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  • Essay / The extent to which technology influences work intensity and the implications for job quality

    There have been significant changes in workplaces due to advanced technology which has influenced the way whose world conducts business and has interconnected countries in conducting business. This essay will highlight how technology influences job quality through hours worked. The area of ​​focus throughout this essay will be on how technology influences the work intensity of individuals and how organizations use it in the service sector. The case study will analyze how technology is used by organizations through control, technological tools and organizational policy. The case study will focus on the Hays Recruitment Ltd organization and has been created based on strategic reports published by the organization, articles on technology within the workforce and published articles regarding the intensity of work. As technology develops and increasingly shapes the world of work, it is important to understand how it can affect and change employment practices and employee well-being. As there is evidence to suggest, key issues that will be explored relate to employee wellbeing, such as mental wellbeing, work-life balance and job satisfaction. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Literature Review: Currently, Britain and the world have changed significantly due to the interconnected economy driven by technology. Technology is increasingly being used in businesses to change the way people work. Moving from manufacturing to the service sector, technology has significantly changed the range of available jobs and revolutionized the labor market by creating obsolete jobs (Singh and Finn 2004). Technology has influenced the production process, creating a more efficient and productive working environment (Whiteley 2004). Britain, among other countries, is very renowned for its long-standing cultural working environment. Research by Burchell and Fagan (2004) used "work speed" as an indicator to measure work intensity, which found that Europeans worked more intensely in 2001. These results were later supported by Green ( 2001) in his study of the concentration of considerable work effort, identifying trends in working hours in the late 20th century using average hours worked. The study found increased dispersion of hours worked and work effort increased by 46% in non-manual worker establishments, with effort required increasing by 61% in the UK. be in the workplace. There has been a significant increase in reports regarding the stress industry concerns known as the “British disease” (Burke and El-Kot 2009). The literature can further highlight the continued growth of this industry with few solutions created to address this problem, unlike other European countries. As work intensity is an increasingly studied topic, it is important to note that there is a lack of qualitative understanding of changing work pressures that can help assess social and national economic performance if the we refer to the previous literature of Green (2001), Bruchel and Fagan (2004). ). Therefore, this may have additional implications on the resultsdiscussed due to the lack of qualitative understanding allowing for more in-depth and specific analysis regarding the quality of the data produced to further rely on (Bryman and Bell 2016). Case Study: Hays plc is a FTSE 250 organization operating in over 33 countries and specializing in recruitment across permanent, temporary and contract markets. Hays' business model incorporates "industry-leading technology recruiting tools" that enable employees to "develop and deliver the best services and products for clients and businesses to meet their changing needs" (Hays 2017). ). Hays strives to provide high quality service by adopting technology that enables it to adopt a far-reaching strategy. The 2017 Hays Report identifies “megatrends and the future of work” that are influencing their business model. First, the report emphasizes the need for employees to remain flexible to customer demands to ensure customer satisfaction and growth. This is achieved through the emergence of new and evolving technologies such as 3-tier software, cloud-based supplier management software, and workforce management software. The technology tools discussed enable recruitment consultants to efficiently process and share information to increase their competitiveness within the recruitment industry. Technology controlling work influencing labor intensity. The organizational strategy adopted by Hays is a far-reaching strategy that has adopted the approach of investing and equipping its employees with tools and resources that allow employees to develop and learn on the job. Hays Ltd has adopted a High Road Strategy approach in providing a technology called 'OneTouch', which is at the heart of its business. It is a database that monitors all customer data, from employee performance to customer information. Hays' adoption of this technology has had a big influence on the way workers do their jobs. The OneTouch implementation is an example of a dominant method of analyzing office work from device clocks, timesheets, reports on what staff are doing at small time intervals, and d 'software determining the number of unsuccessful phone calls that have been attempted. Hays has adopted the use of technology in which workers carry out their work by being broken down into controlled parts where information is standardized through the OneTouch system which is easily accessible and efficient for employees. Although this suggests directly negative effects on the individual carrying out their work, it reflects the idea of ​​“Taylorist” practices (Karmarkar 2004; Whiteley 2004) used in Hays. These “best practices” adopted by Hays reinforce the management of time consumed in standard office activities (Strassman 1985) and increase control over individuals and pressure to achieve goals at work. This supports the research of Zamarian and Maggi (2010), who highlight that organizations adopt a strategy of using technology and that at Hays Ltd, they can use their software to control and monitor the work of individuals. This can have long-term effects on individuals which can influence lack of motivation due to subtle micromanagement techniques. ConclusionKeep in mind: This is just a sample.Get a custom paper from our expert writers now.Get a custom essayIn conclusion, the exploration and analysis of technology influencing intensity.