Impact of Technology on Organizational Development Essay

Introduction Technology has left its magical touch everywhere. Business organizations are not out of that magical touch. Organization development and technology are very closely related. Every organization leverages technology to support their overall strategy. Different organizations are using technology to a various extent. By using technology, organizations have become more efficient than organizations before them. Technology allows the organization to achieve their goals. Technological developments enable productivity allowing reorganization of organizational structure, activities and culture. In return, it greatly improves the effectiveness of the organization. However, for this to last and stay a reality, the use of technology should be leveraged at its fullest extent to maximize results. Indeed, the rise in productivity could be a result of organizations having the ability to grasp, appreciate and absorb current technological advances into their structure, creation and culture. Efficient business processes enable business ventures to save money and time. To hold market share, organizations also try to incorporate the latest technologies as much as possible. Organizations should continue to strive to use modern systems that are concurrent with the latest technological advancement. Therefore, regulating modern systems confirms that organizations consistently use up-to-date technological systems to improve business procedures, as well as ensures that those systems and procedures are consistent within the entire organization. If productivity increases, it will be a result of an increase in the efficiency of the business process and decrease in expense which is the indication of an increase in overall income. The scope of technology that a corporation can adopt is immense; starting from buying a personal laptop with an application program, to investment within the latest progressive computer-aided production machinery. No matter the quality of the system or the dimensions of the organization, one factor is for certain – the incorporation of technology or information systems can result in change. Implementation of technological systems will act as a catalyst for change. Literature review Technological use has been widely recognized now. It is very important for an organization’s survival and growth. Among the use of different types of  technology it has been seen that the use of Information Technology (IT) is more frequent. According to Crichton & Edgar (1995), in dealing with the market complexity IT helps an organization to a great extent (Farhanghi, Abbaspour & Ghassemi, 2013). For instance, it has become difficult to run a business in the hotel industry without the help of IT. In the past, the check-in process at a hotel was manual, but now the check-in is performed with the use of software programs. The use of software has made the check-in process easy and time efficient. To evaluate the performance of the employees, hotel businesses are using different software programs such as Small Improvements, TribeHr or HRM Direcct With the help of IT, organizations are able to offer better product offering. Many organizations offer customized products or services to their customers and it is possible only because of technology. Customization in the banking sector can be the best example of customized service offerings. Citibank improved its Internet site in 2002 to provide easy navigation and access for customers, which is the adoption of latest technology in their organization (Mininni, n.d.). This adoption allows the customers of Citibank to set up a customized home page catered to their individual needs and preferences. On the home page, customers can keep the content in a layout that work in the best way for them. Technology plays a vital role in shaping organizational structure. Whisler (1970) argued that increasing vertical information results in centralization of information, and IT impacts the structure of the organization (Farhanghi, Abbaspour & Ghassemi, 2013). According to Church & Waclawski (1998, 2001), people are now in the era of information (Church, Gilbert, Oliver, Paqu et & Surface, 2002). For instance, if an individual wants some information about a specific hotel, he can use a laptop to find information about the hotel. He can reserve a room through online reservation. Hronec (1993), illustrated the role of information as â€Å"vital signs† to drive and evaluate initiatives related to organizational development (OD) and human resource development (HRD) which are more significant now than before (Church, Gilbert, Oliver, Paquet & Surface, 2002). For instance, most organizations are using performance appraisal software such as Trackstar Performance Appraisal, Wingspan, or Empxtrack for the performance appraisal of their employees. Most businesses are now operating either with computers or communication devices. These devices allow the organization to organize information such as data base, personal schedule and so on (McGrath, 2008). In the view of Waclawski & Church (2002), technology has showed a different way to look at OD as a truly data-driven process (Church, Gilbert, Oliver, Paquet & Surface, 2002). Consistent with the view of Tippins (2002), to achieve the advancement in the field of OD, technology has brought more opportunities (Church, Gilbert, Oliver, Paquet & Surface, 2002). Impacts of Technology on Organizational Development Technology has various impacts, both positive and negative, on the development of the organization. Technology definitely has its place among the key parts that form a corporation. The formal structure or arrangements inside a corporation may be plagued by the arrival of recent technology; this does not need to be the case in every circumstances. A change may also occur when businesses change the way they operate. One futurist plan whose views are being validated is that the notion of the virtual geographical point (Kerman, 1995). The basic idea of this concept is that employees are able to work independently and will have accesses to information. The concept of not having a group workplace area definitely would be a modification from the standard routine of being physically present at the workplace from nine to five (ideally) and working. Such a concept would clearly be obsessed on the duty to be accomplished. In the case of virtual work spaces, employees have the autonomy of doing their assigned jobs. Tasks would be more focused, target oriented and the performance evaluation would not be on the basis of face to face interactions rather on the basis of how employees are performing their appointed tasks. Computer networks permit people to react quickly, share ideas, and transfer information regardless of physical locations. This is how technology allows supervisors to monitor the activities of their subordinates without requiring subordinates reporting them physically. Technology provides additional profit to organization, though it has some cost as well. However, in terms of return, it brings more than the cost to the organization. For