The Future of Digital Work

There are both positive and negative effects of technology at workplace. However, the advantages of it has seemed to over-shine the negative effects.

Looking at it through a short-term perspective, a fear exist in society because of indulgence of technology at workplace as a lot of work that earlier required manpower are not been carried out with technology (Hajkowicz et al, 2016, p. 71). The Hajkowicz has used the term ‘technological unemployable’ to describe this situation where workers are consistently living in the fear of losing jobs which can be displaced by technology.

However, seeing it with a long term perspective, technology has increase productivity of employs as in the same amount of time workers are able to deliver more work which meets quality (Hajkowicz et al, 2016, p. 71).

One of the major benefit of ‘online technology’ is that it has given the employs the luxury to work from home. This practice has not just given the the employs the independence to work in a much cosy environment (home), but is also seen increasing the productivity of workers (Gregg, 2012, p. 40)

The researcher Melissa Gregg disagrees with the stereotype beliefs that working from home may lower the efficiency of an employ as they are surrounded by domestic temptation. The author has researched that it increases the productivity as workers are more focused on work at home that the workplace which has many unnecessary distractions.

A workplace is typical imagined as a place where employs working for a common establishment gather and work in a shared environment. However, technology is slowly changing the old theory of a workplace giving people independence to work from anywhere (Lloys, 2014). This has given rise to cafe-workplace, where workers (mostly freelancers) could be seen on a table working on their laptops or even communal benches (Lloyd, 2014).

Reference:

Gregg, M., 2012, ‘Working from Home: The Mobile Office and the Seduction of Convenience’, in Work’s Intimacy, Polity Press, Cambridge, pp. 39–55

Hajkowicz, S., Reeson, A., Rudd, L., Bratanova, A., Hodgers, L., Mason, C. & Boughen, N., 2016, Tomorrow’s Digitally Enabled Workforce, Megetrends and scenarios for jobs and employment in Australia over the coming twenty years, CSIRO, Brisbane

Lloyd, V., 2014, ‘The illusionist’s trick’, Griffith Review 45: The Way We Work, pp. 1–4