Philosophy of Digital Man and Digital Society - 2024

Information Management Technologies in Social Process Governance

The Emergence and Development of Concepts in Digital Economy and Digital Management Amidst Global Transformation

In its most general form, information management technologies play a significant role in the governance of contemporary processes within the framework of digitalization, significantly influencing e-governance and serving as a core subject in the study of management sciences. The issue of information management technologies is intricately connected to modern methods, tools, and technologies for implementing information and communication processes in public administration, aimed at fostering effective management decisions. Certain aspects of information management technologies in public governance are explored by specialists in information economics, the philosophy of public administration, sociology of management, business, and entrepreneurship.

The conceptualization of information management technologies in public governance and the development of a model for advancing information management within organizations to enhance its effectiveness form the objective of this research. We seek to characterize the evolving nature of information management within a rapidly changing world and to elucidate the technologies that reflect its current development stage. To achieve this, it is essential to examine the mechanisms for implementing information management technologies in public administration.

At the foundation of effective information management technologies lies the cultivation of skills in applying the tools of information management in the governance of organizations and their divisions, rooted in information technologies that transform organizations, production, and the economy. These include the development of all services working with information at the level of contemporary innovative changes, encompassing technological, personnel, financial, and organizational modifications. We aim to demonstrate that the purpose of information management technologies is to establish a system of theoretical and practical knowledge and skills within an innovative paradigm and to cultivate the creative potential of the organization, thereby forming a roadmap for an information and communication society as a specific variant of social systems and interactions.

The exponential pace of change in the implementation of digital management technologies, coupled with the advancement of computational power and managerial complexity, is poised to lead to a future where computers become increasingly "gifted." According to Ray Kurzweil, by 2045 we may enter an era of "technological singularity," surpassing the evolution of human intellect. Should the current trajectory of technological advancement persist, mathematical calculations based on the exponential effects of Moore's Law will document the development of information and computer technologies (ICT) as high-tech, highly intelligent, and technological progress in pursuit of prosperity.

The acceleration of computer progress has reached such a degree that humanity’s capacity to comprehend it at the level of machine intelligence could leave human intellect behind; thus, we must prepare today for the challenges posed by a computer civilization, "to tame this challenge of civilization." The realm of digital management technologies encompasses all ICT necessary for decision-making at the level of public administration as a whole. In executing tasks, management entities must primarily assess the value and effectiveness of utilizing not only information itself (data and knowledge) but also ensure that every employee receives only relevant information, alongside the advancement of all services dealing with information amid contemporary innovative changes that include technological, personnel, financial, and organizational dimensions.

In the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, public administration bodies must pursue the most innovative tasks based on the utilization of forms, methods, and technologies for managing organizational information resources, as well as acquiring skills in managing information flows, considering the exchanges of information through various channels in the landscape of digitalization.

The head of the information service in public administration must possess knowledge of the categories pertinent to their functional responsibilities: information management, information space, information infrastructure, information management algorithms, informatization, information and communication technologies (ICT), artificial intelligence, exponential development, digital strategies, information stochasticity, information culture, strategies for the security of intelligent machines, the digital human, algorithmic culture and thinking, information warfare, hacking, and smart innovations. The current level of understanding regarding changes in public administration is still insufficient to adequately respond to the challenges posed by the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The formation of a smart society and smart technologies represents a new model for the 21st century within the context of contemporary civilization's development, wherein global trends exert influence on the evolution of the digital economy, Agile Management 3.0 acts as a catalyst for technical progress in a digital society, and the advancement of an informational community amid technological changes, information, and innovative technologies serve to enhance the effectiveness of the digital economy and business in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution 4.0, overcoming the crisis conditions induced by the pandemic.

As analysis reveals, "the new wealth of nations" resides in trillions of digital bits of information traversing global networks. These constitute physical/electronic manifestations of numerous transactions, conversations, voice and video messages, alongside programs that document the processes of information production, dissemination, and consumption within public administration. There exists a pressing need to conduct a systemic analysis of the peculiarities of information and communication technologies, which are part of the information infrastructure of any nation and a focus of public governance, as these can lead to profound and systemic changes and remain relevant today.

