Operationalizing and implementing the concept of responsiveness in a management tool

Abstract

This research studies the concept of responsiveness in management tools to improve the match between a management tool and managers using it. This research first operationalizes the concept of responsiveness. The concept involves two components: a management tool and managers using it. Responsiveness is a property of the tool for matching the varying and evolving needs of the managers. It requires certain capabilities of the tool: functionality, user interface capability, and adaptivity. Responsiveness implies a certain process: observe and understand the manager, and interpret and implement his or her needs.

This study combines the concept with artificial intelligence technology and introduces the responsive system. A responsive system mainly consists of three parts: the application program, the user interface, and the responsive layer. The responsive layer is the core of a responsive system, employing the blackboard architecture and performing the responsiveness process.

To realize the structure of a responsive system, this study builds a prototype responsive management tool called MSLTRAIN, which helps managers schedule their training needs for computer packages. MSLTRAIN observes the behavior of the user, infers the user’s preferences and decision patterns, reasons the user’s goals, and responds appropriately based on the user’s goals.

To evaluate the effect of responsiveness in MSLTRAIN on user performance and user satisfaction, this study conducts a laboratory experiment involving twenty human subjects. The subjects use and compare the prototype responsive management tool (R-MSLTRAIN) with the orginal MSLTRAIN (O-MSLTRAIN) that doesn’t have responsive features. The results support responsiveness has positive effect on user performance and user perception to a limited degree.

This study opens the door to management tools responsive to the varying and evolving needs of the managers. I believe responsiveness in management tools will improve success and sharing of the management tools. The concept of responsiveness and the structure of a responsive system can be applied to other domains.