that can be performed with the tablet are reading the agendas and looking up for any sort
of information regarding the agenda. A number of incidents have been seen in which the tablets
are considered very much normal (Bogacz 2017). The manager usually uses the tablet when the
personal is away from their primary work location. In addition the decision supported with the
tablets usually involving mobility of high degree. Most managers mentioned that when they can
access their laptop or desktop in order to conduct their duty they use them rather them using the
tablets. The network connectivity aspect was a very important aspect which allows the managers
to access information while they are far away from their work location. All the aspect regarding
the connectivity aspect plays a very important role with emphasis on decision making. The

6AN INVESTIGATION TO SUPPORT DECISION MAKING
mostly used application type is web based and communication driven application. Both of these
require good network connection, WiFi being the most common aspect (Zeleny 2017).
A tablet mainly improves the portability criteria and it can be accessed from anywhere
and the data or the information can be gathered and accessed. Although many mangers use the
tablet in the organization for their decision making its role in decision making is unknown. In
this area the research is done is very little (Brans and Vincke 2016). The most common location
where the managers use the tablet is in home and anywhere apart from their work station. None
of this area is primary work location (Zhang 2016). It can be noted that the use of formal
application are preferred by the managers in their tablets instead of more adhoc approaches using
application management applications such as pdf readers, email and many other applications like
it (Ho el al.2017). This has created a bridge between the managers decision making aspect with
the use of tablets
Although the managers agreed upon the use of tablet applications with their own need
and use situation is a desirable feature their perception in the importance of such customization
capability of tablet application is mixed. The main justification for it can be that the majority of
the managers use the tablet to support the aspect of decision making (Guo and Conitzer 2016. In
such a scenario the manager are likely to have more access to customize the tablet and its
applications than in a mandatory context. As a result of which it might be seen natural for the
managers to think they choose the application they needed to support their decision making
activities because of the ownership (Brans and Vincke 2016).
The managers exhibited a large degree of tablet usage in order to support their decision
making aspect. In order to achieve their decision making aspect the managers used their tablet to

7AN INVESTIGATION TO SUPPORT DECISION MAKING
indentify a problem or an opportunity. The web browser is mostly used 10 out of 15 times in
order to achieve the correct information (Su, Tzeng and Hu 2016). Accompanying other
application for example web browser, the web browser or were used alone applications such as
business intelligence application, spread sheet, two document readers, one spreadsheet and one
cloud storage. In most of the situation it begins with an email or email accompanied by a video
chat (Dell et al. 2016). There can be other ways also which begin with reading the agenda of the
meeting which is being attending, viewing data in a spreadsheet, and viewing a spread sheet
respectively. In order to support the development of the decision or solution the applications of
the tablets where split fairly evenly with mainly four example which mainly involve mentioning
emails, two document readers, three web browsers, one spreadsheet and one cloud storage (Ho el
al.2017).
Apart from the tablet characteristics as described the decision taken and the nature of it
also affect the use of the device to support decision making. Decision task making was the most
mentioned characteristics. (Kennerley 2017) defined mobility as the extent to which a mobile IS
used at different geographic location while the user (manager) is in motion it can be stated that
with every technological innovation there is always few points which can be termed as negative.
The managers tend to take access of the tablet and its unique features in order to take an
appropriate decision. The decisions which are taken by the manager play a vital role in any
organization. The working and the goals of the organization are set according to the decision
taken by the manager. The tablet plays a vital role in taking the decision (Wright, P.M. and
McMahan 2017). The article mainly includes many aspects of the tablet technology but it didn’t
cover up the negative aspects. The managers use this technology when they are away from their
work stations or are at home. In order to access the information network connectivity is needed

8AN INVESTIGATION TO SUPPORT DECISION MAKING
which can be sometimes be referred to as a drawback. The network connectivity cannot be
achieved at every location when it is needed. Emphasis can also be put on the speed of the
connectivity. If the access is not granted in proper time it can be set as a disadvantage of the
technology (Wright, P.M. and McMahan 2017).
The technology characteristics and the affordance consequence offered are the key
drivers of the adaptation of the technology. These characteristics include usability, probability,
network connectivity and customizability (Pavitt 2016). Probability is the evident of the inherited
characteristics from the other devices. The managers are usually concerned about the laptops size
and weight of the tablet they are using. When the tablets are compared with laptops they are
smaller, lighter and very much portable. Managers mostly use the tablets because they can carry
them everywhere and it’s serve them with the purpose of carrying out their business. (Wright,
P.M. and McMahan 2017) stated that the application on tablets should contain features perceived
as useful and comfortable to use. The size of the screen should be large enough so that it can
serve of purpose. Usability is the most important cited characteristics of a tablet (Kennerley
2017). Although managers equated portability and usability portability others referred to
usability’s a term of a particular tablet application. Reading a document is very much easy in a
tablet because of the design of the tablet. In many cases the manager make use of diagram in
order to take the decision on a particular scenario they intent (Wang et al.2016). On the other
hand the managers sometimes tend to draw diagram in the tablet in order to implement the
decision they had took earlier. The screen size of a smart phone is very much small in order to
use these features, however in a orientation of landscape in a tablet screen size is about as size of
a piece of paper and some of the managers said it to be suitable. The size of the screen of the
tablet is also suitable for writing in it, but the on screen key board feature is sometimes not

