Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
This chapter shall discuss the
problem that the study want to address as well as the circumstances related to
the study. The researcher would also provide the hypothesis that shall be
examined and tested in the course of this study. This portion of the research
will also define the limitation and the aspects covered as well as the
importance of the study to the current field of intranet technology. The
researcher shall also provide definitions of the terms used in the study.
Background
of the Study
Confusing
Intranet with Internet is natural -- the technology, like the spelling, is
nearly identical. Both require the same network protocol (TCP/IP) and both use
email and World Wide Web standards. (Christensen, 1996) The Intranet is essentially
a private Internet operating on your company's internal network. Intranets
exploit the incredibly popular and low-cost Internet tools to gain strategic
advantage over competitors, cut costs, and improve operational effectiveness.
An Intranet typically has three features lacking on the Internet, speed,
security, and control. The said technology has a broader bandwidth than the
latter. Likewise, the system is more secured since it has a private
internal network (LAN/WAN), protected from Internet users by a firewall. In
addition, it could also be more manageable compared to the Internet since the
enterprise network management to ensure reliability.
Furthermore, the
Intranet can be viewed as an information utility for the enterprise.
(Christiansen, 1996) It doesn't matter whether one uses a Mac, Windows or a
UNIX workstation – it is plugged in to the Intranet and find what you need,
from documents to email to data to audio and video. Corporate and department
information is accessed via the standards of the Internet: e-mail, WWW, file
transfer, and other Internet services. The information utility concept has
broad appeal. It enables everyone to be a 'knowledge worker' by providing
real-time information access to all published documents and data in the corporation.
The rapid and near-universal adoption of Internet standards is producing an
avalanche of new products and refurbished, web-enabled applications from all
major applications vendors.
Physically, an Intranet is formed
by linking the various pieces of information and communications technologies
that an organization owns or uses; interconnected in such a fashion that all
the resources of the organization are readily available to anyone who needs
them, wherever and whenever they are needed. (Gareiss, 1996) These resources
that are linked together are not merely the physical devices such as computers
or fax machines. The data that is stored in or accessed through the physical
devices are resources too; as are the software applications that can operate on
and manipulate those data resources.
An Intranet encourages the members
of the organization to make better and more informed decisions. (Gareiss, 1996)
An Intranet encourages and supports more effective use of people by people and
should support faster and more efficient decision making processes. To repeat the
point: An Intranet weaves together three essential components; tangible
resources such as computers, intangible resources in the form of data and, most
important of all, the experience and knowledge of people within the
organization.
Moreover, an Intranet achieves its
purposes by providing a small number of common but very generalized software
tools of great power and flexibility, rather than a large range of discrete
specialized power tools that cannot work effectively with each other. Intranets
are therefore mechanisms for harmonization and integration. (Gareiss, 1996) The key issues
here are experience and knowledge. A well designed Intranet should make it
possible for an organization to gain better access to its primary resource: the
knowledge and experience of the individuals who work within it. A well-designed
Intranet should be an enabling technology. A well designed and properly
implemented Intranet is a creative and empowering tool for the entire
organization that permits any individual to bring the entire resources of the
organization to bear on any specific task they undertake and to bring their own
resources and expertise to bear upon the general purposes of the organization
with greater effect.
The study would be assessing the
intranet system of Mosscare Housing LTD (MC). It was chosen as the case study
for the project due to its easy accessibility of information and largely
traditional structure. There are several definitions of Intranet, but they all
generally refer to network activities where protocol replaces physical items
such as paper and pen. Mosscare Housing LTD is a not-for-profit organization,
and is responsible for over 2,500 properties and sheltered accommodation
schemes in the Greater Manchester area. It provides accommodation services for
the community by developing new properties, renovating existing ones, and
managing the tenancies.
Statement of the Problem
The study intends to investigate the
benefits of Intranets within an organization, particularly in Mosscare Housing
LTD. Specifically, the study seeks to:
1.
Describe
the characteristics of the employees in terms of age and departmental
affiliation.
2.
Identify
the challenges and opportunities institution face as a result of Intranet
technology.
3.
Assess the behavior and attitudes of the employees regarding the use of
Intranet within the organizations.
4.
Recognize the adaptation method of MC to Intranets.
5.
Identify the factors affecting intranet usage.