instance, if a restaurant creates a website and start taking orders online, it would have some costs associated with creation of the website; however the restaurant will be able to tak e more orders than before creating the website. Technology helps to accumulate  ability and reduces duplication of resource. It also enhances career developments and eases the communication among employees of an organization. For example, many organizations use information systems within the organization to allow employees to communicate with leadership and subordinates. Information systems enable easier communication between employees. Technology provides structure making work easier. It increases the safety of recognized sources and interdependencies, allows diversification, and increases accountability between departmental managers. Technology can change the total operating model. For a quality work life, it is important to have a technological advanced setting which supports reduce absences, turnover, and accidents, through the use of prime quality digital computer (Hackman, 1977). Additionally, technology improves company’s sales and services. It improves division work by permitting staff to use personal electronic d evices to make sales displays, transmit orders and client information to the house from workplace. These electronic devices shorten the interval corporations spend receiving and delivering product or services, which can be a competitive advantage for the organization. Corporations can also send sales representatives to multiple markets at a shortest possible time, permitting them to penetrate multiple markets with negligible costs. Each business must use technology to achieve competitive advantage. In today’s environment, time and competence are essential factors in business growth. To survive in business, people should take advantages of technologies. Technology has changed the life of people; it has brought revolutionary changes in each operational sector. Through technological advancement, corporations are able to increase productivity, reduce costs, minimize time, etc. Technological advancement is equally necessary to OD practitioners. OD practitioners can use technology to gather knowledge, analyze actual state of affairs, and provide outcomes. The use of technology within the organization will bring the best result when employees of the organization are connected to the technology. Technological advancement increases competition, fosters rapid growth, and mitigates environmental changes imposing on the organization to reorganize themselves (Cummings & Worley, 2009). Technology dictates the pace of economic process within the space of information and communication technology (ICT) as this is often the main driver of processes. In the 21st century, developing countries are  concentrating on adopting technology as much as possible within organizations. Developing countries are viewing the application of technology in organizations as an economic development. Many organizations from developed countries are doing outsourcing from the developing countries [provide an example here]. These outsourcings are playing a vital role in the economic development of developing countries. Technology has changed the life of people; it has brought revolutionary changes in each operational sector. Through technological advancement, corporations are able to increase productivity, reduce costs, minimize time, etc. Technological advancement is equally necessary to OD practitioners. OD practitioners can use technology to gather knowledge, analyze actual state of affairs, and provide outcomes. The use of technology within the organization will bring the best result when employees of the organization are connected to the technology. Technological advancement increases competition, fosters rapid growth, and mitigates environmental changes imposing on the organization to reorganize themselves (Cummings & Worley, 2009). Technology dictates the pace of economic process within the space of information and communication technology (ICT) as this is often the main driver of processes. In the 21st century, developing countries are concentrating on adopting technology as much as possible within organizations. Developing countries are viewing the application of technology in organizations as an economic development. Many organizations from developed countries are doing outsourcing from the developing countries. These outsourcings are playing a vital role in the economic development of developing countries. Technology helps organizations achieve goals. However, technologies have some blockade. First, technologies are expensive. Second, individuals have to be capable to use advanced technical instruments. Individuals cannot work effectively until there is a free flow of sound data and technology. Proper work results in an increase in profit for the organization. Organizations typically pay a lot for the installation and maintenance of their own technology. Organizations want to keep information secret and safe about their technology. Output will be higher when employees have sound knowledge about the technology within their organization. Organizations have to take initiatives to teach their employees about technology. Once individuals have sound knowledge about technology then they have to know how to apply the application of their  earned knowledge. It is the responsibility of the OD practitioner to find out when individuals need training. OD practitioners try to reduce barriers and increase gains.. Organizations need to provide training about performance, competitions, elaborate program design, and many more. With proper training, employees will be able to make the best use of technology. Thus the organization will be able to achieve the goals. Conclusion In the end it can be said that the installation of a technology in the organization will not be enough to achieve organizational goals. The overall success depends on some other factors as well. Installation of a technology is only the beginning. Organizations have to provide proper training to employees to achieve the maximum advantage from the installation of the technology. Organizations have to have a close look on the performance of the organization as well. OD practitioners play a vital role to get the best result from the use of technology. When a change comes to the organization there will always be some resistant. Some employees may not accept the change. OD practitioners have to deal with these issues. They have to create the readiness for change and overcome the resistance. It is the responsibility of OD practitioners to ensure consistent training for all employees. If training is not consistent among the members of a same group then there could be a probability of conflic t among the group members. OD practitioners have to pay close attention to these issues as well. A combination of effort from all employees within the organization is needed to have the best result from the use of technology. To survive in the present competitive business world technological knowledge is must for any organization.

