Work Design and Technology
To increase employee job satisfaction and productivity, organizations use technology to redesign jobs and work schedules. Technology changes the work style of the organization and the process of analyzing employee performance. Technology is not just an instrument that transfers inputs to outputs. This term is used as a machinery and instrument of a sophisticated nature and that develops results through computers and other electronic instruments. This technology is looming over the industrial sectors and now the fabric can be produced much more and faster than before.
Developed electronic instruments for money transfers and financial management, open dynamic advances in the banking and financial sectors. The work style and work life of employees are affected by technology. Continuous improvement is demonstrated in any organization to improve productivity and efficiency simultaneously. This continuous improvement requires modification in all organizational processes. The term reengineering comes from the development of a better electronic version. In any organization, reengineering fundamentally requires altering the way we do things.
Its main rule is to start from a plan sheet to rethink and modify the current management system. This redesign means fixing up the process by removing antiquated elements from any work design.
Management’s responsibility is to understand the key elements and core processes that add value to the distinctive competencies of organizations. Since the early 1990s, process reengineering has been popular, and all major companies in European countries and America have introduced some changes to support work redesign. Employees, continuing their jobs after the redesign process in the organization, discovered that they are not doing the same job. The job redesign process can include more excellence in employee services, interaction with customers, coordination with vendors and colleagues, more responsibilities, creativity, follow-through, and incentives.
Mostly it is difficult for the employees and it takes 3-5 years to complete the whole re-engineering process. During this period of time, workers become anxious about taking on more responsibilities, challenges, new work styles, and the risks involved. Implications for process reengineering are designed and selected on an individual and group basis. Employee motivation and reinforcement, cyber loafing, and ethics-related steps are taken on an individual basis. Along with decision making, communication and coordination, and organizational policies are taken in a different light; for implications at the group level.
With the introduction of new technologies in the workplace, labor standards and interpersonal relationships are also changing. To analyze work tasks, their characteristics must first be understood. These task attributes collectively affect different jobs and determine employee performance, motivations, and relationships. Task attributes primarily include variety of experience, task identity and importance, independence provided, and feedback. By taking these task characteristics into account, the strength of employee development needs for a specific job can be assessed; based on core job dimensions, critical psychological state, and personal and job outcomes.
The technology is also made easy by establishing an ideal work layout to improve overall performance. Organizations seek to offer alternative work schedule options for employees. Employees need flexibility in a changing workplace and work schedule options, as they act as a strategic tool in organizations.