Introduction
For many years, human beings have an inherent need, to be able to communicate with their peers, for that reason, a huge amount of information is exchanged through communication, which is why great advances have been made in areas such as: technological, social, economic, health, among others.
Just like human beings in their social environment, the same happens within organizations, it is essential to keep all areas in constant communication and for communication to be successful, the receiver must have the skills that allow him to decode the message and interpret it, but something very important is that the message must contain clear and precise information for a better interpretation.
Information is characterized by transmitting a message through different means (oral, written and audiovisual) that help to know or know about a topic or situation.
Definition of information
Different authors define information in a different way, but each one of them brings an interesting point of view that is important to know; Below is a mention of their contributions on the subject:
According to (Chiavenato, 2006) affirms that the information:
“It is a set of data with a meaning, that is, that reduces uncertainty or increases knowledge about something. In truth, the information is a message with meaning in a certain context, available for immediate use and that provides guidance to actions by reducing the margin of uncertainty regarding our decisions ”.
According to the author Chiavenato, he explains that the information is about a message that contains a series of data and, in turn, encompasses a certain meaning that implies a specific topic, which can be useful for the receiver, reducing their lack of security. or confidence in making decisions in any situation.
For (Ferrell & Hirt, 2004) they determine that the information: «comprises the data and knowledge that are used in decision-making»
The two authors mentioned above, consider information as a set of knowledge and data that can be used in decision-making; We can realize that their definition is approached in a somewhat simple but concise way.
According to (Czinkota & Kotabe, 2005) they state that the information: "consists of data selected and ordered with a specific purpose"
According to (Toffler & Toffler, 2006) they make a very interesting difference between what is data and what is information, since sometimes they are often confused with these two terms, therefore they affirm that: «Data are usually described as discrete elements, orphaned of context: for example, "300 actions". When data is contextualized, it becomes information: for example, "We have 300 shares of pharmaceutical company X" ".
Taking into account the example that these two great authors cite us, they make us understand in a very clear and simple way, the difference that exists between the meaning of the word data and the meaning of the word information, therefore, when a set of simple, empty and contextless data, hardly or rather, it would be impossible to call that data set information.
According to the (Spanish) it gives us several definitions regarding the word information:
(From the lat. Informatio, -ōnis 'concept', 'one word explanation'). 1. f. Action and effect of informing. 2. f. Office where something is reported. 3. f. Legal and legal investigation of a fact or crime. 4. f. Evidence that is made of the quality and circumstances necessary in a person for a job or honor. U. m. in pl. 5. f. Communication or acquisition of knowledge that allows to expand or specify what is possessed on a given subject. 6. f. Knowledge communicated or acquired.
Also (Wikipedia) has a definition of what information is and establishes that it is: an organized set of processed data, which constitutes a message that changes the state of knowledge of the subject or system that receives said message.
As we can see, there are a large number of authors who have expressed their point of view regarding what information is, but each and every one of them have something in common, that information could not be created or established if there is no a set of contextualized data to make sense of what is being transmitted, and then be able to use it for a specific purpose, such as in decision-making.
Information in organizations
The information must be distributed to all corners of the organization, so that it is available to all members of the organization, from the highest level of the organization chart, to the lowest, only then can the knowledge necessary to make decisions be expanded successful and lead the organization on the path of success.
One of the strategies carried out by organizations is the management and analysis of information, both internally and externally, since in every decision-making process external information is necessary, therefore, this information is collected to be sent to the administrators in charge and can be treated internally; It is also necessary to emphasize that all information obtained from abroad must be transmitted fluently by all areas of the company, this in order to make the most of the information resources that come from abroad.
According to (Oppenheim, Stenson, & Wilson) they reaffirm e: "they identify the attributes of the information and conclude that it can be considered, in the field of organizations, as an information asset". (Quoted in (Martínez Musiño))
In the same context, (Cohen F.) states and:
“It analyzes some aspects of the use of information in the information economy and like (Oppenheim, Stenson, & Wilson) considers that information is an asset. When considering information as an asset, there is an economic denotation, better said in the information economy, which conceives a concern of the amount of information processed in an organization, through the interaction of its members, for decision making ". (Cited in (Martínez Musiño))
The point of view of the aforementioned authors makes it clear that information should be considered the main asset in an organization, however, Max Cohen infers with respect to the "information theory" how organizations use internal information (inventory control, raw material, available machine hours, product delivery time, etc.) to improve their operating and production costs, which will be reflected in better productivity.