The Downside of Mining in Nevada

The reputation of Nevada as a major producer of gold and silver is a well-known fact already. The state is not called the Silver State for nothing. What are new here are the many negative impacts this reputation to the environment of the state and its consequences. The extensive mining of gold and silver causes disruption in the environment that has effects that could last a long time. The conversion of land, the vast usage of water, and deforestation mining has brought to the state is very alarming (Solnit, 2004). In order to produce gold, large chunks of land is dug up for ores. But then, to yield an ounce of gold, a hundred tons of ore is needed. Imagine how much land will have to be dug up and pulverized to mine the gold Nevada is producing. Therefore, mining gold disrupts the habitat of the different species that live in the places that are dug up. It also affects the agriculture of the state. Mining does not improve soil conditions, it actually worsens it. So, if the soil is not suitable for farming, the food that the farmers will produce will also be affected. This consequence directly affects the people living in the state, since food is essential for living. This activity also destroys groundwater which is an essential source of drinking water. According to Solnit (2004) mines pumps out groundwater during mining, but this water is discarded. Thus, groundwater dug up is not used but its sources are dried up. Also, water in gold-rush districts is being contaminated by gold. Some are being directed to other waterways. This effect to groundwater will surely result in scarcity. And humans again are directly affected. What is there to drink if the waters have went out of the state and the people are left with the contaminated ones? Indeed, the gold and silver reserves of Nevada are good sources of income for the state and the whole country. However, the government still has to guard their courses of action about this matter. If the environment becomes completely destroyed it will affect its people greatly. References Solnit, Rebecca (2004). Meanwhile Back at the Ranch:The Wild, Wild Wars in the West. ZNet: A community of people committed to social change. Retrieved February 1, 2008, from http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=6017

Crime and Justice law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Crime and Justice law - Essay Example The influence of judiciary starts from the point of conviction of an offender or a violator to the sentencing as well as their rehabilitation, if required. Let us now discuss about the UK judicial system, observing the proportionality and authenticity of its sentencing law. It is a known fact that UK does not have a written constitution. That gives it the space for its flexibility, which leads to the huge number of amendments; every amendment is deeply correlated with the judicial decisions on the substantial cases. Hence, as far the UK judicial system is concerned, it does not only hold the responsibility to convict and decide the case but it is also responsible for its manipulative decision on a case which reflects in the policy making Take for example, the R v Templecase, the Court of Appeal held that a basis of plea should normally be expected to set out the facts, different to those in the prosecution papers, on which the defendant is prepared to admit his guilt.   The court c ommented adversely on placing undue reliance on an unsigned basis of plea and drew attention to the importance of the guidance in the case of R v Underwood that recommended on the use of the responsibility for alerting the prosecutor to areas of dispute rests with the defense.1 In addition, as a result of the case R v H and Others, it was decided and regulation was made that if a defendant wishes to be sentenced on a basis which is not agreed, the prosecution advocate should invite the judge not to accept the defendant's version unless he or she gives evidence on oath to be tested in cross-examination.   In such circumstances the defence advocate should be prepared to call the defendant and, if the defendant is not willing to testify, subject to any explanation that may be given, the judge may draw such inferences as appear appropriate.2 Judicial system of UK Having a vital responsibility given to the court, it has to be approachable to a quality decision making simultaneously nee d to maintain a companionate relation with public. The judicial system needs to provide security to both physical as well as psychological fear emerged due to frequent violence. Hence, the judicial body has the duty to segregate the categories of level of crime and criminals, followed by its conviction and decision for the required sentencing. Further, the duty binds the body to design a secure rehabilitating plan for criminals, so that the general public will be safe from reoccurrence of violence from the convicted criminals. To establish the proportionality of the English sentencing law we need to explore its previous sentencing system. Let us take the example of R v Reynolds and others3.   In this case, the prosecuting advocates were made aware of the impact of statutory provisions simultaneously avoid wrong judgment. The prosecution advocate may also offer assistance to the court by making submissions, in the light of all these factors, as to the appropriate sentencing range. To secure obedience with the above mentioned responsibilities, the prosecutor is required to prepare a plea and

