IT and Design of Work

1. Why might a worker resist the implementation of a new technology? Give some examples to support the idea.

Answer: When the new technology comes to implement the workers routine work, many of the staff will resist. The new IT technology may lower morale and job satisfaction, with employees feeling they are just "pushing buttons". For example, the manager put a pinhole camera in the workshop to manage the workers. This would make the workers unhappy, because they think when they are working, at the same time someone is surveillancing. And the worker also think they have the pravacy even if they at working, the pinhole camera also violate their privacy. Another example is that a truck delivery comany put a GPS system in every truck to control the location of each driver, and if the driver go other place that no-related to the worker, the company would give punishment to that driver. In doing this way, the company can manage the work routine better, but the drivers would not happy with this action. They will think that there are eyes look at he/she, and they will feel angry.


Using technology to manage workers will reduce the enthusiasm when the staff do the job. They think they just like the roborts when they under the surveillance. If the dissatisfaction increased, it will give a big impact on the company itself.

2. What are some of the possible consequences of asking a worker to use a computer or similar device in his or her job? Critically discuss this.

Answer: There are do have some possible consequences of asking a worker to use a computer or similar device in his or her job. The most possible one is that the worker is new to the company and the manager said that they need to use the computer to manager his worker, and see if he can do well and stay in the company after the pre-use. In situation, the worker would agree this way of managing, because it related to his future development.

Another possible sitauation that the worker agree to use a computer in his job is that they are in the trainning phase before they really work in the company. The trainning of employees is very important for the company and the manager will always ask the employees work under the electronic device, which is a easy way to manage their trainning process. Thus, the employees may agree to work with a computer device.


3. How can IT alter an individual’s work? How can a manager insure that the impact is positive rather than negative?

Answer: IT change the employee's work from traditional way to a new eara. In past, all the tasks done by the worker, by using IT, the most tasks are done by the computer. The communication among the workers is also changed intoo electronic ways. IT enable various electronic approached done by the computer, and the worker did less tasks than traditional.

For the managers. they must cme out ways that make the employees accept worker under the computer device, they must ensure that the impact is postive rather than negative. For example, in the evaluation stage, the manager can find those who are very hard in the work process, and give a rewards in the last of month. In this way, the worker's enthusiasm can be increase by the rewards.

Implementaion of new technology

Too many good technology applications have failed because of sabotage by users who want to stay with the status quo. Although implementation of a new technology may increase productivity and reduce costs, the workers always resist them because of the lower morale and lower satisfaction when the technology replaces the routine and mechanical works. And is makes the workers feel that they are just “pushing buttons”. And new technology is often seen as a miracle fix that will automatically lead to faster, more efficient, and more profitable results. Implementing a new technology initiative is never easy. It takes a lot of planning and decision-making and, above all, cooperation. What makes a company work is people, processes and technology. Basically, how a company manages change — not how it implements new technology — will determine the outcome of new initiatives. Most business people agree the greatest challenges to new technology success are usually more behavioral than technical [1].

And another factor of the resistance from new technology is the money. In the traditional approach, the compensation and rewards are often individually-based, and the hiring are more reliance on clerical skills with little on computers. But in the new approach – implementation of new technology, the compensation and rewards are often team-based or contractually spelled out, and the hiring are often electronic with recruiting websites and electronic testing. More informated work that requires a higher level of IT skills. So the implementation of new technology possible hurting morale and undermining efforts encourage workers to contribute their ideas to the organization.

When workers feel threatened by these several factors, they will likely to resist it. The resistance can be overt and observable. For example, they slowdown their works or sabotage their works. The resistance also can be covert and not readily observable because it is doe under the guise of ‘working as usual’ [2].

If asking a work to use a computer, mobile phone or other similar device in his job, the product quality may not guarantee by the worker. Since there are more difficult for managers to evaluate and compensate performance when implementing a new technology, the worker must be extremely self-disciplined. And the workers can disconnect them from corporate culture. Furthermore, the labor unions, politicians etc factor may worried about foreign outsourcing of software development and computer service enabled by the same technologies.

As soon as accepting the implementation of the new technology, it will change their individual’s work. technology continues to drastically alter the way individuals work, helping to level the playing field for individuals with disabilities and expand opportunities for employers to benefit from their capabilities. IT changes the nature of work. It result in the work are fulfilled by the computer or other devices automatically [2]. It includes the people with disabilities in diversity recruitment goals, create partnerships with disability-relater advocacy organizations. Such as the communization patterns have also changed, workers now use mobile devices to send and receive messages and tap into database, greatly affecting sales and service tasks. And the cost and time needed to access information is dramatically lower, giving workers new tools. At the same time, the work has become much more team oriented – an effect amplified by the internet. Hence, these changes alter the individual’s work to the digital information technology.

