INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT

DIGITAL WORKFORCE (UBM599)

FACULTY & PROGRAMME : FACULTY OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT (BA250)

SEMESTER :3
NAME : SITI NAZIHAH BINTI SULAIMAN
GROUP : BA2503A2
LECTURER : NORADILLA BINTI OSMAN
1) Explain Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants.
‘Digital natives’ are generally born after the 1980s and they are comfortable in the digital
age, because they grew up using technology, but ‘digital immigrants’ are those who are born
before 1980s and they are fearful about using technology. ‘Digital immigrants’ are the older
crew; they weren’t raised in a digital environment. The term digital immigrant mostly applies
to individuals who were born before the spread of the digital technology and who were not
exposed to it at an early age. Digital natives are the opposite of digital immigrants, they have
been interacting with technology from childhood. According to Prensky, digital natives are
the generation of young people who are “native speakers” of the digital language of
computers, video games and the Internet. Digital natives, process information quickly, enjoy
multi-tasking and gaming, while digital immigrants process information slowly, working on
one thing at a time and do not appreciate less serious approaches to learning.
Example of Digital natives grouping. First, Avoiders which means even though they were
born in the digital world, some young people do not feel an affinity for digital technologies
and Facebook. Mobile technologies do not capture them. They have cell phones, but do not
use email and social media accounts. Next, Minimalists which means they use technology
minimally and when they perceive it necessary. They search information on Google if they
must and purchase online if they cannot buy something at a local store. They check their
Facebook account once a day or every couple of days. Lastly, Enthusiastic participants are
most of the digital natives. They enjoy technology and gadgets. They use Facebook all day
long and have other social media accounts, watching YouTube and movies online as much as
possible. The first thing they do when they want to know something is turned to Google. This
group is easier to reach via social media rather than cell phones. They thrive on instant
communication and own a smartphone for constant access to the Web.
Example of Digital immigrants’ groups. First, Avoiders which is they prefer a relatively
minimal technology, or technology-free lifestyle. They do not have an email account and/or
smartphones and tend to have deadlines. Social media is too much for them and they do not
see the value in these activities. Next, Reluctant adopters which is they accept technology and
are trying to engage with it but feel unintuitive and hard to use it. They have a cell phone but
do not use texting, occasionally they use Google but do not have a Facebook account, but
they check their emails and use online banking. Lastly, Enthusiastic adopters which is they
are digital immigrants who have the potential to keep up with natives. They embrace
technology and they may be high-tech executives, programmers, and businesspeople. This
group sees the value of technology, they use Facebook and check emails regularly and
technology makes them excited. If they are doing business, they have a website.
2) Give the 5 characteristics of Digital Natives.
1. Multitasking brain capacity
Multitasking is proven to hinder performance and efficiency. Digital natives need the
following things in order to multitask efficiently: a system that helps them stay organized and
the discipline to adhere to that system. For example, to help myself manage the many things I
need to get done on a weekly basis, I set my calendar every week. I prioritize everything by
four different categories: urgent and important, not urgent but still important, urgent but not
important, and not urgent or important. It might be hard to get to the less important tasks that
need to be completed, but by planning for them, it will be much easier to switch over to that
task when the time comes. Since digital natives are multitasking and moving quickly from
one activity to another, they can perform much more things simultaneously and perfo rm with
a higher speed. Texting, while sending an email, with a TV show on in the background and
browsing Facebook newsfeeds is just another day in the life of a digital native.

2. Learn via participation

They learn via participation rather than passively, as illustrated in the difference between
Wikipedia and Britannica. These generations need to interact and need to discover
inductively. Digital native learners need to work on real matters related with the real-world
issues. This generation prefers learning by doing rather than being taught passively by an
instructor. They learn while exploring. Digital native learners need image-rich environments
in-stead of text-oriented ones. They do not like long readings and prefer graphical
information like infographics. Moreover, socializing differently including learning social
behaviour and influence. Digital natives also evolving differently including peripheral and
emergent behaviours. They are growing up differently including exploring and transgressing.
Technology allows them to learn as much as they want to about virtually any topic Which is,
they also usually connect with friends either to get help or to help others.