Information management
All the information that is disseminated by the organization must be managed in a professional manner, in order that the messages issued are not distorted and give way to diffuse information.
According to (Archaira & Pani, 2008) information management: has certain basic elements, such as access, evaluation, administration, organization, filtering and distribution of information in such a way that the information can be useful for the end user. (Quoted in (Martínez Musiño))
According to the two authors mentioned above, they affirm that the administration of information within an organization must have access to all its members, so that it can be organized, evaluated and administered, for later, all that accumulation of relevant information, it can be filtered and distributed throughout the organization, which would enhance its performance and effectiveness.
Definition of diffuse
According to the (Spanish) defines the word diffuse as: (From the lat. Diffūssus) 1. adj. Excessively long, superabundant in words. Language, style, writer, fuzzy speaker. 2. adj. Vague, imprecise. Diffuse logic
Then then, we can affirm the diffuse, as that which does not have a well-defined domain, therefore, it is usually presented with little clarity, lack of certainty, with a high degree of imprecision and very extensive.
When a communication is established between two or more people, sometimes, they cannot agree on a certain issue or situation, assuming that is the case, it is possible that they did not exchange the correct set of data to reach a common goal, that is there where the fuzzy information is presented.
Let's list some examples to better understand the meaning of “diffuse”:
- The ideas you propose are not clear to me or I cannot understand them, they seem very fuzzy to me, the line between sanity and madness is blurred
Fuzzy information
Since we have studied the concept of information and how it is established, it is necessary to emphasize and know what fuzzy information is.
We know that information is an organized set of data that transmits a message about a certain topic or situation, however, when this message is transmitted inaccurately, since its data set turns out to be unclear and imprecise, it is classified as diffuse information.
In all the organizations of the world, a stratospheric amount of information is handled, therefore, an adequate management of information within an organization will positively influence the achievement of its objectives, among which are: the increase of competitiveness and position itself as the market leader.
For organizations, it is a difficult task to manage the information they have, however, it is even more difficult to have the ability to determine if the information that is handled is reliable and truthful, it is for that reason that a process of management of diffuse information, in order to reduce the uncertainty that organizations maintain in the management of their information.
Fuzzy information management process
This process involves a series of steps to follow, and it is necessary to implement it throughout the organization, taking senior management as the main piece, since it is in charge of carrying out the strategic plan to guide the organization towards leadership. in the market.
1.- Need for information
There is no organization in the world that does not need information, because without it, they honestly would not have a way to survive, that is why organizations have the obligation to collect information that helps them combat their weaknesses and develop effectively, that's what You need to know your internal and external environment.
Internal information needs are those that present changes in their structure, of which are generated by the review of organizational activities, such as:
- The inventory of a product Sales price and costs of a product Monthly income and expenses Employee salaries
The external information needs are those that refer to the recognition of the external environment and to know how the company is positioned or how it is compared to its competitors:
- Level of customer satisfaction Demand for the product or service offered by the company Knowledge of competitors' prices, promotions and sales strategies Changes in government regulations Information about suppliers
2.- Information search
To carry out this step, it is necessary to have the information needs well established, so that the following process can be carried out and does not contemplate failures; In such a way that, in order for the search for information to be fruitful, it is necessary to develop a schedule of activities that contains the following information for better control:
- The activities necessary to achieve the organizational objectives Structure the activities with a logical order of action Determine the means and resources to be used Determine the execution time
3.- Obtaining all kinds of information (diffuse information)
It is very common that once step 2 of the information search is completed, a huge amount of information is obtained, after which, it is known that it will be completely disorganized, unstable and unclassified, which implies a difficult task for its management. Therefore, it is necessary to know if the information collected is diffuse or not, we can help ourselves with a series of questions:
- Is it appropriate to the needs of the organization? Is it easily accessible to members of the organization who need it at any given time? Is it complete and accurate? Is it secure with respect to accessibility, integrity and reliability? Is it duplicative? ?