The existing literature on the impact of technology has proven that the impact is positive rather than negative. Since the automation may increase productivity and reduce costs, IT creates million of new jobs, some in entirely new industries, the manager insure that the impact is positive rather than negative. Furthermore, the more work is team – oriented, enabled by communication and collaboration technologies. Geographic constraints of enabling telecommuting. And for the human resources factor, the manager think, the new strategies are need to supervise, evaluate, and compensate remotely performed. The telecommuting has gained popularity since the late 1990s it don’t take up office space and lowering facilities costs. And it also increased flexibility are more productive and express higher levels of job satisfaction. Considering with the cost and productivity the manager inures that the impact is positive rather than negative.

Reference:
1. Fred Ode (June, 2008) To Avoid End-User Rejection of New Technology Implementation, Available at http://joke.qq.com/z/blue/200741/gnjggs.htm,( Access at March 27, 2009)
2. Department of Labor (August 2005), Strategic Connections: Recruiting Candidates with Disabilities, Available at: http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/connect.htm （Access at March 28th, woo9）

IT and the Design of Work

1. When a new technology implementation occurs, the workers might resist this new technology implementation. Many workers feel that they will not be capable of learning a new procedure, and this can lead to insecurity about their own ability. Much of this fear comes from a lack of hands-on experience. Other fears are due to a lack of understanding and explanation about the change. Workers feel that implementation of technological systems will affect them in an adverse way, such as the loss of their job or a loss of their present status [1]. For example, In tradtional approaches, the supervision is personal, but in new technology supervision is electronic devices, which will result in lossing jobs for workers and reducing their status. Even though, the new technology needs worker as supervison, then the supervision must be professional in new technology. In addition, when a new technology added, then the work is more team oriented and the rewards also will be team-based replace individually-based. At that time, the workers will reject this new technology. Furthermore, the new technology will make the workers have no privacy, and all their behaviors will control by machines and electronic devices. On the other hand, in order to make the work well, workers must study the new technology and understand it, which provides burden to them. Overall, the reasons for worker resist the new technology are: no freedom, no individual work status, study more knowledge on new technoly, less jobs, and so on.

2. When ask a worker to use a computer in his job, then some possible consequences will appears. Firstly, because this is the first time for the worker using computer in his job, and he is not familiar with this computer. Although useing computer to finish the work, the work efficiency is low. Secondly, to make the work well by using computer, the worker should learn many new knowledge on new technology. It will cause the complaints from worker and affect his mood. Thirdly, during the work processes, maybe the worker should make the database or any other things. At that time, he dont know how to do, and he will ask professionals to solve the problem, which will cause self-humiliation, and he cannot achieve self-worth.

3. IT can make the individual work into team work to enhance the productivity and work efficiency, and it make the work designing again. Furthermore, IT make the individual work more easy, for example, previously the work should do work by hand, but IT can use the monitoring systems to make the work finish automatically, which alleviate working pressure for workers.

In order to make the workers accept the new technology, the managers must overcome the resistance problems. By selecting appropriate solutions or mechanisms, it is possible to avoid most human resistance to change. Activities by management can aid in achieving this meshing of people and of technological systems.
* Top Management Leadership--Top management must reinforce its commitment to the new system. They should stress the fact that people are essential to the successful implementation of the system. If employees believe top management fully supports a new project or technology, they will be more likely to cooperate with the implementation [1].

* Line Accountability for Change--All employees from the factory floor through the top management level need to be completely involved and committed to designing the system and making the system work. Line accountability in this process is critical. Line managers should commit to keeping workers up-to-date about their progress as well as making sure employees have the necessary experience to provide valuable input to the design of the system. Employees can often suggest ideas from their experience that design engineers and technicians have not considered. Involvement can also give employees a greater sense of responsibility and pride in the project. It becomes "our" system rather than "their" system. Both worker, and organization will benefit [1].
* Total Immersion for People--Giving decision-making responsibility to lower levels within the organization gives people a greater sense of responsibility and pride in their work. It also motivates them to want the system to be successful. To reinforce this commitment, top management should include and communicate the new systems' success in the organization's goals and mission. Employees should be rewarded according to these new goals [1].

