Technology at Workplace - Essay Example

Technology provides the resources with which people work and affects the tasks they perform. They cannot accomplish much with their bare hands, so they construct buildings, design machines, create work processes, and assemble resources. The technology used has a significsnt influence on working relationships. An assembly line is not the same s a research laboratory, and a steel mill does not have the same working conditions as the hospital. The great benefit of technology is that it allows people to do more better work but also restricts people in various ways. It has costs as well as benefits. Examples of the impact of technology include the increasing use of robots and automated control systems in assembly lines, the dramatic shift from a manufacturing to a service economy, the impressive advances in computer hardware and software capabilities. the rapid move toward widespread use of the information highway, and the need to respond to societal demands for improved quality of goods and services at acceptable prices. Each of these technological advancements, in its own way, places increased pressure on organizational behavior to maintain the delicate balance between technical and social systems. A decade ago we noted that technology had connected us into an electronic global village. That seems like and absurdly provincial statement to us, now that the Internet and wireless technology have shrunk the globe to the size of a mobile phone. You wake up in Beijing knowing that you can check your personal digital assistant and link to your office, whether it's in Berlin or Boston. And, thanks to these links, your can send an electronic order today to a factory half-a-world away, and the factory can manufacture and ship the goods you want by tomorrow. Being globally connected means much more than it did in the 1990s. Although the Internet has been exploited for its commercial capabilities---buying, bill paying, bartering and brokering - its purpose, according to its inventors, is to help people work together. It's about sharing and supporting, not just buying and selling. It's a lesson being learned: the potential is there for leaders to reinvent how they use this powerful technology. So are the challenges. For instance, with access to information only a keystroke away, how do you lead in a globally connected world where hierarchy has become totally irrelevant How do you use technology to give power away, not concentrate it in the hands of those with the central servers How do you stay connected yet not invade people's privacy and personal space How do you use instant messages, pagers, PDAs, mobile phones, and e-mail to stay in touch --- without letting rule your life How do you lead a diffuse network of people scattered all over the planet, many of whom you may never meet And how do you allow technology to replace the most precious human moment - face - to - face contact The flexible model of working shows the ability of the company to also consider the needs of the employees in terms of time. This model shows how flexibility affects both the employers and the employees. There are advantages and disadvantages with using this model. The term flexible working refers to working practices, mutually agreed between employee and employer, which cover working hours, locations or patterns of work. Such arrangements have to comply with the law on working time, including hours, rest breaks and the working week. The advantages of flexible working to employers are reduced overheads, increased productivity and improved recruitment and retention. Flexibility makes it easier for employees to cover the essential demands of their home lives, and so encourages people to apply for jobs and to stay in them. Working flexibly and paying attention to work-life balance is unlikely to improve an employee's financial situation in the short term, although there's an argument that balancing work and home eventually improves performance and productivity, which might then be reflected in improved financial rewards. Once employees calculated the cost, they will need to think about it. The disadvantages of flexible working for both employers and employees are possibility of lower wages, possible isolation and estrangement from work colleagues, difficulties of motivation, organising, adapting and planning. In some industries, flexible working could be an obstacle to promotion. Global Economy Social connection and social capital extend far beyond national boundaries. The network we're talking about is global. So is the economy. Capital flows easily and instantly from one nation to another, creating a kind of volatility that is very new to the world. The health of the markets in Tokyo affects the health of the markets in the New York. A horrendous disaster in New York's financial district causes markets around the world to plummet, erasing billions of dollars in asset value. From an economic perspective the world is boundaryless-and the implications for leadership extend beyond pure economics. The implications are cultural as well. With global economics comes a global workforce, a fact of life for which many executives are ill-prepared. English may be the language of business, understood whatever the accent; custom and culture, however, are far from uniform. Despite the electronic linkages-or perhaps because o them ---the world may be connected but it is far from a community. For all the talk of the global economy, the world is a pretty parochial place .There are more countries in the world today than a decade ago. Fierce tribal rivalries threaten domestic and international peace, and special interest lobbying tears at our sense of community. There are more products and services than a decade ago, breking the marktetplace into ever smaller bits. Whether your organization is large or small, public sector or private, service or goods, you're likely to have constituents from many countries-and even in our own country, from many segments. Each expects to be treated with respect-just as you do. Global leadership means global understanding. How do you lead in a world that is so fragmented How can a leader unite such a diverse and disparate constituency -work/leisure balance As work has become less central to people's lives, vying for time with family and leisure, many have become concerned with what is termed the 'work-life balance'. 'Work-life balance is about people having a measure of control over when, where and how they work. It is achieved when an individual's right to a fulfilled life inside and outside paid work is accepted and respected as the norm, to the mutual benefit of the individual, business and society'. (Guest, 1999) Speed is a direct consequence of the technologies that connect us. We've been cranking up the pace for centuries now. The transcontinental railroad was one of the most significant innovations of the nineteenth century in Europe and the United States. Automobiles and highways, then airplanes and radar, sped up our expectations. The Internet changed our concept of mail. "Snail mail" was replaced by the instant message, one that beeps and flickers, saying, "Read me now. Answer me now." We've come to expect an instant response when we order, when we eat, when we work. Much of this has improved our lives, and it's lowered the costs of doing business. Yet it's also created a hurry-up culture and not everything-such a quality human relationships-can be hurried. REFERENCES: Guest, D (1987). Human resource management and industrial relations. Journal of Management Studies, 24:5, 503-521. Read More