2010

ASSIGNMENT 1
BUSINESS MODELS IN DIGITAL ECONOMY

Submitted by

Vinit Thanvi

Roll No: 125

MBA-Tech (Finance)
 "TAPSCOTT HYPOTHESES THAT THE NET GENERATION HAS BETTER

SWITCHING (OR MULTI-TASKING) ABILITIES"

Don Tapscott in his book has successfully been able to include a massive research done on 11000
students based in 10 countries. The research was base don the fact that Net Generation has better or
more flexible Multi tasking abilities. In an interview with Richard Gilt, Don specifically enlisted the Net
Generation individuals including the ones a range of people in the age group of 12 to 31. According to
him, this has been the part of generation which has dominated the world in many mass upbringings.
While doing research the prime objective of Tapscott was to analyze the hidden potential the this age
group possesses.

With the advent of computerization, the major advancement has been in the for of digitization of the
various products being offered in the system. Along with computerization, the Net Generation has been
a prime development. With the increase in interactivity, the developments have been leading to the
multi tasking which have been affecting young minds. With the advent of many instruments in the
digital world, mind has become capable to screen various visual images. The Net Generation’s
interactive nature of the basic trough of this digital world has been to majorly absorb required
information.

With the growing use of technology, the nature of the students has shifted to more practical knowledge
and content based using the vast database on Internet. With the development of generations of internet,
information has been shared on common databases making it easier for the people to share and use
information easily available online. With a huge chunk of readily available database, the youth has
become fairly flexible in generating many of the rare multi tasking abilities and qualities.

In lieu of this development many of the scientific researches have been carries out to understand the
multi tasking capabilities a human brain possesses. To this research Don Tapscott responds with thte
answer that “Its not Multi tasking it just the flexibility the brain possesses”. Research has proved
inefficiency of human brain to perform multi tasking activities as well as flexibility in switching jobs
has sometimes lead to deterioration in productivity of an individual.

The whole development of such a mindset for multi tasking develops right from childhood phase. In this
phase of net generation, people are more imperative in using the latest technology and digital platforms.
Due to different set of exposure provided to this generation, their skill set and methodology of thinking
has become far more different then their immediate predecessors. One of the major reason for shift in
the methodology has been collaborative inputs and work presented to the new generation. The Net
Generation is capable of delivering work schedules in more collaborative ways with learning, work and
entertainment all collaborated under one roof. All these have been accountable to the development of
multi tasking abilities or skill set the Net Generation possesses which is not much a part in the older
generation.
CASE STUDY- GOOGLE:

In one of the research parameters, the major area included the database management. Don Tapscott and
his Research panel included Google as the appropriate Database to scan through the efficient use of
Multi Tasking in present world.

Google provides a very string database of nearly 10 million books in its Google Books section. With the
advent of Internet, it is now apt for students to refer to the website instead of buying all the books or
lending it through the library. According to many students, Google is apt for places where there is a
requirement of data and in a very small set of time. But still the Generation Gap used to kick in with
dean’s philosophy. Being readily available, the deans were worried of the research abilities to scan
through the books would deteriorate. But Internet itself had its own research methodology and required
skill set to research on the various topics.

Research in this part of the world developed the fact that “Googling should never be dismissed”.
Research at Google has always pre-empted the use of technological innovation and development is the
global sense. Nieman along with Google has been able to come to a conclusion that Digital Learning
can be good for the brain.

RESEARCH SUPPORTING THE HYPOTHESIS (BY e-skills UK):

1. There is a generation gap responsible for the paradigm shift. Multi tasking which was in a research
declared redundant for the human brain leading to loss of focus has prompted many organizations to
ban websites like Orkut, Facebook, Youtube etc.
2. The older generation need to understand the basic requirement placed in front by the Net Generation
and the importance of the internet in the skill-set possessed by the Net Generation people.
3. Actually, though it seems like multitasking, what the Net Generation is essentially able to do is to
slice the time between tasks so that they appear to execute concurrently. This is what we called
better Switching Capabilities.
4. To develop this Net Generation, the employers have to acquaint them with the most comfortable
mode of working they require which at present may include Internet.
5. The Net Generation should also be permitted to use all the technical substitutes present in order to
have a total development in their attitude and skill set which at the end will lead to development of
the company.
CONCLUSION: In the research done by Nieman, the major outcomes included one important property
that growing digitally might make the Net Generation the most prosperous. Also counterfeiting the
point of many people, Googling a text can be much more difficult then the research based on thebooks
because the search on such engines requires analytical capabilities and psychometrically developed
minds set. All these has since the childhood helped the Net Generation to evolve in a different skill set
with more effective Switching or Multi Tasking abilities.

REFERENCES:

Grown Up Digital’ by Don Tapscott

Online References

http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reportsitem.aspx?id=100674

http://www.netgenskeptic.com/2009/04/grown-up-digital-research-methods.html

http://communication.howstuffworks.com/how-net-generation-students-work.htm/printable