Sample Research Paper on How Digital Technology Affects the Workplace

This research paper about how digital technology affects the workplace is another attempt to look at how we all do our job in ever-changing circumstances. Backe down with both theory and data, this technology & workplace research paper sample might give students a better idea of how to craft an innovative piece in terms of structure and content presentation.

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How Does Digital Technology Affect the Workplace?

Introduction

Several developments have been implemented in the information, communication, and technology field evident through the range of inventions and innovations that have been recorded in the last decade. Different aspects of life are directly affected by technology, including health, economic, political, and education sectors among others. The incorporation of technology in the economic sector has been felt in different sectors, leading to the growth and development of organizations. The workplace environment has recorded efficiency because the digitization of information has ensured that different work processes are simplified. Technological incorporation within the various sectors of the workplace has ensured that businesses have achieved a state of electronic business since technology has made automation possible. Companies that have managed to successfully integrate technology in the workplace have a competitive advantage over their rivals, who still conduct business in an old-school way. Therefore, this paper will illustrate whether the workplace environment has been affected by digital technology by analyzing different aspects of the workplace environment.

Remote Working

Recent developments in the telecommunication industry have ensured that technology can be incorporated into the workplace to improve workplace mobility. The incorporation of technology in the workplace has guaranteed that teleworking can be practiced in the same organization with different geographical locations, thereby enhancing efficiency between employees and management (Goos et al., 2019, 58). Internet-based service models that rely on the cloud and mobile technology have helped improve communication at the workplace, thus promoting telecommunication. This guarantees that a single organization can have employees in different regions or the same region but working remoting. The organization and communication of information between the management and staff can be done by applying virtual conferencing, which helps in deliberating different staff responsibilities.

Through remote working, individuals have started considering online employment opportunities, and it can thus be argued that teleworking has redefined the job market and the availability of employment opportunities (Oldham & Da Silva, 2015, 7). As a result of remote working, geographical constraints, which were formerly a considerable challenge in employment, have been eliminated since individuals have become open to different online avenues of employment. Moreover, the internet era has made more organizations integrate their systems through online platforms, thereby making jobs dependent on interaction and communication fostered through teleconferencing software like skype and zoom.

Communication

Communication patterns within and outside organizational boundaries have shifted due to technological developments, which have transformed communication patterns. Communication within the workplace has recently been characterized by communication tools such as social networking sites, chatting apps, and smartphones, which have positively influenced communication (Goos et al., 2019, 60). Through the incorporation of technology in the workplace, there have been improvements in horizontal and vertical communication within different organization levels evident through improved management to subordinate communications. Improved collaborative communication within the organization has helped in ensuring that the organization becomes more efficient.

Through digital communication, different communication patterns have been developed, and these include video calls, which have helped in the deliberation of duties, exchanging texts, and emails among colleagues (Oldham & Da Silva, 2015, 8). Additionally, meetings have been conducted through the use of teleconferencing apps such as skype and zoom. Digital technology has helped ensure that standard seamless communication is maintained within the organization, thereby promoting normalcy in the organizational processes. Moreover, the use of digital technology in the workplace may be time and cost-saving since individuals do not necessarily have to be present for business operations to continue thanks to video conferencing (Chan, 2019, 6). Through technology, delays in information between management and subordinates reduce, thereby helping increase workplace efficiency.

Productivity

Through technological innovations, different businesses have used productivity software to aid in the analysis of present market conditions and past performances to help predict production patterns (Black & Lynch, 2017, 69). Analysis of these patterns helps in ensuring that strategies and contingency plans are implemented by the business to help mitigate any possible challenges that may be experienced by the company with regards to production. This production software can also be used by managers to track individual employee progress during different production stages. Employee coaching and reinforcement can be offered by management through intel gathered about individual employee productivity using the productivity software, which may help improve employee performance (Black & Lynch, 2017, 70).

Different technologies that can be used in improving efficiency during the production process have also been made available through technological innovations. Such innovations have helped increase productivity by minimizing the time taken to complete tasks that were initially tedious (Black & Lynch, 2017, 72). For instance, organizations have incorporated accounting software to simplify the bookkeeping process, thereby minimizing the time spent in bookkeeping. Additionally, records kept using different production software aids in guaranteeing efficiency since these records are accurate and can be used in the future for reference.