All processes within public administration are interconnected, exhibiting a close relationship that influences one another. They are linked to modern methods, tools, and technologies for realizing information and communication processes in public governance and are directed toward making effective management decisions. Cognitive (creative) technologies in information management, along with the Internet as a communication intermediary between individuals and the processes of informatization, influence the development of qualitative managerial processes in public governance and the cognitive development of the entire workforce. However, for this to be effective, personnel must possess an information (algorithmic) culture and thinking, adept at sorting materials and understanding the laws governing the evolution of automated systems, as well as the specifics of the intellectualization of management processes, particularly regarding the implications of artificial intelligence and the trends and changes in the post-pandemic landscape of social forecasting.

Undoubtedly, the creation of intelligent machines and software impacts the overcoming of informational scholasticism for both leaders and subordinates, necessitating a concerted effort to navigate uncertainty, instability, and the crisis brought about by COVID-19. To achieve this, it is imperative to assess the technologies of information management in public administration and the progress of digital reality. To fulfill these functions, information specialists must not only engage in the functions of information management and gather information (economic, social, network, e-governance) but also cultivate philosophical, systemic, expert, analytical, and synergetic thinking.

The expertise in information management technologies within public administration is directed toward formulating a digital strategy for the development of one's organization, addressing the vulnerabilities faced by contemporary information systems, comprehending cyber warfare actions within the information space, and analyzing the exponential increase in information (BIG DATA), which doubles every year and two months. To do so, one must be adept in data mining techniques, the science of DATA SCIENCE, which encapsulates all these processes, and formulate a model or inquiry for social response, taking into account the contradictions, challenges, and future threats.

The role of the information manager is exceedingly innovative and complex, as this specialist must be flexible, mobile, and capable of rapidly adapting to the informational environment, transforming information into the quality of management processes, and converting it into new knowledge. Critical thinking enables this specialist to fulfill the essential functions required in public service.

1. The Information Manager and Their Functions
   An information manager must master the entire body of knowledge related to Agile management—flexible, mobile, adaptive—utilizing the hidden informational potential of the organization. They should possess an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of their organization to make innovative decisions and harness progressive digital technologies. To achieve this, they must embody a new type of leadership—one that drives change and fosters innovation in the technological advancements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, effectively implementing innovations. The information manager is an innovative leader who thrives in conditions of stochasticity and uncertainty, remaining a step ahead of their peers, continuously refining their digital creative competencies and technological expertise, and perpetually enhancing their informational skills.

The information manager must be proficient in foundational technologies related to the organization’s data searching, gathering, processing, and preparation of necessary information for making relevant managerial decisions. They are tasked with developing skills in applying the tools of information-communication management within the realm of organizational governance and its subdivisions, based on information technologies that transform their operations, utilizing the production of information aimed at economic development. An information manager in public administration should possess a fundamental education, have a grasp of information economics and software, and be capable of analyzing uncertainty, randomness, risks, entropy, and the turbulence within the nation and its governance.

Moreover, the information manager must acquire practical skills in managing the organization’s informational resources and technologies through the application of various models and social communication technologies. They should also master theoretical-methodological approaches for utilizing models, technologies, and tools for information provision in management. For this purpose, a model for developing information management within the organization must be established, which should possess a cadre of personnel, leaders, financial resources, and information while implementing creative digital technologies at all levels of public administration—both horizontally and vertically—thus overcoming informational entropy, a measure of chaos, disorder, and uncertainty, and facilitating the organization's survival amid crises and instability. The information manager must be well-versed in concepts, technologies, and management tools for informational resources and the architecture of the information system of public administration as a complex social organism and a dynamic, evolving process.

