Sociology homework help. Three separate attachments please

Deliverable 3 Examining the Digital World Through the Use of Sociological Theory

 
Instructions
You are working for a local department store in the Operations Department. You notice that their business practices and use of technology are not up to date. The Human Resources Department does not have adequate computer access and often requires employees to complete some business at home. They also require prospective employees to apply from home. You recognize that not all people have personal computers, and some might be accessing business and personal records from a public computer. There are two prominent sociological theories that can be used to easily examine computer usage for individuals and organizations. Those theories are Conflict Theory and Symbolic Interaction Theory.
At a staff meeting, you and your team are engaged in a discussion about the use of technology on both an individual and organizational level. You cite the digital divide as a major concern. Your store is considering an upgrade in some or all of their technological resources.
Recognizing that you are technologically savvy, your supervisor asks you to generate a visual comparison that considers the use of public computers versus a personal computer. You will rank concepts such as ease of use, time, and comfort in completing tasks, security factors, email management, and safety in conducting business that is typically completed on a computer that may lead someone to experience the digital divide (a difference between groups of people and their use of digital technology). You will also need to consider the sociological theories named above and explain how from a sociological perspective, it would benefit or hinder the store you work in to upgrade their technology.
Your comparison should consider various factors identified below and will illustrate the benefits and some potential limitations of utilizing technology. Your presentation will be presented to your supervisor and other members of the Operations Department in order to determine which, if any, components of the store’s current technological operations will be updated. The visual comparison can be in any engaging format that you select.
For this comparison chart, you are to reflect upon and address the following sets of questions/information.

• Define conflict theory.
• Define symbolic interaction theory.
• Discuss how each of these theories would explain the use of technology and the development of the digital world we now live.
• Consider multiple ways that society has changed in the past several decades and what contributed to that change.
• Provide examples of technological growth and change over the past several decades.
• Make direct correlations between the technologies that exist and the changes that have occurred at the organizational and societal levels in the past several decades.
• Define digital divide.
• Consider factors that create the digital divide, such as access to technology, socioeconomic status, age, personal interest, location of residence, etc.
• Based upon factors that cause the digital divide, suggest ways that this divide can be combated.
• How does the digital divide apply to the store that you work in for this scenario?
• Which theoretical perspective can best be applied to your store in the above scenario to help explain and counter the impacts of the digital divide?

 

Deliverable 4 Using Sociological Theory to Understand Organizational Change

 
Competency
This competency will allow you to demonstrate your ability to examine organizational changes that are due to technological changes and apply the sociological theory that would explain such change.
Instructions
You have recently started working for a local department store in the Operations Department. Upon settling into your new position, you come to realize that they have outdated business practices. As a department, you and your peers begin to discuss changes that your store could make to help the store become more profitable and more competitive in the marketplace. This leads to discussions about the evolution of business practices at larger corporations such as Apple, Microsoft, Kohl’s, etc. Partway through your discussion, your Director of Operations comes in and joins the conversation. He likes what he is hearing and starts to brainstorm out loud with the group how your store can get “more with the times.”
Knowing that every change within an organization is made for a specific reason, your director asks that you research some of the key theoretical perspectives that would explain how and why organizations change. Because of your sociological prowess from your days in school, you know that you can apply Conflict Theory and Symbolic Interaction Theory to the reasons for organization change, but your supervisor has asked for a minimum of three theories that would support change.
In addition to conducting research on theoretical perspectives for change, your supervisor would like you to put together some sort of visual representation that demonstrates how each of the theories explains organizational change, and then highlight the one that you think is most applicable to your store. You will be presenting your visual presentation to store management in an effort to provide them information so that they can determine the avenues of change that are most appropriate for your store. Because your supervisor sees the value in the changes to the organization, he has encouraged you to create a presentation that will grab the attention of the audience and that includes both pictorial and written information so that all the audience can easily envision the application of the change to your environment.
For this presentation you are to reflect and address the following information/questions:

• Provide a brief definition of Conflict Theory.
• Provide a brief definition of Symbolic Interaction.
• What changes have been made in various aspects of society (work, school, shopping, etc.)? Explain them through the lens of Conflict Theory and Symbolic Interaction Theory.
• How do Conflict Theory and Symbolic Interaction Theory explain or impact organizational change?
• Identify at least one other sociological theory, and demonstrate how it applies to organizational change in our society.
• Of the three identified theories (Conflict, Symbolic Interaction, and the theory of your choice), which theory do you believe best explains organizational changes in our society? Consider various aspects of the organizations that change i.e. technology, online, and face-to-face transactions, local versus global operations, etc.

 
Deliverable 5 – Evolution of Language
Competency
This competency will allow you to demonstrate your ability to evaluate the evolution of language within online and digital forums due to advances and changes in technology.
Instructions
You have recently started working for a local department store in the Operations Department. You have always had a passion for communication and technology, and at your new store, you quickly realize that their methods of communication and their technological resources are outdated. You have worked retail for many years and over time have realized that there are many gaps and differences in the way that people communicate and the forms of technology that they are comfortable with. This applies to both your customers and your colleagues.
Because you feel that this is an area of expertise for you, you approach your supervisor and begin a discussion about communication changes and gaps in communication in conjunction with the technological changes that have happened over the last several decades. You and your supervisor discuss the best ways for your store to understand various communication methods and the gaps that exist in communication among your consumers and colleagues.
You volunteer to put together a written summary of broad spectrum changes in technology and the resulting changes in communication methods and gaps in communication. Your supervisor loves this idea. He does ask, however, that the information be presented in the form of a pamphlet or written statement that can be both presented to staff and handed out by Human Resources as a training tool for employee relations.
You are encouraged to provide as many examples of changes to communication methods that you can come up with. Also consider many different gaps in communication such as generational differences, differences in socioeconomic status, the region the people live in, interest in technology, setting in which you are communicating in (personal versus professional), etc. After considering these issues, your supervisor would like you to present some ideas as to how your store can bridge communication gaps between colleagues and with your customers.
For this written summary, you are to reflect upon and address the following information:

• Consider various methods of communication, types of technology that can assist in communication, and other factors involving technology that may impact or change communication.
• Consider several factors that impact access to communication in society. Some possible are socioeconomic status, access to technological resources, generational differences, differences in intellect, etc.
• How have online environments and technological growth impacted how society communicates on both personal and professional levels? Be sure to provide specific examples of both.
• How do changes in methods of communication create communication gaps in our society?
• What are some ways that society can bridge communication gaps that happen as a result of technological growth?

 
 

Sociology homework help