Reference:
[1] People: a critical element of new technology implementation. Retrieved March 28, 2009, from Word Wide Web: http://www.entrepreneur.com/tradejournals/article/9200330_1.html

Malaysia Technology Expo 2009

Malaysia Technology Expo 2009 (MTE 2009)was held in PWTC, Kuala Lumpur from 19th to 21st Feb 2009.

After finishing the E-commerce class, we went the Expo with many friends and several lecturers (Mr. Ting, Mr. Yamen and Mrs. Pheobe) on 20 Feb 2009. There are many new Technology are displayed in the exhibition hall, some of them are by the professors or lecturers of National Universities in Malaysia. The technologies can be generated into several parts: Education, Industry, Technology, Agriculture and Medicine).

One of the technology shown in the exhibition was the Bullet-Proof Vest, which impress me in deeply. Although I forgot the name of the Invent Author and the University name, I still remember that the Bullet-Proof Vest is designed by the Nano technology. The staff there explains the knowledge about Nano for us and allow us to try to have a dress. And the another technology attracted me is the greenhouse effect. The flowers has a good environment to blossom with its technology.

Overall, Malaysia Technology Expo 2009 has influence a lot, and help me know lots of the new information technology in modern society. And I also realized that learn better in information technology is really necessary for us.

Malaysia Technology Expo 2009

Malaysia Technology Expo 2009 was held in PWTC, Kuala Lumpur from 19th to 21st Feb 2009.
We go their with Mr. yamen and Mrs. Pheobe. When we went there, we can find out many new technology showed by the Malaysia national university who invented it. There also have many different aspects of the new technology such as the agriculture, medicine, education and industry. The University Sains Malaysia shows their new technology in the Technology EXPO such as Non-Catalytic Supercritical Alcohol Technology for Biodiesel Production.Conclusion, I can learn many new technology of many different aspects of the fields, especially in the Information Technology.

Implementation of IT system

I think there have many external and internal factors will make a worker resist the implementation. For the external factors such as lack of equipment, unreliability, lack of technical support and other resource – related issues [1]; for example: the investment is large when the company decide to change their working environment from traditional way to the technology way. So at the beginning of the changing, the company will consider their budget very carefully. In this time, the new technology equipment will be very limited. Under this situation, two or three person share one laptop or the new machine, this will make them have the time crash when they use the new equipment. If they have the time crash when they using the computer to calculate the financial report, other person who can not use the computer will give up using it, if this situation happens very often, the employees will have the conflict mode to use the new equipment and finally give up using the new equipments. Meanwhile, lack of the technical support and enough resource also will make the resistance happen.
For the internal factors such as the organizational culture, beliefs about the training and technology, and openness to change are also obvious in the new technology [1]. For example, the new technology such as the computer, remote video meeting will make the business and work convenient and fast, but these new technologies also will have some negative influence such as reduce the face – to – face chance among the staff in the company, the employees lack of communication with each other and the beliefs and trust with each other also will reduce under this situation.

The manager aware of these problems and first they can create chance for employees to contact with other in order to increasing their face – to – face chance. For example, if the finance department have some technology problems such as the how to use the new calculation software, the technology department can take some short classes for the finance department employees to teach them how to use the new software. This can build the reliable among the employees. Then, the company should invest more fund to build up new equipment, more equipments will reduce more time crash of using the equipments. All these ways can build employees’ confidence to learn the new technology and use the new equipment.

After the workers accept the new technology, these new technologies will change their individual’s work. For example, the traditional way of doing the financial report is using the calculator, this will cost many time on calculating. After using the accounting software, the finance department can reduce the calculating time and meanwhile the accuracy also will increase. Under these obviously change of working; the manager insures that the implementation of new technology can be positive rather than negative by taking initiative. So in the long run, organizations may take advantage of the flexibility of information technology through alternations in physical and organizational structure. “Location independence” of work permits remote collaboration and remote supervision. Physical location of work can be determined by criteria such as employee needs rather than location of physical resources. Ideally, organizational and employee need for flexibility should be combined in such a way that both benefit. [2]

Reference:
[1] Online Submission, Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology--TOJET v6 n1 Jan 2007 http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED500073&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED500073

[2] Olson, Margrethe H, “Impact of Information Technology in Work Organization: A Positive View”, 1984, Stern School of Business, New York University, IS – 84 – 92,

STRATEGY TRIANGLE

Successful firms have an overriding business strategy that drives bot organizational strategy and IS strategy. The decision made regarding the structure, hiring practices, and other components of the organizational strategy, as well as diceision regarding applications, hardware and other IS components, are all driven by the firm’s business objectives, strategies, and tactics.

