Human Factors and Technology

Part 5

Learning ObjectivesIdentify the dimensions of the worksite and their impact on technologyDescribe the evolving nature of work.Identify human factors that influence technology decisionsRelate goals of new technology to human factors.Identify some consequences of new technology for human resources.

Workplace Factors that affecttechnology decisions & people:

• Geographical: • Where it is.

• Physical: • What you actually

do.

• Temporal: • Hours work.

• Structural: • Mgt. structure.

• Spatial: Relation of

workers to each other.

• Economic: What drives your

organization

• Social: • What motivates

workers

DÉJÀ VU : an 19 year old prophecy

The white collar worker will be a multifunctional worker who:

Will communicate and interact with other multifunctional workers more often and over various mediums (voice, image, text, video; both interactive and non-interactive) Will be highly mobile (away from their desks or offices) and will often work at home Will perform tasks requiring greater insight and creativity Will perform repetitive tasks much less frequently than today Technology base will continue to expand

Future of office automation (IEEE proceedings of 1983):

Human Factors and Ergonomics

. . . fields which attempt to design technology specifically for human use and not for technology's sake.

ERGONOMICS: derived from Greek:•“ergon”, meaning work & “nomoi”, meaning natural laws. •Ergonomists study human capabilities in relationship to work demands.

Use of Technology is limited by . . .

Mental Models Individual cognitive factors

Structural Models Reward System, Policies &

Procedures, Work Norms

Wanda J. Orlikowski, Learning from Notes: Organizational Issues in Groupware Implementation, Conference proceedings on Computer-supported cooperative work, November 1 - 4, 1992, Toronto Canada

Major Goals and Motivations for new Technology:

Corporate and organizational needs (Reduce costs, prepare for the future, improve

efficiency)

Improve group & individual performance Quality of life Higher morale among employees End-user (individual) needs Technological availability / state of the art

Reasons NOT to use a technology

Automation for the sake of automation

One or a limited number of people want to.

The competition is automating. You haven’t considered the

consequences for human resource actions.

Charles C. Chewning Jr,

Selecting Accounting Software CPA Online

Consequences for Human Resources

• Some employees may require substantial training.

• You need to develop management structures that encourage / support employees.

• You must evaluate the ability of your employees to adjust.

• Some will not adjust to automation no matter what you do.

• Those who cannot adjust must be replaced.

The alternative is a frustrated employee, lack of productivity, serious errors, and general unpleasantness for everyone.

Introducing new technology

Automation is an investment that must be managed.

Automation must involve everyone; everyone must feel involved.

People must be persuaded that automation will assist them.

The BEST ideas may come from the people who work with the system.

You cannot spring this on people

Human Issues & Technology in Business

• New information technologies and applications of that technology emerge rapidly.

• New technologies have not yet been deeply explored, and applications or products or services based on new technologies are often fragile, quirky, unintuitive, and flawed.

• Needs of an individual employee may not be met by an off-the-shelf application.

• Ability to use a tool in a rudimentary manner for a limited set of purposes is not the same as the ability to use the tool safely, effectively, and flexibly.

• Many people approach technology tentatively and with little confidence, even if they have been using it for years.

Being Fuent in Technology, National Academy of Sciences 1999

Benefits/Disadvantages to New Technology:

Technology alters jobs Gains are Elusive as Equipment Advances Phantom Efficiency Technology: no guarantee of improvement