9AN INVESTIGATION TO SUPPORT DECISION MAKING
appropriate with the view of the mangers or the users (Garg 2016). The user interface was also a
feature that the managers found friendly to use in particularly the ability to down scroll through
the document displayed in the screen was found very much useful providing the managers with a
good user experience which is similar to the experience of a physical piece of paper. It is also
possible to navaigate through fingers in order to gesture such as zoom in and zoom out as well as
screen switching without directly relying on the input devices such as mouse or keyboard
(Zeleny 2017).

10AN INVESTIGATION TO SUPPORT DECISION MAKING
Section 2 – Additional References
SL. NO FULL ARTICLE
REFERENCE
SHORT SUMMARY
OF THE ARTICLE
RELEVENCE TO
THE CONTEXT
1.
Xiao, M., Meredith, R.
and Gao, S., 2016. An
Investigation of How
and Why Managers Use
Tablets to Support
Decision Making.
This article mainly
deals with the decision
making aspect with the
use of tablet in order to
achieve business
oriented goals. These
goals are very much
important with the view
of the organization and
for the proper working
of the organization.
The article directly
focuses on the aspect of
decision making with
the help of tablet as a
medium of
communication. This
medium can be
estimamted to be very
much crucial in the
decision making aspect.
2.
Anguelov, K. and
Stoyanov, I., 2013.
Aspects of Managerial
Decision Making in
Organizational
Environments. KSI
Transactions on
Knowledge
Society, 6(2), pp.25-28.
This article mainly
deals with the decision
making in an
organizational
environment. Mainly
dealing with the
decision making aspect
of the manager. The
manager’s decision is
The articles main focus
point is how the
decision of a manager
plays a vital role in any
organization. The whole
working of the
organization and the
long term as well as the
short time goal of the

11AN INVESTIGATION TO SUPPORT DECISION MAKING
considered to be final
and the future goals of
the organization are set
according to the goals
set by the manager.
organization are set
according to the
decision made by the
managers.
3.
Yoon, W.K. and
Devaney, M.J., 2000.
Reactive power
measurement using the
wavelet transform. IEEE
Transactions on
instrumentation and
measurement, 49(2),
pp.246-252.
This article main focus
point is the
transformation of the
managerial aspect in
achieving a decision
with the use of
advanced technology as
tablets. Advance
technology can reduce
the work load.
The article focuses
Directly focusing on the
use of new technology
in order to make a
decision. New
technology can be
implemented in order to
achieve the goals which
are related to the
business.
Section 3 – Literature Gap
It can be stated that with every technological innovation there is always few points which
can be termed as negative. The managers tend to take access of the tablet and its unique features
in order to take an appropriate decision. The decisions which are taken by the manager play a
vital role in any organization. The working and the goals of the organization are set according to
the decision taken by the manager. The tablet plays a vital role in taking the decision (Wright,
P.M. and McMahan 2017). The article mainly includes many aspects of the tablet technology but
it didn’t cover up the negative aspects. The managers use this technology when they are away

12AN INVESTIGATION TO SUPPORT DECISION MAKING
from their work stations or are at home. In order to access the information network connectivity
is needed which can be sometimes be referred to as a drawback. The network connectivity
cannot be achieved at every location when it is needed. Emphasis can also be put on the speed of
the connectivity. If the access is not granted in proper time it can be set as a disadvantage of the
technology (Joshi and Kumar 2016).
With the easy access to the work related aspect in home and other places apart from the
work station the managers tends to go lazy with the work aspect. The job which they intend to do
at their work place can be easily done at home. So the interest decreases with the aspect of
working in office because it can be merely done at home. There are also risk factors involved in
it. Managers have some data or information which are very much confidential and the members
working under them should not have access to it. The information can be accessed by anyone
and the privacy aspect can be breached. If the information is accessed by anyone else other than
the organization personal it can be of high risk because the confidential data would be on the
wrong hands. The relation between the managers and the client as well as the employee is
hampered (Cornish and Clarke 2015). This is due to the fact that the conversations are mainly
conducted over the phone through the use of emails and messages. This leads to less face to face
conversation which is very much vital in any conversation which is related to business issues.
The managers tend to make the conversation more textual oriented which can act as a negative
approach towards the business as well as the client involved in the process. This can be only
advantageous only when distance factor comes into play (Venkatesh, Morris and Ackerman
2017).
The maintenance and the cost related aspects are also very important in any new
technology implementation. In order to take advantage of a technology the basic components