IS strategy can itself effect and is affected by changes in a firm’s business and organizational strategies. In order to perpetuate the balance needed for successful operation, changes in the IS strategy must be accompanied by changes in both the organizational and overall business strategy. If a firm design its business strategy to use IS to gain strategic advantage, the leadership position in IS can only be sustained by constant innovation. The business, IS , and organizational strategies must constantly be adjusted.

IS strategy always involves consequences intended or not within business and organizational strategies. For instance, placing computers on employee desktops, without an accompanying set of changes to job descriptions, process design, compensation plans, and business tactics will fail to produce the anticipated productivity improvement.

A strategy is a plan. A business strategy is a well articulated vision of where a business seeks to go and how it expects to get there. It is the form by which a business communicates its goals. Management constructs this plan in response to market forces, customer demands, and organizational capabilities. Customer demands comprise the wants and needs of the individuals and companies who purchase the products and services available in the marketplace.

Organizational strategy includes the organization’s design as well as the choices it makes to define, set up, coordinate, and control its work processes. The organizational strategy is a plan that answers the question ‘How will the company organize in order to achieve its goals and implement its business strategy?’ For instance, a simple framework for understanding the design of an organization is the business diamond, organization try to change their cultures but fail to change the way they manage and control cannot be effective.

IS strategy is the plan an organization uses in providing information services. IS allows a company to implement its business strategy. Business strategy is a function of competition for example, what is the customer wan and what the competition does.

Reference:
1. Information Systems Strategy Triangle. From web: http://cobhomepages.cob.isu.edu/KreggAytes/mba624/notes/IS_StrategyTriangle.htm
2. Michael E. Porter, (1985). Competitive Advantage. New York: Free Press

IT AND THE DESIGN OF WORK

Information system (IS) is designed to produce information that can be used to support the activities of managers and other workers. IS is used to aid business processess, functional areas and data processing where data is converted into information for decision making. Information system is formed under five resources, they are people, hardware, software, communication and data. People in information system refers to the IT (Information technology) and IS professionals.

To understand how an IS works, it is important to know the steps involved in the data process. The first step in the data process is to record the data. Data such as expenses, sales, profit, amount of merchandise purchased and dealers’ information are entered with the input devices into the computer system for future use in preparing reports or other documents. Such data is entered on a daily basis in a batch processing system, if not immediately. This is done as such data is needed not only on a daily basis but on a periodic basis for financial and legal purposes. Data is converted into information with the IS. Personal computers, workstations, scanners and electronic communication tools are example of input devices that are associated with the IS.

Data processing is attained through personal computers or servers that process the data into information. Though these business applications are computerized, the core processes used by these IS are still based on customary classification, rearranging and the ‘double-entry’ system introduced in the past. With the UBS software, data can be stored in various files and categories. This storing is done by people within a specific department. For example, a staff in the accounting department will record all the accounting data while the sales department will store information regarding customers and suppliers into the information system. Among the categories that the data can be classified into are accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, purchases and other information that need to be stored.

Emerging Technology

When most people think of the technological environment the first thing that comes to mind is whether or not they "have the Internet". This is only one part of the world of business. Every day a new piece of technology is being developed somewhere around the world. The technological environment could be something as simple as whether or not vendors use Interact to receive payment, or do you have to pay cash. The degree to which a region has an advanced technological environment is often related to the health of the economic environment which would contain the companies that are making money, and paying taxes, to support the government funds spent on the infrastructure.

In 21st century, Internet and browser are almost as common as text book and chalk board. Teachers are painfully aware of the importance of bringing technology into their curriculum, both to engage students and also to give them the skills they will need to success. Now that the hardware and connectivity are in place, the push is on to find the media that teachers can use to make utilizing technology worthwhile.

Using a lot of technology in conjunction with their project, for instance, learn how to download and resize the pictures, do word processing, cutting and pasting on the computer, and going back and editing. Student can did their assignment by posting blog.

