Technology Changes At A Very Fast Pace example essay topic

Chapter 12 explains why change is good in the work environment. Technology changes so abruptly and we all have to keep up with the fast pace of it all. I will be discussing the different types of change and how to overcome the resistance to change. I also will be discussing how culture effects organizations. Technological change is the first type that the book discusses. It is a well-known fact that technology changes at a very fast pace.

New machines, or equipment are constantly changing and becoming faster and more efficient. Email has changed the business world incredibly. Now we can send a document to someone in a matter of minutes rather than having to wait days for a response. It is also a lot easier to do international business now. We have come a long way in the field of technology. Automation is another type of change.

The book defines automation as the simplification or reduction of human effort to do the job. Computers and other machinery have allowed jobs like inspecting and assembling to be done by robots. This is a lot cheaper than having humans do these jobs. The need for training is gone. Unskilled jobs are decreasing. Change is not always as welcome as technology.

Lately in Silicon Valley there has been a lot of forceful changes going on. Thousands of people have been laid off, including myself. This sort of thing happens due to the stock market and the government. This motivates people like myself to keep learning new skills and to continue education. People resist change for many different reasons that include status quo, uncertainty, or fear.

Development for a positive climate for change is one way to help employees overcome this fear. Build mutual trust to let them know that their best interest is in mind. Encourage employees to do their best. Give them opportunities to develop new skills and creativity. Encourage them to suggest changes and listen to their new ideas.

This idea is an important part of total quality management. Explain to your employees that change is a win-win situation, but provide facts to back up this plan. Provide support that they feel comfortable talking with you about how this change is affecting them. Stay calm while giving then support. When I was laid off my manager did not provide emotional support. That made it even harder to except and in the end made me very bitter towards her as well as the company.

If she would have just listened to my feelings I might have a different attitude towards the company. Organizational culture has to do with the shared values and assumptions of how members will behave. Companies have the power to change and manage cultures. These cultures are created through art, songs, stories, symbols, rituals, slogans, heroes, and mottoes. At the most recent job that I was at there was a huge amount of company culture. The office itself was a wonderful environment.

It was colorful and had lots of personality. Every Monday we had a company lunch meeting. It would start off with food for everyone. All the managers would report what was going on with their team then the CEO would give his input on what he was working on. After official business was over we would pass the microphone around and people would tell stories of what was going on in their lives, what movies to go see, where to go to have dinner, what plays to go to. It made us all feel important and brought a lot of culture to the company.

We also had a cultural czar who took care of all community service and the yearly company retreat that was held in places like Mexico, Hawaii, and San Diego. He also organized for the company to build a park for the children right around the block. One day a year employees are encouraged to help build houses for Habitats for Humanity. Most of the employees are eager to take a day off and work for the good of humanity.

I know that they are currently teaming up with other major companies in the area to build a technology school in the heart of East Palo Alto for all high school kids to attend if they are interested. The company hired the mayor of East Palo Alto to come in and help our cultural czar with a project concerning underprivileged high school students coming in to the company to intern and learn about technology first hand. Last year this did very well and now the mayor is a permanent employee there. This company had a lot of culture. I could write a whole paper on the companies culture alone.

I hope that the next company I work for has the same values toward their employees and their community. I think all big companies should put just as much work into giving back to the community as they should their own business.