Technology_in_the_Work_Place

Technology in the Work Place | December 19 2012 | TEC/401 Mary Dziorny | | Companies can and will sometimes use new technology to help them set and manage ethical standards along with company guidelines. By using these different types of techniques, this helps them to shape the type of work environment or culture that they are trying to promote. Additionally, using technology to perform human resource functions affects company’s culture too. As the world advances its technology, different companies tend to shop for these new introductions to better serve their needs at their business. These needs could be within the company, dealing with ethical standards and work environments, or they could be needs to assist the consumers. Such needs used to assist the consumers would involve technology that brings happiness and satisfaction to the customers and encourages people to bring their business. Technology helps to set and manage ethical standards and guidelines in a variety of ways. When being employed with an agency that manages semi-trailer truck drivers, it is a must that each and every employee follows all driving guidelines and safety rules. There are a lot of these trucking companies that uses new and old technology to monitor their employee’s time log, location, scheduled routes, and safety measurements used while on duty. One of the specific technology types used would be a tracking device installed on the trucks. This tracking device is used to monitor the driver’s speed, miles, and location at all times. One of the main guidelines set in place at trucking companies is to always stay on route. Drivers are not allowed to make personal stops that don’t involve scheduled breaking or emergencies. When companies purchase and place these tracking devices in the trucks, this will advise the drivers that they are being watched. By doing this, it manages the use and abuse of the business guidelines. These tracking devices along with computer logs, helps the trucking business manage unexplained locations and mileage usage. As human beings, we tend to do things different when certain people are watching. This is why companies try and use technology to shape up their employees. If the employees know that they are being supervised at all times, they will tend to follow guidelines and comply with the company set ethical standards. In the end, it helps the company save and profit, it helps the drivers to become more ethical and comply with guidelines, and it helps consumers to get their products in a timely manner. Another way that technology can set and manage ethical standards is through surveillance cameras. There are hundreds of retail businesses that use video cameras to record their cashiers while on and off shift. This is set in place to capture any employee who is being unethical towards the company. This involves stealing money from the register, being disrespectful to the customers, and in some cases helping others steal from the store. When an employee knows that their every move is being watched, this motivates them to be truthful and ethical. When a business uses technology to manage standards and guidelines, it also helps to shape the type of work environment or culture that they are trying to promote. The way that this is done is similar to a short domino effect. After the company sets its environment tone, ethical standards and guidelines that they wish to express, they then hire train and promote them to the employees. Next, you have the different technology types that are set in place to manage these employee actions. Eventually, if well managed and evaluated, everyone will begin to comply will all ethical standards and will follow all guidelines naturally. At this step, the business will now begin to shape into the type of work environment or culture that they are looking for. As the company hires on new employees and add to new business, a well-established work environment aids to company and employee success. New employees will see the type of environment created and will have no problem with adapting to it. Additionally, I think that using technology to perform human resources functions affects a company’s culture in good and bad ways. Using technology to perform human resources functions can bring extra time to the HR department, it allows management to communicate easier at a faster pace, it helps to review applications, and it can aid to the hiring process. Using technology also allows HR to manage employee information differently without a lot of space being needed and it can give a business the option of providing employees the company’s ethics, rules, guidelines, and training videos. The reason that I feel that using technology for HR needs can be a bad idea is because of the risk of electronic crashing. If a company is not backing up their information and making some type of hard copy of important information, they are at a very high risk of destroying their business. Everything that is completed or entered into any type of technology should also be entered on paper. As technology changes daily, we are forced to make changes in our life that are dependent on specific technology types. Each company has established their own ethical standards and guidelines along with the personal ethics that we all live by. When certain technology is set in place to manage these standards and guidelines then it helps the company to shape its environment. Having a controlled culture and environment brings profit to a business. I would not advise a company to shift its human resource team to a strictly technology based environment, but I would involve it into their everyday work duties. Reference * Gary, R. (1988). Making Ethics Come Alive. United States Chamber of Commerce Nations Business, June 18, 1988 retrieved from www.eric.ed.gov * Regan, E. A., & O’Connor, B. N. (2002). End-user information systems: Implementing individual and work group technologies (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.