The Role of Technology in Organization Development

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Table of Contents

Summary
Implications
Example
Debates
Reference List

Summary

The article focuses on the connection that exists between the technologies and the development of a company. There are three main issues used by the authors: organizational development (OD) as a data-driven process that results in a considerable change; change as a result of the development based on the information use; and technologies which are defined as the methods by means of which information on how managers and employees should work, cooperate, and develop is gathered, analyzed, and introduced.

There also three main notions on the basis of which the value of information can be defined: action research, systems-level thinking, and leading organizational improvement (Church, Gilbert, Oliver, Paquet, & Surface 2002). The authors believe that technologies define how information is spread and can influence the development of an organization, prove that employees and workers should spend more time to benefit from the information available, and use the example of PepsiCo on how to succeed with the technological progress and overcome possible challenges.

Due to the fast spread of technologies and their impact on human work, all three above-mentioned concepts have already undergone considerable changes and improvements. This is why it is very important to provide managers and employees with the guidelines on how to organize their working processes, share experience, and make use of the information obtained.

If a person is not able to understand what kind of participation is required, a number of challenges may take place because of lack of faith in a system, inadequate representation of information, poor workers’ skills, workers’ inabilities to use some current technologies, and other technological problems.

Implications

Information technologies have a considerable impact on organization development, and the nature of the outcomes depends on a number of company’s characteristics as well as on the abilities of each worker to meet the expectations, learn new information, and get an idea on how to implement it properly.

The authors of the article identify three main areas within the frames of which it is noticeable how technology may affect organization development and explain how technologies can be applied there: first, quantitative data-based techniques like tests or surveys; second, management development like training or other career tools; and, third, communication and other means with the help of which people share information (Church et al. 2002).

Not to suffer from the impact of technological programs, companies have to take care of each worker and manager and make sure that each person is able to find, analyze, and use the information offered. It may happen that mature workers are not aware of how to use a variety of new technologies like iPhones and even the Internet because they are not too young to follow all these novelties.

Still, they have to improve their knowledge as they are obliged to pass through numerous tests online, participate in questionnaires, and share their experience. A company will benefit considerably as soon as all workers demonstrate their best skills in the use of technologies.

Example

The case of PepsiCo helps to observe how a huge consumer-products company strives for some changes and uses technologies to enhance the change within a short period of time. The prior state of the company is successful indeed as the company takes the leading position on the global market; still, the need of some training programs and HR-related processes that can promote a further development of the company is obvious.

This is why PepsiCo should develop a platform on the basis of which OD surveys, career planning tools, and management processes can be integrated (Church et al. 2002). The MyDevelopNet website has been developed to drive the required culture change process. It helps the employees and managers share their experience, define their goals, and realize what they actually expect from the work at this company.

Of course, some workers face the challenges based on the lack of experience with new technologies, still, in general, the results help to improve the current state of affairs and implement the required change. The offered technology serves as a powerful tool to show that PepsiCo remains to be a powerful world-class company that respects the choice of people and tries to do everything possible to promote its workers’ development and create new ideas to attract more people and retain its managers’ talent.

Debates

Taking into consideration the need of a constant change within a company, a number of ethical questions and doubts may take place. The debates around the following issue should encourage people to think about a true worth of a current technological process: whether it is actually fair to pay more attention to the role of technology in organization development at the expense of the maturity of the company’s workers and managers.

In other words, it is necessary to analyze the situation when an experienced employee is cut off a number of opportunities due to lack of practice with the current technologies. When the time to choose between practical knowledge and technology comes, what turns out to be more important?

OD through technologies and its importance

Organizations should think about the possible ways of improvement on a regularly basis to promote consumers with the necessary services in regards with their demands and expectations and help employees create appropriate working conditions. Technologies cannot be neglected even if changes may lead to some problems, as their solutions make each member of a team stronger and ready for new adjustments.

Sometimes changes are not necessary. Workers should focus on improving their skills and providing qualified services. There is no need to follow the current technological progress as human experience and knowledge are priceless.

People recognize technologies as something crucial and indispensible

People cannot imagine their lives without a number of technologies. They depend on the Internet and cell phones. OD is impossible if people fail to define technologies essential for their lives. People should learn how to use them to be ready to find practical application of their theoretical knowledge.

It is so wrong for people to depend on some technological things they create. People have to be independent so that the absence of the Internet or electricity or inability to charge the mobile phone may not influence a working process and the results of work. People have to realize that their abilities should not depend on the level of knowledge about different technologies. They should pay more attention to the development of practical skills.

Involvement of ordinary workers in OD through technologies

OD is a data-driven process that leads for some changes. Workers as no one else know what is necessary for a successful application of various interventions and what interventions are actually needed. Each worker should have a chance to share his/her own idea and prove its necessity. And workers should know how to use technologies and be ready to introduce their own concepts.

Workers should not waste their time on promoting OD as they have much work to do. There are people, who develop changes in organizations. Still, it is wrong to use workers, ask learn technologies better, and distract from the tasks they have to perform. The role of technologies is crucial for OD, still, these technologies should never be imposed.

Reference List

Church, AH, Gilbert, M, Oliver, DH, Paquet, K, & Surface, C 2002, ‘The role of technology in organization development and change’, Developing Human Resources, vol. 4, no.4, pp. 493-511.

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