Effect of Technology on the Workplace

Effect of engineering on the WorkplaceIntroductionTechnology is a useful servant but a dangerous master (Christian Lous Lange). The summon suggests that the way masses perceive and adopt engine room determines whether the result is an upgrading or de-skilling as an effect on their performance and expertness. The hear outline lead comprise and cover a definition of engineering science and the designs of proficient determinism and organisational choice an underline of the relationship amidst engine room and organization a specification of different challenges and inter organisational issues upon the introduction of saucy technologies that live with impact on the skills and qualities of volume. Finally, The example fact study of Zeta- i of the eyeshade fifty softw are companies in The United States, go forth sustentation the surmise that parvenu technologies do not inevitably lead to de-skilling when they are understood, controlled and implement carefully and professionally.Discussing engine room in the context of contemporary society rouse be an ambiguous issue. The way that people understand this concept is as diverse as is the unique human personality. Instead of putting new applied science in the frames of global computer networks, intelligent machines or truehearted cars, it is more reasonable to look at technology at an organizational direct, as an irrefutable part of organizations structure, managerial decision making, employees performance and skills, and the overall welfare of each comp whatever. Therefore it result be useful freshman to introduce the concept of technology and to examine what kinds and evolution it has undergone in the suffer centuries.While whatever people merely associate technology with its free-and-easy practical meaning, a more comprehensive view will be to look beyond the notion of the simple usage and exploitation of technology and to focus on extent of interaction and mutual relationship su rrounded by technology and organization (Corbett, M. and Scarbrough, H., 1992). At this point a distinction of necessity to be made between two concepts technological determinism and organizational choice. As K. Grint and S. Woolgar suggest technological determinism portrays technology as an exogenous and autonomous maturation which coerces and determines social and economic organizations and relationships (Grint, K. and Woolgar, S., 199711). While this theory clearly signifies the impact of technology upon organizations and individuals in way that it encages people to transform and shape their skills accordingly to the technology, the concept of organizational choice highlights that Technology has no impact on people or performance in an organization independent of the purposes of those who would use it, and the responses of those who energise to work with it( Buchanan and Huczynski 1985222, cited by Corbett and Scarbrough 19925). Referring these concepts to the theories and prac tices of Henry Ford where technology as tumefy as workers were tools for maximizing profit and comparing it with nowadays organizations where individuals rights and qualities are of master(prenominal) concern, a pattern of growth of technologys role in the organization mess be observed. Looking at different interpretations of new technology, it will be helpful to understand the relationship between technology and organization, the problems and setbacks that whitethorn exceed during its executing and the employees and managers adaptation and behavior towards such issues.Turning back to the 40s of twentieth century, the time when Henry Ford introduced the assembly line into his company, is one of the closely relevant examples to examine the impact that this new technology had on the skills , productivity and efficiency of the workers. Although at first the implication of the assembly line was conceived as a dependable, efficient and innovative tool, rising the profitability of the company quickly, the romance was soon crushed by decreasing enthusiasm, dispirited skilled labour force , high turnover and neediness of interest and motivation- the worst scenario for an organization. This was the fatal result of a profit driven management and wrong treat of technology introduction, encircled in using king, force and alienation and toilsome to increase morale by offering higher wages. New technology incited counter- fruitful effects on employees, deskilling and degradation of jobs and feeling of human beings controlled by the technology (Grint,k. and Woolgar,S. 1997120,121). However, these results were not simply implied by technology itself but by the lack of any managerial methods and changes towards the obvious deterioration of employees and thus companys development, which lead to the unbendable relationship between organizations and technology. Since the time of Ford a lot has changed, way out through Post-Fordism methods which are concentrated to increase the skill levels and flexibility and to entrust teamwork structures (Grint,k. and Woolgar,S. 1997122) and reaching nowadays organizations, where management is highly concern with providing conjunctive and stimulate atmoshpere and flexible, knowlegeable employees who can easily adopt to the new technology changes and challenges.As Autor, Kratz and Krueger (1998) indicate, the introduction of computers in the 1970s has lead to a stable increase in the fill for educated workers and has upgraded faster the skills of the workforce (cited by Helpman and Rangel, 1999 361).The following part will discuss the skill, knowledge and identity of technology users, the introduction of technology and the managerial and workers perceptions of it, and the problems that can occur in organizations and how they can be overcome.First, it will be useful to define skill and its role in the implementing of technology and managerial decision making. According to Steven Wood, there is a need to distinguish between the different types of skills particularly what might be called tacit skills exercised by people even in those jobs which are labeled unskilled and/or seemingly routine in nature (Wood, S., Acta Sociologica 19877). When talking most tacit knowledge, it is machine-accessible to individual experience and qualities which can be slightly different from the skills that are required in a particular working environs for the fact that people pick up different way of reacting to stressful situations or capital punishment of new and complicated technology or any kind of founding. In this context we can outline the different physical and mental discomforts desire anxiety, sleeplessness, pressure and alienation that whitethorn result from the introduction of new technology as Turnage (1990) suggests. Therefore, when an issue like this occurs, managers should stress their actions on looking on the individuals level of qualities