Hypothesis
The study intends to
test the hypothesis:
“Has the proliferation of intranet
had a positive or negative effect on working paradigms within business
organization?”
Significance of the Study
The study would benefit several areas
of the corporate system. First of all, the study would be able to benefit the
Information Systems of corporations in general as well as with Mosscare. The
research would be able to provide them the idea on the departmental
distribution of the employees who use the technology. This would allow them to
furnish additional data that would be valuable for the department who has the
greatest number of employees clicking to the company’s intranet. This would
allow the said department to modify a section for frequently asked questions
(FAQs) to allow easier access for the employees.
In this light, the management of
companies in general as well as with Mosscare would also benefit from this
study. The results of this study would allow the employees to become more aware
of the company mission and vision through the intranets. This way, the
management would be able to easily keep the employees informed of company
affairs and in the same time, continue to place their moral in a high level.
Likewise, the employees of Mosscare
would also benefit from this study. This study would convey their concerns
regarding the intranet network within their company. This would provide them
additional aspects of the intranets that would be able to cater to their
specific needs. Moreover this study would do well to the Intranet technology as
a whole. This would provide the followers in the field of networking and other
related technologies a concrete representation on the impact of intranets on an
organization.
Scope and Limitations
The study would be limited to the
analysis of the Intranet utilization of the company Mosscare Housing LTD. This
would utilize a researcher made questionnaire that would be provided to the
employees of the said company. The employees that would be given the said
instrument would amount to twenty-five (25) respondents.
Definition of Terms
Browser
This is a program that allows the user to read and access information on the
World Wide Web.
Cyberspace
The conceptual or virtual area where pages, data, images, and all the rest fly
back and forth from computer to computer, user to user.
FAQs - Frequently Asked
Questions
These are questions and
answers that occur regularly within a user group. FAQs are a timesaving feature
for all kinds of users.
Firewall
A protection of the internal company network against unauthorized access via
the Internet.
FTP - File Transfer
Protocol
It is a very common method
of moving files between two Internet sites. FTP is a special way to log in to
another Internet site for the purposes of retrieving and/or sending files.
There are many Internet sites that have established publicly accessible
repositories of material that can be obtained using FTP by logging in using the
account name anonymous. Thus, these sites are called anonymous FTP servers.
HTTP - Hypertext Transfer Protocol
The way Web pages are
transferred over the Internet or an Intranet. Icon A small picture or graphic
used to represent a location in the inter- or Intranet (for example a
flow-chart graphic to take the user to the departmental flow chart); an action
(a mailbox as a place to send feedback); or a program (a W to indicate
Microsoft Word).
Internet
Interconnected computer networks from around the world.
Intranet
Interconnected computers and networks within an organization.
ISDN - Integrated Services
Digital Network
Basically, it is a way to
move more data over existing regular phone lines. It can provide speeds of
roughly 128,000 bits-per-second over regular phone lines.
LDAP - Lightweight
Directory Access Protocol
LDAP is preferred for
creating directories. LDAP provides a standard way for Internet clients,
applications, and servers to access directory services using TCP/IP, regardless
of the hardware/software platform.
Network
Lots of computers connected together. Lots of networks all over the world are
connected to make the Internet. Lots of networks connected within an
organization such as a university or company make an Intranet.
Search Engine
Software used to find
information on the Web. Examples are Lycos and Yahoo.
Server
This is a computer with
the capacity to provide connectivity (sharing) to multiple personal computers.
Surfing
Going from page to page, link to link, via a browser. Surfing could have been
called "clicking" for the mouse clicks that make the process
possible, or "linking" from the program logic, which makes the
process, occur.
TCP/IP
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. This is the suite of
protocols that defines the Internet. Originally designed for the UNIX operating
system, TCP/IP software is now available for every major kind of computer
operating system. To be truly on the Internet, your computer must have TCP/IP
software.
URL - Uniform Resource
Locator
It is the address of
location for accessing Web pages. Clicking on an icon or "hot text"
is the most common means of accessing and using a URL.
Web or Net
The World Wide Web (a
server) consisting of a hypermedia system (linking sounds, text, pictures,
video) which your computer (a client) can access.
Webmaster
The supervisor ensuring that the system is up and running; the coordinator of
access; the relay for communications between users and hosts to sites.
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