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A validation Study of House of Quality key performance indicators
in a more individualistic and consumption orientated culture. Third, the traditionally hierarchical
structure and conservative culture of unions makes it difficult to benefit from new technologies.
2. Modernization: Within the scenario of modernization, unions will use the opportunities of new
information technologies to modernize traditional union functions. IT is used to establish a more
positive and modern image for labor unions. For example websites can be uses as online information
databases. Online services can be improved by providing not only commercial services but also
online professional assistance and training. But new information technologies can also be used for
targeting and recruiting new members like for example the so called e-generation; people who have
grown up with technology.
3. Democratization: The scenario of democratization moves further than the modernization scenario
where information technologies are used for modernization, online services or recruitment. The
increasing speed and the volume of information obtainable via diverse computer mediated
communications, offer members the ability to communicate their opinions on policy matters on a
more frequent and direct base to a local, national and global audience. Therefore IT facilitates
change towards both decentralized organizations and participation in the decision making of
individuals. However, if not coordinated in an effective manner it may lead to activism that may take
the form on the internet by the foundation and ‘wild-growth’ of independent online unions.
2.2 New Media challenges
Over the past decades transportation and information technology have transformed human
interaction with space. (Go and Fenema 2003). Information technologies made it possible to connect
people at different ends of the globe and accelerated the sharing of information (new facts) and
concepts (Simon 1991). Simmel (1922) therefore talked about “the metropolis” as a modern life
compared with small town/rural life. The used citation of Simmel in the foreword of this thesis
illustrates this idea.
The result of technology developments can be presented in two models. First, people may be
included in one or more spaces sequentially or in parallel. The different spaces in which people may
be included are depicted Figure - 3. In this model the material space represents situations where
artefacts and people exist together in the same context. Information space is the use of “network of
networks” (i.e. Lievrouw & Livingstone, 2006). Mind spaces are connected when people and/or
machines interact. Social spaces occur when people include themselves in multiple social contexts
and relationships (Go & Fenema, 2003). In this context the forming of mind space and social space
are faced with a shift from material spaces to information spaces. In theory a lot is written about
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