Digital citizenship
The View From Taft
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IN AN era characterized by breakthroughs and innovations in information and communication technology (ICT), there can be two types of people: the digital natives and the digital immigrants. Coined by Prensky (2001), the term "digital natives" refers to those who were born when Internet connectivity and smartphone telephony were already available. They speak the digital language of computers, online games, and wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) access. In contrast, digital immigrants refer to the rest who, at some later point of their lives, become fascinated by and adopted the "toys" these digital natives "play" with. I would like to call these new stereotypes "digital citizens."
The View From Taft -- Denver Bingski D. Daradar: "Not a matter of risk"
The View From Taft -- Ricardo P. Laguda: "Our continuing journey and transformation"
The View From Taft -- Benel P. Lagua: "Banking for inclusive growth"
The View From Taft -- Joseph N. Pangilinan: "Winners change the world"
The View From Taft -- Brian C. Gozun: "Branding and rankings"
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We have learned from traditional management courses that a business can take the form of a sole proprietorship, a partnership, a corporation, or a cooperative. But with the pervasive influence of ICT, literature has started to cover, at the very least, the integration of digital citizenship in the strategic, financial, and operational aspects of the business. The increasing regard for ICT as an enabler of effectiveness and efficiency in a business organization explains this phenomenon.
Businesses may thus also be stereotyped as digital natives or digital immigrants. Those established after the turn of this century can be tagged as digital natives; those that have just adapted digital integration are the digital immigrants.
In its most recent study, "The Essential CIO" published in 2011, IBM determined how 3,018 chief information officers (CIO) from Japan, North America, Europe, and growth markets assessed their organizations’ competitive position. The results of this study revealed that ICT benefits businesses of today more significantly in the facets of leveraging, expanding, transforming, and pioneering. Simply put, ICT helps streamline operations for greater organizational effectiveness, stretches organizational capabilities and business-wide collaboration for wider range, transcends the usual value chain for better stakeholder relations, and delivers innovative products and services for wider market coverage. These results may not come as a surprise but have nonetheless validated several theoretical underpinnings previously confined to classroom discussions. With these findings, today’s businesses have to put a premium on these facets as mandates for their visioning.
The report also highlighted the closure of the gap between how Chief Executive Officers (CEO) and CIOs see ICT factors as significantly affecting their organizations. With respect to importance and priority, from being fifth in 2010, ICT factors became second to market factors in 2011. Both the CEOs and the CIOs agree with this prioritization. Because of this, for the next three to five years, CEOs and CIOs agree that they have to focus on insight and intelligence, client intimacy, and people skills if they want to bring their businesses to newer heights.
We must expect more innovations as ICT providers continue to increase their budgets for research and development. Every digital citizen, government, and business must lookout for better yet more economical alternatives to meet the discriminating needs of stakeholders. Yielding to technological sophistication is not enough. What will spell greater success is how well these embraced technologies fit the organization’s culture, goals, and objectives.
The realization provided by the IBM study through the identified mandates is a perfect jump-off point to direct any organization to the next steps. What will happen after will depend heavily on how the organization can balance the trade-offs between costs and benefits and between decisions made and opportunities foregone.
The digital space, as a battlefield, is fair to both digital citizens. It is anybody’s ball game. Choosing to win or lose, to lead or lag, to swim or sink has become simpler as necessary information becomes more available and accessible to anyone, anywhere, anytime. Every decision is expected to be well thought of. Eventually, we are the ultimate winners who continue reaping the limitless benefits of digitalization.
The writer is the external affairs director of the Ramon V. Del Rosario College of Business of De La Salle University. A full-time faculty member of the Accountancy Department, he specializes in Auditing and Assurance and Management of Information Technology courses. He can be reached at florenz.tugas@dlsu.edu.ph. The views expressed above are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of De La Salle University, its faculty, and its administrators.
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