Evaluate the impact of technology on team functioning within given organization?

New technology has been injected into the workplace at an exponentially increasing rate over the last few decades. Many companies see new technology as the means to increase profit margins and to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving marketplace. his paper will discuss some of those new technologies and their impact on the workplace. !pecifically" # would like to focus on information technology" its implementation" its pitfalls" and its future .

#nformation echnology$
#n %&''" knowledge and information(based activities contributed to almost half of the gross national product and employed )'* of the +merican work force . ,ne could postulate that those numbers have increased over the last -. years. +s information has become an increasingly important feature in the business world" new technologies have become available to facilitate its use and dissemination. his has led to an ever expanding and evolving field of information technology /# 0. New developments in # have led to an increasingly mobile workforce. 1e are no longer tied to our desk in order to stay in the information loop. 1e can take our office with us wherever we go. 2ellular phones allow us to be reached almost anywhere. 3lackberries and 4ltra(mobile 52s permit to accesse(mail and other data products at a wide range of locations. + wide range of new technologies have given businesses access to faster communication" increased efficiencies" and the ability to work away from the office. New technology has opened a door of opportunities for companies and employees willing to explorenon(traditional work arrangements. !tandley wrote" 6&% percent of organizations allow employees to work at home occasionally.6 +s telecommuting becomes more popular" employers are realizing the benefits" including 6productivity gains" reduced absenteeism" reduced employee turnover costs" reduced real estate costs" and reduced relocation costs to name a few. 7or Employees" 6telecommuting can offer more flexibility and a relief from workplace policies such as dress code and formal office hours. his technology also allows a new kind of team to emerge. 8irtual teams can be formed" bringing together the best people regardless of location and time /9ignac" :..;0. E(mail"teleconferencing" video conferencing" and new emerging technologies are enabling people around the world to communicate and collaborate rapidly and efficiently. 8irtual teams are contributing to a synergy like never before seen.

5itfalls$
1ith all the improvements in productivity and efficiency offered by new technologies" there are areas of concern that must be considered thoroughly by any organization before implementing a new technology. !ecurity is a primary concern inherent in a mobile and accessible # system.

<enying network access to unauthorized users is an ongoing battle in many firms. 5hysical security of # e=uipment is also an issue. !tandley /:..>0 writes" 6#t was recently reported that the average business laptop held about ?% million of commercial data.6 2ompanies implementing new technology must also take into account the social impact. +ccording to !ussan /:..>0" 6teamwork is a crucial element of workplace functioning.6 @e goes on to explain that studies have shown lower satisfaction levels for users of virtual meeting tools in contrast withfact(to( face meetings. his effect may be able to be mitigated with a hybrid virtual team" where members occasionally meet in a traditional physical location. here are also some concerns to consider with the telecommuting arrangement. #f team cohesiveness is a primary concern with an organization" the lack of interaction between peers could hinder this goal. !upervision of employees working off(site is also problematic. Evaluating performance" distributing the workload" and motivating employees is more difficult when they are not physically present. 7inally" how will customer service be affected by a transition to a mobile workforce 2ustomer acceptance is important /Mamaghani" :..>0. he growth of new technologies to be used in the workplace is showing no sign of slowing down. !ome examples of technology currently in development for commercial use are wearable computing" city andregion(wide 1i7i" and nanotechnology /!tandley" :..>0. Microsoft and #3M are working on collaboration technology that will facilitate virtual meetings where participants will be able to teleconference on their computer screens" while creating or changing documents and product designs using a 6virtual whiteboard6 /Mamaghani" :..>0. hese technologies and many more" including all the unforeseen advances" will continue to contribute to an increasingly mobile workforce. he challenge lies in discovering how to implement new technology in the workplace as it becomes available. !tandley /:..>0 says that according to a 9lobal 7uture 7orum survey" '> percent of respondents agreed that 6organizations are unable to effectively manage and deploy new technology due to rapid change and constant innovation.6 he ability to keep up with technology changes and integrate them in to business will re=uire a paradigm shift in the way we view technology. odayAs children are growing up in a high( technology era" and will be very capable of realizing this new business model in regard to technology /!tandley" :..>0. he only thing certain about the future of technology in the workplace is that it will continue to change and evolve at an astounding rate. <espite any pitfalls" the implementation of this new technology" especially # " is necessary for a company to remain competitive in todayAs market and in the future. +s !tandley /:..>0 has said" 6#f it is to benefit" business will need to understand far more than the mechanics of new technologies. hey will need to understand the way that people ( their employees and customers" will use and interact with them.6

echnologies which have improved team functions$

-E(mail. -Mobile phones. -3lackberry. -9roupware.

-2omputers. E(mail allows asynchronous communication which means team members do not need to be in the same place at the the same time in order to communicate effectively. e(mail also has itAs negative aspects in terms of manging e(mail and the misuse of e(mail. Mobile phones have come a long way from the yuppie bricks of the %&B.s and there are now more mobile phones in the 4C then there are people. Mobile phones allow teams to communicate even when team members are out of the office" on the road or otherwise unavailable. !ometimes having always access to team members can hinder team functioning. 5hone technologies such as blackberry and -9 data cards allow team members to work and communicate remotely and this out in the field or with clients. 9roupware enables teams to plan meetings" collaborate" delegate all within a virtual environment which can often be accessed remotely from anywhere in the world. 5ersonal computers allow team members to carry out various tasks and communicate more effectively. Daptop computers allow you to do this anywhere. hey are now lighter" more powerful and a longer battery life. 5ersonal <igital +ssistants /5<+0 now have much of the same functionality as their bigger cousins" but are smaller" more portable and have a longer battery life. Many 5<+s now have wifi as standard and some are also phones /and some phones have many 5<+ features0.