and characteristics in order to s upport the adaptation and productive change of the worker. As Burkhardt and Brass suggest a change by individuals results in a change in the entire system(1990 105).When talking about human involvement with technology in an organizational environment some aspects of social interaction must be observed, like ply, meaning and norms. Although a lot has changed since the time of Henry Ford, there are still sectors of the foodstuff like the retail sector or the banks where there is a have strict hierarchy and pressure due to the excessive control and power of the management may cause the implementation process to enflame strains and conflicts among the employees. Such results may also be a consequence of the conflict of interests between the employer and the workers as they have different perceptions of technology. While the employer is concerned with the efficiency of the new technology, the employee is concerned with issues like the technical skills and knowledge that must be obtaine d, the responsibility and implications of the technological change(Corbett Scarbrough,1992). Although users have the capacity to control the interaction with technology and the flexibility to place in the relationship between technology and organization ,their level of interpretation is constrained by institutional contexts, economic conditions and government regulations which act as norms in the organizational environment(Orlikowski,1991). Both creative human action and exercise over the technology and the non-direct factors mentioned above, can have an impact on the skills and expertise of the personnel and therefore it is crucial to of importtain the right shaping of the technology process in order to develop a working environment consisting of respect, creativity and prosperity.Such atmosphere can be created only by adequate intervention of the managers. Although managers are usually presumed to influence the extent to which the innovation is adapted and used by their subord inates (Leonard-BartonDeschamps,19881252), it is suggested that the influence of the managers is not always comprehend equally by all employees. This is a result of the different level of knowledge and skills possessed by the workers and the personal characteristics and individual features discussed above. Therefore, a very(prenominal) detailed knowledge of the skills and qualities of the employees as long as a productive cooperative environment needs to be included in the implementation process of new technologies. Instead of using hierarchical means of power and control, the managerial precaution should first focus on providing and advertising an adequate infrastructure supporting the innovation and then turn attention to presently motivating the later adopters (Leonard-BartonDeschamps,19881262). Here, it can be highlighted the meaning of the theory of organizational choice as It is only through human action that technology qua technology can be understood (Orlikowski,1992409) .The following example will once more underline the assumption that implementation of new technologies does not inevitably lead to deskilling if the organization understands technology-organization relationship and acts reasonably and accurately to the problems that may occur.Zeta is a software company, operating on the territory of the United states and is one of the top 50 software companies in the country with around 1000employees and 100million US dollars in revenues. In 1992 the company decided to buy and adopt a new software which would support the faster and more convenient touch on of information. The study, made in the company for a period of 2 years, bring in the introduction process of this new technology and the changes that occurred within the organization. The final final stage of the study was that department had built on its successful implementation of groupware in interesting ways, and over the past two years had enacted significant organizational changes in a n umber of areas nature and distribution of work, form of collaboration, physical exertion and dissemination of knowledge, and coordination with internal and external units ( Orlikowski, 19951). However, the process of implementation did not happened without any setbacks. Let us look at some consequences of the introduction of the new technology on the employees skills and on the working environment as a whole. The study suggested that there were not only technical problems that physically slowed dispirited the working process but also an atmosphere of tension, low motivation, low efficiency and tiredness among the working team due to this technical problems. contempt the logical conclusion that the implementation of this technology lead to general deskilling in the organization, the mangers succeeded to prove otherwise. For a very short period of time, the managerial scheme experienced significant changes in the sphere of process and performance monitoring, cooperative culture, p rofessional identity and autonomy, collaboration and team-work. These changes were a result of interviews, meetings and courses that were regularly constitute in which employees strengthened their team spirit as well as their individual qualities and knowledge (Orlikowski,1995). The de-skilling effect noticed in the beginning was rapidly overcome due to the adequate decisions made by the managers and the necessary attention paid to the problems in order for rational actions to be undertaken. In the outcome of Zeta Corporation , the introduction of new technology was implemented through the optical prism of organizational choice, with significant understanding of the power, meaning and norms in the organization-technology relationship, managerial support and decision-making and expertise over employees skills , needs and development.ConclusionIntroduction of new technologies has been an ambiguous issue, since its multifaceted nature makes control extremely difficult to achieve (Co rbett Scarbrough, 199289). Having discussed the main features of technology-organization relationship, the setbacks and possible difficulties it may induce into the managerial and working environment , this essay suggests that the implementation of new technologies does not inevitably lead to de-skilling if understood and controlled adequately. The case of Zeta Corporation supports the argument that the above mentioned challenges should be considered as a positive, skill-upgrading and beneficial tool which would improve peoples knowledge and expertise. After all, Technology should be an heavy ingredient. It may be and should be a tool for social development (Alexander Kwasniewski).BibliographyScarbrough,H. Corbett,J.M. (1992) Technology and organizationGrint,K. Woolgar,S. (1997) The Machine at Work Technology, Work and schemeOrlikowski, W. 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