'Control-alt-delete' management: democratisation under the social interaction of the internet

The ongoing rise of the internet, with its online transaction systems, communication tools and social media, poses a serious challenge to more traditional ‘command and control’ business management systems. The internet has enabled new organisations to emerge with unrecognisable business models and unfamiliar management styles. Social web technology and ‘the wisdom of the crowd’ are challenging traditional top-down management, along with new trends including synchronising e-supply chains, and customer personalisation. The computer games industry is particularly reliant on networking, for example with beta testing, when the opinions of game players determine what will be in the final game product. Managers must broker creativity, and permit more communication and innovation among designers and customers. By ‘control-alt-deleting’ from ‘management control’ to ‘creative management’, business managers will become equal to the task of meeting today’s customer expectations, which include real-time response to their views and preferences online, particularly via social media.