2. The Essence of Information Management Technologies in Public Administration and Their Implementation Directions
   Information management technologies in public administration encompass a system of knowledge regarding the development of the information-communication sphere within organizations, establishing both theoretical and practical foundations for implementing innovative development technologies and forming a system of fundamental knowledge that reveals the directions for introducing innovative technologies. These require a new logic that focuses on innovative development, developed infrastructure, human, and social potential.

Mastering information management technologies should ensure the acquisition of competencies that facilitate the formation of modern, forward-thinking, innovative, strategic, systematic, and expert thinking aimed at creating innovative products, inventions, and patents. The implementation of information management technologies includes cultivating a creative and innovative potential eager to introduce new technologies.

The methodological tools of information management technologies encompass a variety of methodologies:

1. Marketing (consumer) methodologies, within which consumers evaluate the organization's performance;
2. Innovative technologies as a factor ensuring the organization’s competitive advantages;
3. Financial investments in the implementation of information management technologies;
4. Mechanisms for incorporating technologies into public administration practices.

Utilization of information management technologies includes the advancement of robotics, digital economy, digital branding, and digital management. The concept of implementing information management technologies aids in defining the goals and target benchmarks of innovative activities, selecting indicators for measuring the strategy of innovative development (establishing priorities), identifying indicators and forecasting results, and coordinating and planning innovative measures. The goal of information management technologies is to establish a system of theoretical and practical knowledge and skills within the innovative paradigm while fostering creative and innovative potential to devise a management roadmap amid uncertainty, instability, and informational stochasticity.

3. Information-Communication Technologies as a Factor in the Development of Information Management
   The influence of information-communication technologies on the development of public administration is linked to the emergence of artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things, nanotechnology, biotechnology, neurobiology, pervasive computerization, advanced mobile phones, and 3D printing technologies, which are tailored to consumer demands. Some experts today predict a fivefold increase in the 3D printer market, including the production of custom prosthetics, construction of building structures and entire homes, plumbing, concrete structures, and even human organs, which will help save lives. Nanotechnology has revolutionized the manipulation of substances at the atomic and molecular levels, nearing the invention of the nanometer. By 2025, nanotechnology is expected to touch upon nearly every aspect of human life, with its most significant contributions anticipated in medicine. The technologies of the 21st century, through Internet connectivity, will quickly become accessible to everyone.

However, aggressive actions taken within cyberspace fundamentally alter the Internet, and not always for the better. Attempts to secure cyberspace, undertaken by governments in collaboration with corporations, render the global network more vulnerable, evolving and improving before our very eyes. In just one generation's lifetime, the utilization of resources for the exchange and storage of crucial data by both governmental bodies and corporations has reached proportions where issues related to network interference could lead humanity to the brink of disaster. As a result of the development of information-computer technologies, we now face a true "hybrid war" in virtual space, filled with unexpected challenges, threats, and traps. All this indicates that the information revolution of the 21st century has changed almost everything.

Today, robotics construction clubs operate in Western colleges, competitions in synthetic biology achievements take place at universities, artificial intelligence already manages our technological devices, and supermarkets offer drones for purchase, necessitating the formation of a new worldview, a new human being, and a new society for the future. Scientists have created biocomputers that use DNA for calculations related to data storage, retrieval, and processing; advancements in synthetic biology are also tied to the use of new computing systems. A key challenge for innovation lies in the ability to challenge authority and disrupt norms, requiring the establishment of a new smart society and a smart individual.

Thus, based on this analysis, we observe that effective information management technologies in public administration currently operate with substantial volumes of information for analysis, evaluation, planning, and forecasting economic development trends for both specific structural divisions and public administration as a whole. The processing, storage, and rational use of information are impossible without employing modern information systems and technologies, for which the information manager must possess contemporary methods, means, and technologies for realizing information-communicative processes within the organization, aiming to make effective managerial decisions. They should also have practical skills in managing the organization’s informational resources and technologies by employing various models and technologies associated with organizing the search, collection, and processing of data and preparing the necessary information for making relevant managerial decisions.