3. See the world in less hierarchical terms

Traditionally, Digital natives were used to hierarchical and pyramidal structures in their
organizations and in their way of behaving. Thus, societies, companies, and institutions have
hierarchical organizational charts such as information can be traditionally found through
catalogues, directories, tables of content, alphabetical lists, and so on. In such organizations,
there is usually only one way to access a person or to access information. ICTs, and
particularly the Internet, bring about a radically different organization, which leads to new
ways of processing and thinking. Networks are everywhere. In a network people find totally
different hierarchies. One can access a point through a myriad of ways. One can directly
access people who, before, only the traditional hierarchy would allow access to. One can
permanently enrich the network by creating new points and new connections.
4. Heavy user of technologies
Since digital natives, who can also be called net generation, grow up with widespread access
to technology and the Internet, they have the higher ability to use variety of technological
devices and navigate through the Internet. Especially with the developments in mobile
technologies, this generation is always connected and stays on. They have high level of
tendency to share through web, to interact with others and to show their online presence or in
class presence. For example, digital natives are communicating differently including email,
chat, and instant messaging. Next, sharing differently including blogs, webcams, and camera
phones. Buying and selling differently including eBay or schoolwork. Also, exchanging
differently including music, movies, and humour. Thus, creating differently including sites,
avatars, and mods. Lastly, meeting differently such as 3D chat rooms and Collecting
differently including mp3, video and sensor data.

5. Intuitive learners
Digital natives are immersed in technology daily. Because of that, they can comfortably get
into most devices, websites, social media platforms, and all other kinds of technology, figure
out how it works, and use it accordingly. Sometimes they might need to refer to the directions
or to the manual, but its only if that digital native cannot intuitively figure it on their own. For
example, their intuitiveness goes way further than just websites and online presences. They
desire to be intuitive. The need to have the best available technology. If a digital native wants
to wait in some line at a mall to get their iPhone X, there is probably a good reason they
would want the new technology. Like its face-recognition features or its nice new camera.
They are a part of the intuitive innovators and early adopters, constantly upgrading their
technology for that next best product or service. Comparatively, the digital non -natives tend
to on the side of caution when it comes to embracing new technological trends.
3) Identify and explain two driving forces digital technology adoption
1. Technological Advance
While digital offers the experience, technology is the key enabler of it. The maturity level of
many existing and new technologies has lowered the barriers to adoption significantly.
Besides lower cost, ease of use is a critical contributing factor in the speed of adoption for
businesses. Technologies not only advance, but also extended reach. For the same reasons
which is cost, and ease of use and technology has found its way to places where it was
unavailable before and to people who could not afford or manage the use of it. The maturity
level of many existing and new technologies has lowered the barriers to adoption
significantly. Some technologies for example smart phone can be bought at lower cost and
easier to use. Technologies not only advance, but also extended reach. Rapid development of
technology infrastructure for example cloud computing, mobile computing, data analytics,
and information security have emerged and influenced the development of advanced
applications such as mobile first, software as a service, social media, predictive analytics,
machine learning, drone and many more. Cloud computing for example enabling ubiquitous,
convenient, on demand access to a shared pool of computing resources. Such flexible work
environments promote and enable greater collaboration, increased outsourcing, offshoring,
and crowdsourcing of work, and superior specialisation capabilities. These leading a third
wave of digitisation following on from the personal computer and Internet in the 1990s and
mainframes in the 1970s. These directions then became the foundation of new capabilities in
the organization and the building blocks of new products in the business. Digital technology
will continue changing workplace structures, operations, and relations.

2. Economic Development
Recent cycles in economic uncertainty have pushed established businesses to become frugal
and manage their costs against a struggle to keep margins up. Once costs reach rock bottom,
competition must refocus on gaining new customers, entering new markets, and ultimately
discovering new economies. Social network economies benefit from the network effect
among participants. The richer the network gets, the more valuable the entire network
becomes. Operators of these networks can monetize on the strength of connection between
the users. The measures of economic development are most often based on the increase in
income, job creation and clientele for organizations. The growth of and development of the
businesses can bring the greater IT adoption. This led to more technology being purchased
and an improvement in the organization and its environment including the users of the
technology. However, the greatest gains to development are not from the adoption of ICT,
but from the innovative ways in which technology has been adopted. The innovations are the
implementation of a new change that affects and alters a market which enable businesses to
survive businesses cycles. The entrepreneur who are mostly most digital natives and digital
immigrants is the agent of innovation whose adoption of the innovations will enable the
business to survive and potentially grow.