Abstract
The purpose of this chapter is to present research findings and address the Generational Differences Relative to Data-Based Wisdom. Data-Based Wisdom is defined as the use of technology, leadership, and culture to create, transfer, and preserve the organizational knowledge embedded in its data, with a view to achieving the organizational vision. So what will comparing Generational Differences effectively do to help achieve organizational vision? If you don't know your history, you are doomed to repeat it; therefore, with the accumulation of ever growing data, understanding the necessary steps to store them properly and ability to retrieve them in an efficient manner are both explicit and tacit knowledge that are outside the scope of the conventional multi-disciplined approach to achieving organizational objectives. With time, technology, leadership, and culture have transformed into more than tangible items, social leadership concepts, and learned behavioral patterns. The latter three ideas have evolved along with the technological advances infused into society as we know it today. Therefore, the value and emphasis to develop and maintain intricate and efficient knowledge management databases suitable to create, transfer, and preserve organizational knowledge embedded in its data has never been more vital. The importance will continue to grow as changes in technology, leadership concepts, and culture continue to inundate.
TopTechnology: And Everything That Makes It Work
Approximately 23 years ago, the quantity and quality of technological devices infused within our society were great advances to the generation of the 90’s. Where the World Wide Web (WWW), the Pentium processor, Web TV, and a whole variety of great inventions were introduced and revitalized, the underlying goal of ephemeralization was in mind.
According to the article “Ephemeralization,” the term ephemeralization is the concept of “doing more with less.” I think we can all agree that with new advances in technology comes convenience and efficiency (Funch, 1995). Convenience and efficiency also, unfortunately, creates a sense of lackadaisical behavior; making things easier and more accessible. Technologies in the 90’s were innovations that redefined the concept of communication. Imagine if Paul Revere were able to phone the Colonial militia and inform them that the British forces were fast approaching. That is food for thought as we expand on the advances made by the technological innovations of the 90’s.
The growth of the Internet is the common denominator in the equation of the exponential growth of technology. The Internet has allowed for minimizing the distance between international communities; communication has been revolutionized by interconnecting nations and individuals by the vast expansion of this intricate web of copper lines and fiber tubes we know as the Internet. In comparison, the arrival of the Internet and its preliminary intent was a study completed by the US government in conjunction with several prestigious private companies and universities. By the 90’s, its use has far exceeded its intent by giving individuals access to a myriad of information at the click of a button. With time, the Internet’s intent and use has evolved to where it now is the fountain of knowledge for organizations, individuals, and society as a whole. As stated before, ephemeralization is a concept based on “doing more with less” where the Internet has become the archetype to this concept. With the e-commerce boom in the 90s to the social media hype of the 21st century, access to a combination of computer data including graphics, sounds, text, video, multimedia and interactive content has made the accumulation of tangible items possible without having to step foot outside the comfort of your home to the reality of the world. Virtualization has never before been more evident until advances in the technology, used to transport data from one node to another, made the concept applicable and practical.