Current event paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Current event paper - Assignment Example y people often don’t want to notice the fact that their relationships are based on wrong values, so they decline noticing aggressive, controlling, and partly paranoid behavior of their intimate partners. The second reason is human fear about two things. One is to lose their partner and stay alone, which for most people is more frightening than being abused, another is fear to seek for help because of possibility to make the situation public, or because of threat of being abused harder by a mad partner. Though, the most crucial reason for the violent consequences of wrong relationships is people’s unwillingness to do something when they feel that their relationships are wrong, so they make up their minds to the situation until it turns into domestic violence. The article â€Å"14 Red Flags of Domestic Violence† by GinaL. Cafasso describes the most common first signals of the behavior which more likely will later lead to serious domestic violence. Statistics on dom estic violence shows terrible results; â€Å"according to National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, on average 20 people, in the U.S., per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner† (Cafasso n.pag). The statistics is terrifying. The author claims that the most common problem of the victims of domestic abuse is that often abusers make them feel so insignificant that after each act of abuse the victims just have feeling like they have nowhere to go and don’t believe that there is a way out of the situation. The story of Linda Rees who has been abused by her husband for 20 years teaches that if there are signs of incoming domestic violence, it is never too late to abandon the relationships (â€Å"His Name Calling and Jealousy was All I Knew but then He Threatened to Kill Me†). Linda claims that as far as her husband was her first boyfriend she didn’t realize that there was something wrong with their relationships, so she confused his over controlling behavior with love and thought that it

Airfix Footwear LTD v. Cope [1978] ICR 1210 Case Study

Airfix Footwear LTD v. Cope [1978] ICR 1210 - Case Study Example It is irrelevant in the case observed in the paper whether the individual daily contracts were separate employment or not. The IT concluded that no individual contracts existed between the worker and the company. The company only delivers work sporadically from time to time, and from time-to-time the worker chooses to do it, so that there is a pattern of an occasional week done a few times a year, then it might well be that there comes into existence on each of these occasions a separate contract of service or contract for services, but the overriding arrangement is not itself a contract of employment, either of services or for services. But these matters must depend upon the facts of each particular case. This case confirms the view that an "umbrella" contract can exist if a practice of dealing has been built up over the years with expectations and obligations on each side. It was only in respect of the overall contract that the question of mutuality of obligation came into effect, and in this particular case, it was considered that this obligation was so overpowering that it meant that no individual contracts had existed. However, it is often difficult to establish the necessary ongoing mutuality of obligation to change a series of short-term contracts into a single "umbrella" contract. In this case, the IT denied the worker's claim because the worker is not obligated to accept the work and the provider is not under any obligation to consistently provide the work to the worker. In order for the 'worker' to be classified as an 'employee', the case must be able to pass the test for employee status. In this case, the company does not have or is not in a position to exercise any control over the worker. "The more control the supervisor or employer can exercise, the more likely the worker will be deemed an employee. Temporary workers engaged through employment agencies have for a number of years been a popular choice for UK businesses. The benefits to businesses o f engaging a flexible labor resource have been tangible. The resource can, in theory, be turned on and off at will, without the problems associated with headcount, the need for redundancy procedures or risk of unfair dismissal. In short, temporary agency workers have proved a cost-efficient resource to end-user businesses. For an employment contract to exist, as a minimum the following ingredients must be met; first a contract between the parties, second, an element of control over the worker and third, a mutuality of obligation between the worker and the employer. Up until 2004, most cases considered by the courts found that whilst there may be sufficient control exercised by the hiring end user over the worker and mutuality of obligation, there was no actual contract between the worker and the end user. In contrast, the courts found that whilst there was a contract between the agency and the worker, there was insufficient mutuality of obligation or control by the agency over the w orker for it to be an employment contract. The consequence was the worker was not employed by either the agency or the hiring end user. It soon became obvious to the court that the base was not broad enough, using merely mutuality of obligation as the test. It broadened its scope of the test by including the concept of control of the worker.

