Reference no: EM132333309

Part 1 - Understanding Digital Identity Formation

Competency - This competency will allow you to demonstrate your ability to conduct research into how a digital footprint is created by looking at your own personal and professional life to determine your digital identity. In addition, you will be able to examine how an organization's digital footprint impacts their overall success.

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. One day while working, you are having a discussion about technology and identity formation with your supervisor. Your supervisor continues to explain that individuals and organizations have digital identities that are formed and impacted through various methods. Your supervisor continues, saying, "They can develop or change through social media, positive or negative press, word of mouth, and so on."

You begin to understand that the digital footprint of a business or organization can greatly impact their success or failure due to many factors, including the rapid dissemination of information that can occur digitally.

Your supervisor, through the course of the discussion, acknowledges that you are very fluent in the area of digital identity and asks you to conduct research and create a visual presentation explaining how digital identity is formed for both individuals and organizations. Your supervisor says, "This visual presentation will be presented to not only me, but company stakeholders and your coworkers in order to help them understand how identity is formed, and how to best maximize digital identity to contribute to the overall success of our store."

Your supervisor continues, saying, "From this presentation, decision makers will be able to work on identity management and can then implement digital strategies in order to maintain or improve the store's identity. In the end, this is intended to help increase exposure to the store, enhance the customer base, and the overall success of the store. The visual representation should be interactive and informative and can be presented in any visual format that you choose."

For this research and presentation, you are to reflect upon and address the following topics:

What are the key methods of identity development? Consider available technology, socioeconomic status, generational issues, access to technological resources, etc.

Explain how technology and digital forums can aid in identity formation.

• Consider available technology, socioeconomic status, generational issues, access to technological resources, etc.
• Are there differences between identity development in the digital world and in the physical world?
• As technology improves and changes, what are some things that individuals and organizations do to impact change and development in the digital age?
• How can individuals change the course of action for organizations and their digital footprint?

How is the digital identity of your store in the above scenario formulated, and what impact might that identity have on the overall success of the store?

Part 2 - Examining the Digital World Through the Use of Sociological Theory

Competency - This competency will allow you to demonstrate your understanding of prominent sociological theories and how they impact the digital world.

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?