Organization

The incorporation of digital technology in the workplace has helped in the assessment, delegation, and review of duties and tasks that the management deliberates to employees through the application of project management software. Supervision of workplace activities can be enhanced by using these management types of software, thus helping guarantee increased employee productivity (Goos et al., 2019, 64). Workflow and efficiency have consequently been increased in the organization through the use of software and systems such as management information systems, which is an emerging trend in different organizations. Thus, these systems help ensure that productivity increases as a result of improvement in service delivery, efficiency, and accountability among employees and management (Chan, 2019, 8).

The quantity and quality of work can be improved through project management software since this software can be used in the supervision of employees, thereby improving employee output (Spence et al., 2017, 27). This project management software has also been used in risk assessments because, through such software, the management can identify projects that can succeed or fail in the future. Space management software has further been incorporated in several organizations to improve space utility at work since it helps manage organizational space.

Collaboration

Digital technology has helped ensure that team coordination among organizations has improved because, through technological innovations, information transfer and integration have been facilitated by online communication tools (Oldham & Da Silva, 2015, 9). Collaboration among colleagues has been fostered by the fact that these online communication tools help ensure that communication within the organization can traverse geographical and time boundaries (Spence et al., 2017, 29). Flexibility in communication helps encourage employee and employer collaboration and promote cooperation between different businesses because communication boundaries have been eliminated thanks to the internet era. For instance, video conferencing technology has been used in conducting meetings remotely, thereby helping share and pass information through Google Drive and other cloud-based tools.

Teamwork within the organization can be promoted through collaboration among employees since collaboration enhances understanding and bonding among employees and management (Chan, 2019, 11). Additionally, collaboration within the organization is promoted by the fact that communication can be conducted regardless of time and location barriers. Collaboration within the organization further helps ensure that a personal relationship between employees and managers is promoted (Goos et al., 2019, 66). Improved relationships between employees and managers would also help ensure supervision, which in turn increases employee performance. As a result of increased collaboration among employees, customer service is likely to improve due to improved teamwork among employees.

Business Security

The business operations are usually dependent on the level of security with which certain information is provided since core business processes should remain a confidential matter within the management (Spence et al., 2017, 32). Through digital technology, end-to-end heavily encrypted software and hardware have been made available to businesses, thus improving the security of business operations. Organizations often engage such software in protecting vital organizational information, and the clearance and accessibility of this software are usually left in the hands of few authorized personnel. In order to protect this software, organizations may, for instance, employ the use of facial recognition and fingerprint security protocols, which helps enhance the security of stored information.

Organizational information was previously accessible to all the organization members despite their levels of security clearance, which reduced the privacy of organizational secrets (Chan, 2019, 14). Following the introduction of information technology in organizations, information safety has increased because, in order to access data stored in private organizational software, an employee needs to meet the required security protocols. Thus, this has ensured that only individuals who are authorized by the organization can access such information, thereby helping protect the interests of the employees, employers, management, and organization.

By incorporating digital technology, security breaches have been minimized since organizational data that was initially stored manually is now stored through software such as cloud storage (Chan, 2019, 15). This helps reduce the chances of information leakage or misappropriation of data. Technological innovations have led to the development of software that has been applied by organizations to help monitor the online activities of the staff. Monitorization of staff online presence ensures that the organization's reputation is not damaged due to certain posts that employees may publish on the internet and social media platforms (Oldham & Da Silva, 2015, 10). Employees who are caught engaging in deformation acts may be liable for their actions. Therefore employees are less likely to get involved in any dubious activities aimed at damaging the organization's image.

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Conclusion

In conclusion, the incorporation of technology within the workplace has led to different structural transformations within the business, thereby affecting various business sectors such as production, service delivery, and customer satisfaction. Different communication tools have been developed through technological innovations, thereby helping integrate information among employees and management. The efficient flow of information, in turn, helps promote increased productivity, which results from increased collaborative efforts among employees. Additionally, through telecommunication, technology has ensured that remote working is possible, thereby increasing the scope of business operations since businesses can operate anywhere provided there is a reliable internet connection. Productivity and management software helps the management in supervision processes, thus enhancing customer satisfaction, which is promoted by increased efficiency in the organization. Therefore, technology has played a fundamental role in transforming business operations, and any businesses that hope to achieve a level of competitive advantage within the global markets need to incorporate technology in their operations.