At the heart of effective information management technologies in public administration lies the cultivation of skills in applying the tools of information management within the domain of organizational governance and its subdivisions. These tools are grounded in information technologies that transform organizations, production, and the economy. The exponential pace of change in computational power and its influence on the digital world is already manifesting as a reality today.

There exists a dissonance between the potential destructive power of new technologies and their widespread accessibility. This does not imply that such technologies ought to be prohibited; rather, the state must implement stringent measures to safeguard information from its citizens and to employ these technologies in governmental laboratories and purposes. Humanity must be prepared to confront the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, various computer viruses, and "innovations" emerging from the digital underground—such as the breaching of computer codes and passwords. The revolution in information and communication technologies (ICT) transcends significant distances, extending beyond mere information exchange and modeling methods to include the prospect of a democracy built on information technologies, facilitated by a multitude of media platforms that form part of the ICT revolution.

The Concept of Information Provisioning for Management in an Organization

The concept of information provisioning for management within an organization intertwines several approaches:

1. The economic approach, which considers the acquisition of new information based on utility and financial expenditure.
2. The analytical approach, grounded in the analysis of user needs for information and communications.
3. The organizational approach, which examines information technologies in their impact on organizational aspects.
4. The systemic approach, which treats information processing as a holistic, system-oriented, and comprehensive process within the organization, emphasizing the optimization of communication channels, information, material resources, and other expenditures and working methods.

Information management within an organization fulfills strategic, operational, and administrative tasks. Strategic tasks include the establishment of the organization’s information infrastructure and the governance of information technologies amidst global transformation.

Operational and administrative tasks possess a narrower and subordinate nature. The primary task of information management is to provide information support for the organization’s core activities. From this perspective, the objectives of information management should be viewed as integrating the individual information elements created by employees (documents, files, technologies) based on a unifying search program and utilizing online proposals along with relevant marketing of information resources. The subsequent task of information management lies in transforming the diverse offerings from the information market, often referred to as "mass products," into information pertinent to actions, transitioning from external knowledge to insights relevant to internal decisions.

Information management addresses the planning, leadership, control, and organization of documentation support for the governance of the organization according to specific target criteria, thereby facilitating coherent organizational and informational actions. A crucial task of information management is the selection of rational forms of communication, techniques, and information technologies regarding the characteristics of information resources necessary for achieving the organization’s objectives. The organizational specialist, employee, or manager is not merely a consumer to whom information is supplied; rather, they are active participants in the informational process and form a vital component of the information management structure.

The practical implementation of communication processes within the management apparatus is carried out by information management institutes through the organization of document flow and the circulation of information streams within the internal information management system, the functioning of information systems and networks. Traditional documentation practices, more progressive documentation support systems, and automated information processing systems converge into a unified system grounded on a common methodological basis under singular leadership. In other words, the experience of managing documentation integrates with the capabilities of technology and techniques, supported by an appropriate organizational structure.

The organizational structures of information management are designed to unify top management, specialists, managers, information suppliers, and the organization itself, creating a division of information management that addresses documentation governance on an organizational scale based on contemporary methodological approaches, organizational and technological solutions, and heightened demands for quality information provisioning in management.

Thus, information, in the context of market relations, becomes a vital resource requiring specialized automated technologies for its collection, processing, structuring, transmission, storage, and utilization. This challenge must be met by the establishment of information systems operating on the foundation of modern computer technologies.

Information systems, based on networks of interconnected personal computers, currently serve as the primary means of information provisioning for management amid uncertainty and instability. At present, there is no universally accepted solution for organizing information provisioning within governance. The greater the capital invested by an organization, the higher the role of quality information becomes, essential for making investment decisions directed at enhancing the efficacy of such activities.

An information system (or management information provisioning system) constitutes a process of continuous, targeted selection of relevant informational indicators necessary for conducting analysis, planning, and preparing effective operational management decisions across all facets of the organization’s activities.