The effects of information technologies on people

Information technology alter s the nature of work, but people must change the way they approach such basic tasks as gathering data, writing, and communicating if they are to adapt successfully to informa­tion technology.

One of the more interesting aspects of information technology is that everything becomes more abstract. For example, going to work and handling paperwork are very real and concrete. They are tangible things to which people can easily relate. All the information technology trends, however, point to less tangibility. From pictures on a computer screen that replace physical objects to electronic communications that replace meetings and travel, the form and substance of business organization and work are changing. Although it is too early to tell whether or not this will have negative effects, it certainly will be different.

As electronic technology replaces manual technology, information and communication become more and more «invisible». What happens to our notion of a desk when all notes, memos, calendars, and files are just data in a computer network? What happens to our notion of a letter when messages are composed, transmitted, and received electronically?

Workgroup and enterprise computing network makes it possible to bring people together who are normally separated by travel time, time zones, and conflicting schedules. As a result, collaboration may become an important feature of work in the future. In theory, this should speed up the flow of work by making it faster and easier to accomplish the goals of the organization.

Once information technology makes mobility and communication easier, the time previously spent scheduling and coordinating people’s time and their face-to-face interactions can be spent more creatively. Electronic calendars can simplify scheduling meetings, conferences, and appointments. In the long term, the whole concept of the static organizational structure may disappear and be replaced by more dynamic workgroups that are created and dissolvedto meet the needs at hand. The organization may even become «located» in electronic networks and databases. Instead of a physical place where you work, it becomes a «virtual» place where you work — you could be anywhere.

Such structural changes will stimulate corresponding social changes in the organization. For example, all the information technologies discussed are far more than substitutes for manual systems. As they free us to do things in new ways, new skills will be required to adapt to the changing structure. The management function of supervision and control may take on an entirely new meaning as workers shift from being together in physical offices to being together in logical networks. Information technology is being rapidly developed. But as has been the case with most technology, factors such as laws, social structures, habits, and communications will determine how fast the changes will take place.