Computers and Work

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Computers and Work
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Outline

• 8.1 Changing nature of work
• 8.2 Impact on employment
• 8.3 The work environment
• 8.4 Employee monitoring
• 8.5 Health issues

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Outline

• 8.1 Changing nature of work
• 8.2 Impact on employment
• 8.2.1 Job destruction and creation
• Computers and employment
• Unemployment caused by technology
• Some jobs eliminated but others created
• Do computers destroy more jobs than they create?
• Technology, economic factors, and employment
• Studies suggest that unemployment should be
  addressed by restoring economies and societies
  capacity to deal with it
• But are we earning less?
• Data from one study indicates that many measures
  of real income and quality of life have been
  increasing as computerization has increased

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Outline

• 8.2 Impact on employment (contd)
• 8.2.1 Job destruction and creation (contd)
• A global workforce
• 8.2.2 Changing skills and jobs
• Reasons for optimism
• Computerization helps train for other
  jobsunskilled can train more quickly than in the
  past
• Still need for many jobs not related to computers
• Transitions
• Again planning for change, being flexible
• Online training can help

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Discussion Impact on Employment

• What are some job categories (name 2) where the
  number of jobs decreased drastically because of
  computers?
• What are some job categories (name 2) where the
  number of jobs increased drastically because of
  computers?
• Do computers destroy more jobs than they create?
• How can the unemployment caused by
  computerization be addressed?
• A look at offshoring (vs outsourcing)

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Outline

• 8.3 The work environment
• 8.3.1 Teleworking
• Benefits
• Reduced overhead, increased productivity
• Easier to work with customers, clients in other
  countries
• Reduces traffic, pollution, etc.
• Problems
• Corporate loyalty is weak
• Reduction in office space requirements shifted to
  home
• Lack of social interactions, social isolation,
  lack of visibility to boss

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Outline

• 8.3 The work environment (contd)
• 8.3.1 Teleworking (contd)
• Side effects
• Changes sense of communitybefore industrial
  revolution, people worked at home after
  industrial revolution, people worked at
  factories, offices now, people can work at home
  more
• Restrictions on telework
• Early restrictionse.g., home business not zoned,
  labor laws, OSHA

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Outline

• 8.3 The work environment (contd)
• 8.3.2 Changing business structures
• More small, mom-pop businesses
• More multinational businesses
• More authority and decision-making to employees

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Discussion The Work EnvironmentTeleworking

• Should there be laws banning home-based work?
  Why or why not?
• Should there be some restrictions on home work?
  What principles should be used in deciding what
  to prohibit?
• An example of successful teleworking
• Anywhere, Anytimeor Just Where is Your Office
  Anyhow? Susan Landau

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Outline

• 8.4 Employee monitoring
• 8.4.1 Background
• 8.4.2 Data entry, phone work, and retail
• 8.4.3 Location monitoring
• 8.4.4 Employee e-mail, web surfing, voice mail
• 8.5 Health issues
• 8.5.1. Repetitive strain injury (RSI)

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Discussion Employee Monitoring

• Assume you work for a recently formed software
  company developing new computer-security
  products.
• You are on a committee to write a company policy
  dealing with employee use of e-mail and the Web
  on company computer systems and a policy dealing
  with the monitoring of employee e-mail and Web
  use.
• What are some issues you need to consider when
  making this policy?
• Class exercise