Changing Paradigms of Technology - Essay Example

Changing Paradigms of Technology

Introduction

Technological advancement has considerably enhanced our lifestyle and business, particularly the we communicate (Jyoti, 2012). More importantly, technology has significantly changed our workplace attitude and processes, with businesses transforming so as to take advantage of tools and opportunities available. The use of instant messaging applications in addition to social networking sites has transformed every area of business that we engage in. Businesses continue to use information and communication technology to reduce costs whilst increasing capabilities (Malone & Crowston, 1994). Technology has allowed us to communicate as well as carry on our business relationship without meeting our clients. For instance, the emergence of virtual assistants has made it possible for us to work online without having to meet our clients (Morley, n.d).

Some businesses seem to have predicted the impact of technology years before it emerged. This enabled them to set up successful, innovative technology in a manner that they could dictate how their competitors carry out their business operations. As stated by IBM (2003), the visualization by these companies to use technology, in addition to the amazing impact of the World Wide Web, has guaranteed the integral role that Information Technology enables companies to identify as well as secure a competitive edge. From my point of view however, this is creating unemployment since most of the work is “done” by technology. Nevertheless, despite the fact that technology has eased and fastened business communications, it has at times made our communication unclear and more distracting (Morley, n.d). Communication tools such as telephone, text messaging applications and emailing among others, can actually make us be more productive or the opposite. It has become hard dealing with one task at a time, especially when we are persistently being interrupted by personal issues or subjects in relation to other projects. The contemporary significance of business communication is something that we must never overlook or underestimate. This is simply because communication is currently considered to be the life blood of all our business processes (Montana & Charon, 2008).

The influence of modern technology on our communication patterns, particularly the internet, is a milestone that is so different from the late 1990s, when the numbers of email exchange went beyond the volume of telephone traffic (Wallace, 2004). Instant messaging along with other forms of communication has rapidly grown as well. The introduction of instant messaging, smart phones, text messaging and email has greatly improved accessibility in business communication, and it has also made it possible for us to send information competently. Furthermore, we are now able to communicate with other people from anywhere and at any time. The dark side of this kind of technological advancements is that it can broaden our workloads and potentially impact our personal lives negatively.

Globalization continues to escalate because of advances in technology. For instance, innovations have become more efficient, smaller in size and often inexpensive. Advanced technology on the transport sector has seen companies produce vehicles that are faster, cheaper to run, and more environmentally friendly. May it be of business or personal use, modern technology has transformed the world and given rise to globalization (Jyoti, 2012). The digital era has enabled our business communications to be much faster, as we are now able to communicate via video conferencing, and text or check emails wherever we are at anytime. Moreover, it is commonly believed that ICT facilitate our organizations to reduce costs and enhance capabilities, thereby enabling us to outline inter-organizational synchronization (Bodendorf & Reinheimer, 1997). In my opinion, I think the intensive and rapid technological change in the past few years has considerably altered the communication trends.

Without a doubt, technology has transformed our workplace in terms of increased productivity. The claim that the use of computers could increase productivity and as a result provide more time for us to attend to other things, are some of the driving forces that have made technology to go global (Marius, 2013). To me this leaves the workers with less work to do, and could lead to loss of jobs. If this is the case, then my hopes of getting a job will be dimmed, as there would be roles for me to play. On the contrary, more businesses are now able to manipulate large volumes of data with ease due to the significant reduction in the cost of processing data. Additionally, increased processing power has changed the expectations of both the organization and clients in terms of work quality.

Although the Internet is perhaps the most evident transformation from our point of view, its effects go far beyond this notion. In general, the internet has changed the framework of our industries, work, and businesses (Wallace, 2004). Many businesses and organizations are using the Internet as a mechanism to implement new business strategies and structures. However, the internet introduced a number of factors that influence the competitive landscape, something that many leaders were not ready to deal with. It has become essential and almost universal for workers and business people to use the latest communication devices. A variety of modern communication methods are used in the present day by businesses to receive, store and share information so as to keep processes operate smoothly. Business people now appreciate the importance of effective communication, clarity and accuracy in messaging, especially when interacting with customers (Krugman, 1996).

For centuries, the impact of technological advances on employment as well as job displacement has been an imperative subject of debate. The rapid growth of the internet has initiated a wave of displacement and astounding transformation in compensation packages (Wallace, 2004). Many organizations continue to place information technology trainees into privileged categories due to shortage of workforce. The demand for information technology experts like me continues to rise as the supply diminishes. In this case, human resource managers should come up with special compensation plans that will motivate me in securing a well-paying job.

Technology has given the concept of work–life balance a new meaning, especially now that we are in a highly competitive global economy. Employers can easily access their workers any time and any place, as well as access documents from pretty much anywhere. Although computers were originally used to execute intricate mathematical equations, scientists realized that they could use computers to share documents (Jyoti, 2012). As the internet became publicly accessible, it became possible for us to communicate faster. Additionally, the World Wide Web has enabled us to access information from nearly anywhere in the world, especially when dealing with information intensive processes. Instead of focusing on supporting the already existing inter-organizational processes, many organizations are now shifting their focus to other new ways of doing business such as the introduction of electronic bookstores, trading markets, and electronic auctions just to mention a few.

The abundance of technology has not only made it possible for our companies to increase efficiency, but it has become cheaper as well. The fact that technology has become tremendously excellent, it continues to be less important. For example, the United Sates was absolutely efficient in agriculture during the 20th century but hardly had any farmers. In the 21st century, the country became more efficient in processing everyday information. However, the conventional white-collar worker is practically nowhere to be seen (Krugman, 1996). One of the latest trends to influence business communication is cloud computing. Highly qualified IT and computer experts use cloud computing to provide resources to other computers on command. As a matter of fact, cloud computing is the evolutionary product of the web-based method of communication, where a non-computer professional is given the opportunity to manage technological infrastructure with the support of cloud servers (Jyoti, 2012). Cloud computing is beneficial to businesses, as it reduces the likelihood of barriers and increases the prospect for stress-free access to global markets.

The supporters of the business process reengineering movement underscore the significance of the part played by Information technology in the process of reengineering. According to Davenport (1993), these advocates assert that information technology needs to be observed as a component that enables organizational change instead of being viewed as a tool of implementing business processes. Technological innovation has enabled us to increase our dependency on the use of technology across all parts of the business. The initiation of e-business continues to prove that technology is a constant consideration, especially at the boardroom table (IBM, 2003). With the penetration of technology into all our business functions, decision-makers have personally established how it can give them access to quality information. In turn, this helps them to make effective decisions, as well as sustain the daily operation of their business. Needless to say, business leaders are now grateful of technology because of its timely deployment that not only solves our business problems, but improves our competitive position as well (Wu, Mahajan, & Balasubramanian, 2003).

It is evident that the use of information technology, especially in business relationships, impacts our patterns of social interaction. Companies that have a diminishing need for personal meetings, together with those that have an increased need, use information technology more than companies that do not see any change in the importance of personal meetings. The need for personal meetings is apparently related to the use of IT in business interactions (Lindh, n.d). From this perspective, it is evident that technology has transformed our world, and that it does not matter how many college degrees someone has. I believe that having a college education is not a guarantee that I will get a well-paying job.