The Use of Technology in The Workplace, Its Advantages and Disadvantages

What Is Technology?

Technology is the source of vast knowledge and with proper skills used in the accomplishment of our various needs and information. We use technology to accomplish various tasks in our daily lives, in brief; we can describe technology as products, processes or organizations. The use of technology is today’s era is like a basic needs. In order to accomplish our task and collect information, we use technology. It is used in almost every workplace. It has its own pros and cons but we cannot deny the dependence on technology. We all are very dependent on technology because it simplifies our job like: Paying bills, Ordering lunch by sitting in our work desk or research works and advertisement. It is just aa few clicks away to accomplish these tasks. But in the same way, the dependency has placed great harms such as by spreading false information or creating unemployment. These are the matter we discuss as the procedure on the assignment.

History

Technology has been evolving and likewise, the workplaces, Business, Education sector are being updated and adapting to the new changes. If we date the history then we can go as far back to the period where the people started to trade goods to other as they obviously had some method of keeping the creditors and debtors.

Although the subject of immense media hype and scrutiny in the past few years, this technological revolution in the business world has occurred slowly but surely over the past few decades, even as far back as the invention of telegraphy in the 1850s. The invention of the telephone, the fax machine, and more recent developments in wireless communications and video-conferencing have offered businesses more flexibility and efficiency, and those willing to embrace these new technologies found they were more likely to survive and prosper. The result is today’s heavily technical workplace, where proficiency with complex phone systems, fax machines, and often networked computers are basic essentials. CISCO Systems, the retailer of computer networking hardware and software, sells more than $7 million a day through electronic commerce alone. As if to demonstrate the potential of its technology products, CISCO has hired over nine thousand new employees since 1995 while at the same time saving “$270 million a year in staff, software distribution, and paperwork costs” (“Cisco”). As of February 1998, nearly 20 million people regularly access the Internet from their workplace (“Relevant”). However, these much-praised advancements impose dramatic changes in what is expected from workers and where and how they go about their jobs.

Present Context

More than one-in-three American workers today are Millennials, according to the Pew Research Center. And they are a generation of digital natives. They’ve grown up with broadband, smartphones, laptops and social media is the norm. What’s more, they expect instant access to information, as well as instant feedback (because after all, they’ve become accustomed to such feedback from years of using Facebook and other social networks.)According to a study of Millennials from 75 countries entitled “Millennials at Work: Reshaping the Workplace,” commissioned by PwC, this generation has specific expectations about technology in the workplace. They expect it to be a catalyst for innovation, as well as a major avenue of communication on the job. In fact:59% of those surveyed said an employer’s provision of state-of-the-art technology was important to them when considering a job78% said access to the technology they like to use makes them more effective at work41% of those questioned said they would rather communicate electronically than face-to-face or over the telephone

Careers in computer science and information technology continue to grow. Students in colleges, universities and technical institutes seeking careers in this industry will likely be recruited upon graduation. According to U.S. News & World Report, jobs in this field are among the top 10 careers, stating computer software engineers are in demand because “The work of designing, building, maintaining, and integrating those increasingly complex systems continues to be one the fastest-growing corners of the job market.” The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports indicates that occupations in computer science and information technology will add more than 785,000 new jobs from 2008 to 2018. Statisticians predict the technology field will expand exponentially because of the demand for state of the art technology products.

Advantages

Improves communication: Many businesses are using various business communication technologies to change the way their employees interact and communicate while at work. Employees can use various communication tools to interact or exchange information at work. For example, employees from different departments in a company can use text messaging services or video conferencing tools like Skype to share and exchange information.

Encourages Innovation and Creativity:?Workers can use different business technologies to create innovative business ideas which can be used in business growth and expansion. Many companies create technological challenges and reward employees who come up with creative ideas using technology.

Saves Time: Technology can be used to automate various tasks at work, this automation will guarantee efficiency and will also increase on production at work. The use of computers to accomplish specific tasks at work creates the room of making corrections on instant and it also reduces on human errors.

Creates Mobility: The use of internet and computers to work has eliminated space and time boundaries. Employees can work from anywhere at any time, this mobility makes employees stay in control of their jobs.

Disadvantages

Distractions: Technology is highly distracting. With a quick click, you can peruse social media, chat online with friends, or text your neighbor. Smartphones allow you access to the world while you’re at work, and computers allow you to share, chat and follow news, friends, and family.

Costs: Technology has never been cheap. Not only is it costly to purchase, but the maintenance and upkeep for technology pose a mess of costs for your business. It seems like every few months you need to upgrade to the latest software, and in addition to the product costs, you must also train and educate your employees on the latest editions.

Support and Security Issues: Some modern technology used in the workplace, such as tablets, is underestimated. Though they are more portable than the average PC, tablets require the same support and security as a desktop or laptop computer. These portable devices contain critical information about your company, and the usage of the employees needs to be monitored to prevent security breaches or lost data.

Customer Hesitation and Retention Issues: Customers are not always excited about technology. Sure, paying a bill online for your business’s services is convenient, but for some customers, this removes the in-person customer/business relationship and also puts the customer’s privacy at risk. If customers feel that they are unable to speak to live staff members, they may feel unappreciated and look for that customer connection elsewhere.

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