Reference:

1. Using technology (2002). retrieved from
http://www.nationalmathtrail.org/nmt_report/using_technology.htm

2. W. Tim G. Richardson (23rd Jan 2009), The 6 environments, retrieved from
http://www.witiger.com/internationalbusiness/6environments.htm

Malaysia Technology Expo 2009

Malaysia Technology Expo 2009 or can be known as MTE 2009 was held in PWTC, Kuala Lumpur on the 19th till 21st February 2009.
When i went there, I found many new Malaysia Technology what were showed by the universities who invented it. Which attract my sight first was the Bio-ink technology. The research was done by UTM, Malaysia. Their objectives were to develop natural Bio-ink by using renewable and sustain able biological resources from plant resins and pigments; to produce lasting and attractive color for Ink by using natural pigments from plants that can lower the cost of production.
Another one was Sustainable production of natural dyes for textile product via submex. The invention were produced using mini pilot scale SUBMEX(10L), patent disclosure has been submitted, product—chemical free, recommended for a delicate and sensitive skin consumer, possible to scale up the process due to its low cost and sustainable technology. It was invented by MTUN.
In a conclusion, I have seen many new Malaysia Technology on Malaysia Technology Expo 2009.

Implementation of new technology

Workers resist the implementation of new technology because they are fear of loss of status, money, control or something else that they value such as losing a workplace with which they are comfortable. For example, construction workers in US resist the implementation of new technology which requires computer knowledge. According to the president of Chicago-based landscape contracting firm, many of company’s younger workers are technically savvy because they growing up using computer while the implementation of IT can cause a lot of distress for some older workers who do not use computer [1] .In another case, a company promise the process workers a 5% increase in their pay if they increased the number of assemblies they produced by 30% over a one-month period but the increase in productivity was only possible if the process worker learned and used the new computer controlled production machine. One of the reasons is that the bonus is not enough for to make changes to lifestyle. The second reason would be whether they will get the bonus as promised because in the past the management always reneged and excuses to not giving the bonus. The third reason is that the workers could not achieve the standard given because they had never used computer and fear of the prospect [2].
Human are people of habit, and it is hard for many people to change the way they have in the past. The workers tend to fear of unknown, and introducing change means the introduction of new and unknown elements to their work environment.
When workers feel threatened by some changes, they will likely to resist it. The resistance can be overt and observable. For example, they slowdown their works or sabotage their works. The resistance also can be covert and not readily observable because it is doe under the guise of ‘working as usual’ [3].

The manager insures that the implementation of new technology can be positive rather than negative by taking initiative. Involvement of system users in the implementation of the system not only produces better results but also helps overcome resistance to the changes in how work gets done. The system users will support the implementation if they involve in the designing the changes in the organization. Alteration in routine practices and work procedures decrease worker's confidence and ability to perform successfully. Participation in planning and implementation helps the workers accept new technology and working methods. Change can creates conflict within an organization between those who support the change and those who do not. Workers do not change unless they see a good reason for they to so. So the important first step to implement a new technology is to make a persuasive case for change by mount a political campaign and present an agenda. The workers also need to know why the change is necessary and important. The message must be show repeatedly using multiple media such as slide presentations, graphs and charts, and in one-on-one conversations. Sometime the increase of level of dissatisfaction with the current system is necessary to build the changes in the system.

[1] Mike Soniat (2008), ‘Overcoming Employee Resistance to Technology’, available at http://www.constructionexec.com/Issues/September_2008/Workforce_Development.aspx [Accessed 25 March 2009]

[2] Leslie Allan,‘Why People Resist Change’, available at
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Why+People+Resist+Change-a01073927411 [Accessed 25 March 2009]

[3] Louise Fleming, ‘Business Studies: Your step by step guide to HSC success’ available at http://books.google.com.my/books?id=c_DsWIQ4QvoC&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&dq=example+worker+resist+new+technology&source=bl&ots=P-SmKQrzuS&sig=rlryY2STTWQ2FbQIgo6zewCknZM&hl=en&ei=7cnJScvOO5yi6gPR_7ivAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=4&ct=result#PPA28,M1 [Accessed 25 March 2009]

[4] Robert T. Bramson and Ruth A. Bramson (2004), available at http://www.ajronline.org/cgi/content/full/184/6/1727 [Accessed 24 March]

1. Why might a worker resist the implementation of a new technology? Give some examples to support the idea.
The worker like use differentiation strategy. Even use new technology can reduce cost and time, but some are become normal and not special. Example: handtailor product compared to electronic embroider , some people like handtailor product due to its special and can not find one as the same as it in the world.2. What are some of the possible consequences of asking a worker to use a computer or similar device in his or her job? Critically discuss this.If the worker is really don’t adopt to the computer and feel hard to use, he or she might give up the job which they were doing now.
3. How can IT alter an individual’s work? How can a manager insure that the impact is positive rather than negative?
Though the computer, even people are far from each other, still can communication with the work .
For a manager , before doing the thing, he need collect dat from internet which is much more fast way.then planning and allocating the jobs. before do a project, he can evluate it with IT's help.