Evolving Workplace Technologies

Life is about constant change and that change comes from different influences. Individuals have become obsessed with trying to predict the future of the workplace. By the time we’ve figured out what the next big or best thing is something else comes along and knocks its predecessor off of its thrown. Employers and employees are no longer sitting around making decisions during their lunch breaks. The constant change of work practices and technology are really affecting the workplace. Only one question still remains. Can we keep up with this rate of change?

With technology helping smaller companies on the playing field they now have the power to compete and create things that big companies have to offer. Technology has given staff the opportunity to work from the comfort of their homes. Men and women no longer have to go in and work a normal 8 to 5. “I would imagine (the workplace) is going to be very flexible, something that allows both the employer and employee to move around, reconfigure, rearrange, re-team with very little technical difficulty and we are starting to see the beginning of that” (Barker-Benfield, 1997).

Companies are becoming more organized and more individuals are working together in teams in cyberspace. Some of these people may never have the opportunity to meet one another. We’re all social butterflies and this is technology’s way of keeping us together. “Collaboration technology sprang up 20 years ago, but we kept acting, behaviorally, like we did when we were meeting face to face” (Burg, 2013).

The evolving workplace could ultimately mean no jobs for lots of people. This means there’s going to be a greater emphasis on employee performance. Companies even measure the contribution each employee makes to the company and this could be damning to some. “Many organizations are gravitating toward new workplace standards of allowing employees to telecommute because it makes for happier more loyal employees” (Kunes, 2013). Employees now have the ability to change and make their own hours and the places they want to work. New generations of communication technologies are upon us. They are addressing the new way to work that is permeating workplaces worldwide. It’s what Puskar calls a “dynamic, cultural shift in the marketplace” (Burg, 2013).

With the rapid advances in technology, the traditional workplace has become obsolete. Employees take work on the road with them and use a variety of tools to communicate. For managers, this is both exciting and rewarding. Working and participating in a virtual community has enabled employers and employees to better maintain great connections with their colleagues. Technology and workplace practices will never stop evolving. “It’s all about us knowing our limits, and using the tools available to help us become smarter and leaning to adapt to everything that is thrown at us” (Frazier-Reid, 2012).

Technology has shaped the world around us for the better. Employers now have employees who have achieved flexibility in the workplace. You are no longer required to pack up everything to follow your dreams. Having the world at our fingertips has become a remarkable game changer. Are you adapting and surviving or are you just existing?

Annotated Bibliography
Barker-Benfield, Simon (1997). Workplace Evolving in Step with Technology, Communications. Jacksonville, Fl: The Florida Times- Union. In the article the author does several interviews to get an idea of how technology is changing the workplace rapidly. The author found that not everyone will need to work the normal 8 to 5 in an office setting. Technology has allowed employers and employees to become very mobile. He also notes that technology has to do a better job of adapting to individuals. Burg, Natalie (2013). How Technology Has Changed Workplace
Communication. www.forbes.com/sites/unify/2013/12/10/how-technology-has-changed-workplace- communication/ The author examines how technology has changed the way people do business and use it daily. According to research, technology has made employers and employees lives’ a lot better. She goes on stating technology has helped employees connect better with their workplace making jobs more desirable, making them more productive. Frazier-Reid, Nicola (2012). Blog.mindjet.com/2012/06/the-evolution-of-workplace-technology-