Traditional and Virtual Performance Management Functions in the Age of Information Technology

The effects of information technology developments on the traditional roles of managers over the past decades have been extraordinary, especially when we consider the numerous changes these developments have brought to the global environment of business. The paper examines these effects by examining the changing nature of managerial roles in historical and contemporary contexts. The paper briefly describes managerial roles and functions dating back to the Industrial Revolution and Scientific Management era, with transitions up to the present technological and service-oriented market economies in which the use of information technology (IT) and knowledge have become vital tools for survival, growth, the building of competitive advantage, and success in achieving organizational goals. The paper examines the effects of information technology (IT) developments on the role of managers using the four fundamental functions of management theory: planning, organizing, controlling, and leading. The paper concludes with an examination of information technology developments on the roles of managers from a Mintzbergian viewpoint.