4.- Use of tools to manage diffuse information
Once we obtain the information, it is essential to make use of certain tools that will facilitate a better understanding of the diffuse information, which are mentioned below:
- Identify and use keywords Apply speed reading techniques Highlight main ideas Create content files Use specialized indexes and search engines Search and question experts on the subject Implement a method or technique that records, concentrates, classifies, organizes and hierarchizes the information Designate the people in charge of managing the information information Determine the specialty and profile of information sources Evaluate the reliability of information sources Have the ability to identify the types of sources and their content Know how to collect information
5.- Evaluation of the information
This step has a high impact on the information management process, because with this step, it will allow the organization to know itself, in terms of its efficiency and productivity, so that it can make the necessary changes to achieve its objectives; Likewise, the evaluation of the information consists of:
- Establish evaluation objectives Differentiate the general from the particular related to the information Apply the appropriate criteria to capture, select, integrate and organize Ensure that the information is congruent Distinguish facts from opinions Find different points of view about the information and discuss them Identify the point of view that the source has in the information Use criteria of reliability, validity and levels of depth in the management of the information Feedback the actions that are being carried out Be able to see the evolution of the information work Distinguish between primary and secondary sources
There are certain reasons to be able to carry out the evaluation of the information, that is why mention should be made of why it is done:
- Because some member of the senior hierarchy requests it Because it allows making modifications to improve Because it is part of the planning process Because it provides opinions that facilitate new perspectives Because it allows documenting results or impacts on the organization
6.- Processing and production of information
This step is transcendental for the organization, since the information is processed, in order to use it for the benefit of the company; For that reason, some necessary actions must be taken to achieve this step:
- Organize, summarize and present the information Have the ability and ability to analyze the information Reflect on the information found Mastering written expression techniques Have knowledge of making reports It is essential not to copy and paste Use tables Use graphs Know how to write an essay
With these actions carried out correctly, instruments of accurate and timely communication can be developed, so that they can conform and adapt to organizational needs.
7.- Decision making
There is something that all organizations must consider and take into account, that it is necessary to face the changes that are constantly presented today, due to financial, economic, social globalization, technological policy, etc., and that is that they cannot be committed the same mistakes of the past, or mistakes that have cost many companies their lives, therefore, innovative strategies must be followed for essential and correct decision-making, with the help of clear and precise information.
Decision making is of utmost importance in the organization, therefore, it must always be based on facts to be considered true and real, as well as, it must always be available to all members of the organization.
Conclusions
Organizations should put a lot of emphasis on managing their information, because as we saw in this article, if messages are not transmitted properly, fuzzy information can be presented, which, as we already know, is the data set. that transfer a message with inaccurate, unclear and imprecise information, which leads to a distortion of the information that reaches the recipients, preventing the proper development of activities, forming a chain reaction that would negatively impact the company.
That is why every organization needs to implement the techniques or methodologies necessary for the analysis of the information collected, and thus, be able to take advantage of it for its own benefit.
Thesis proposal
"Data processing program for the disposal of diffuse information in an organization" Objectives:
- Evaluate and analyze the information to take the relevant data
Thanks
I am immensely grateful to the Technological Institute of Orizaba for allowing me to be part of its Master's program in Administrative Engineering, likewise, to my teacher of the subject of Administrative Engineering Fundamentals, Dr. Fernando Aguirre y Hernández, not only for their dedication and dedication to keep improving myself, also by encouraging me to believe in my ability to create new things that have a positive impact on our environment.
Bibliography
- Archaira, P., & Pani, A. (2008). Information management. Information management in the new millennium: opportunities and challenges for library professionals. Chiavenato, I. (2006). Introduction to the General Theory of Administration. McGraw-Hill Interamericana. Cohen F., M. (sf). Some aspects of the use of information in the information economy. Information Science, 26-36 Czinkota, M., & Kotabe, M. (2005). Marketing Administration (Second ed.). SA Ediciones Paraninfo.Española, RA (sf). Spanish dictionary. Retrieved September 23, 2017, from http://dle.rae.es/?id=LXrOqrNFerrell, OC, & Hirt, G. (2004). Introduction to Business in a Changing World (Fourth ed.). McGraw-Hill Interamericana. Martínez Musiño, C. (nd). The value of the information,its administration and scope in organizations. Revista Mexicana de Ciencias de la Información. Oppenheim, C., Stenson, J., & Wilson, R. (sf). Studies on information as an asset. Information Science Journal, 159-166.Toffler, A., & Toffler, H. (2006). The revolution of wealth. Knopf. Wikipedia. (sf). Retrieved on September 23, 2017, from
Theory related to the mathematical laws that govern the transmission and processing of information and deals with the measurement of information and its representation.
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