Philosophy of Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Philosophy of Education - Essay Example I believe that Education is the key to success and it is through education that a person receives the fundamental skills and tools that are important in building a life that is successful and prosperous. The quality of education in a country will determine the level of its success and prosperity. Therefore, as a teacher I believe that it is important for every child to receive quality education. Although quality in education is something that cannot be achieved by the teachers only, I believe teachers play a major role in improving the education quality of a country. To improve the quality of education, teachers, parents and all stakeholders in education must work together. Quality in education includes the health and participation of learners, support from family and community, availability of good learning environment, content that is relevant in real life situations and teacher’s organization and proficiency. As a teacher, I believe that everyone has the ability to learn. However, for effective mastering of concepts and skills, a student must show interest in learning and willingness to participate in the learning activities. My work as a teacher is to provide good learning environment in the classroom and improve the quality of education. The arrangement or organization of the classroom can improve or inhibit learning depending on the learning patterns of each child. Therefore, by accommodating the students’ different patterns of learning, the teacher creates an environment that is conducive for learning. Although education has always been associated with economic growth, I believe that with better quality education the economic retu rns can be much higher. It is also evident that increased investment in education increases political stability, democratization, improves the health of the people and reduces poverty and inequality. Thus, I am strongly convinced that it is the role of teachers to ensure that the education provided in schools is of good quality so as to realize the maximum benefits of quality education. Young minds are very critical and delicate, and teaching them is challenging and frustrating. Any indication by the teacher that he or she is not interested in a particular subject or area of study and lacks passion for learning will make the children to lose interest in the same. A teacher must convince the children of his or her knowledge and expertise for them to be willing to learn and show interest in learning. My job, as a teacher is to develop an environment that promotes learning. I am a teacher and an instructor because I posses the passion for guiding children through the process of learnin g and one of the best ways of fostering learning is to show the children these feelings I hold over education. I promote learning by providing a relaxed atmosphere for children, stimulating conversations on presented ideas and organizing ideas in an easy way that can be understood by the learners. I believe subject matter are interconnected thus I emphasize that everything that people learn form a world of understanding from which they develop their personal views. I also believe that showing respect to my students is important because it encourages them to be open and inspires them to respect each other and all other people. My method of teaching is that which acknowledges diversity in teaching methodologies and techniques. I believe that hands on and minds on learning are important because supplementing curriculum with other activities promotes the learning process. I am certain that by involving the learners in fascinating lessons and making use of strategies which address their learning styles, they can achieve success in academics and have self confidence in the learning process. Learning only takes place when the children are fully engaged in the learning process, are personally connected to the concept taught and use the knowledge acquired in real life situations. Therefore, when this happens a child is encouraged to be engaged over and

Operations Management as an integral component of a manufacturing Essay

Operations Management as an integral component of a manufacturing industry - Essay Example MRP ensures that there is just about enough materials available for production. If this planning is not efficiently done, there is the likelihood of either finding oneself in a situation where the materials for production is less than required leading to disruption in production or having too much of materials resulting in wasteful spending. MRP has evolved with the computer technology. Its full potential embracing all aspects is prevalent in data base software and there is tremendous scope for utilization of all the heads and sub-heads for the purpose of manufacture of unique and desirable product. It operates on the basis of a master schedule and develops the requirement for materials. The software is programmed to procure different materials for a product. MRP has to be tuned to production planning. Otherwise there will be mismatch in procurement. Normally, MRP through the use of computer is good for mass production where the volume of manufacture is high. Production planning is a part of the master schedule and sees through the MRP. It is an input to capacity plan. The MRP software is complex and so the user has to be provided training so that he is in a position to apply his knowledge in the use the software to the actual requirement of the organization. He must be capable of understanding the software to maximize its use so that the computer is not seen as something that only produces reports with information of non-relevance and disuse. Once the details in the customers' orders are fed into the integrated database, the system checks the schedule as against the current capacity. If the inputs of the materials requirement exceed current capacity, it provides the alternatives for increasing capacity or creating adjustments in the master schedule. The process of MRP must suit its environment to optimize production. In other words, business adapts MRP to suit the market. The computerized version of MRP is complex and is designed to cater to high volumes (Material Requirement Planning MRP). While on the subject, it is necessary to gauge the break-even point with MRP. There are several ways of analyzing the break-even point. Costs and sales forecast analysis is one of them (Decision Making). Total Quality Management (TQM) Total Quality Management is that aspect of management where there is awareness of maintaining quality at every level. According to the International Organization for Standardization, "TQM is a management approach for an organization, centered