classmates Discussion Thread Technology Structures and Social Boundaries
Serenity3203
classmate1DiscussionThreadTechnologyStructuresandSocialBoundaries.docxNicole Thompson
School of Business Administration (D.B.A) liberty University
09/14/2023
Authors Note
Nicole Thompson
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Nicole Thompson
Email: [email protected]
Technology Structures and Social Boundaries for Organizations
A lot goes into organizations and making sure that it continues to ensure that it continue running smoothly and run smoothly and run efficiently for a long time. The organization does a lot of different things so that they can run smoothly. When we think about technology we think about computers and things of that nature. Scott (2006) explains it by talking about technology as the hardware used when it comes to performing work and the skill and knowledge of the workers and sometimes even the characteristics of the objects where it is performed. When it comes to organizations, they contain a lot of things besides just structure within them. They also contain diverse types of systems that involve the people within them and the social structure. Without both, they would not be much of an organization running smoothly and using technology to make sure that it runs smoothly. Organizations do everything they can for their social structure and their people so that they continue to go towards their company goals. But, to have that structure with their people and their culture takes time, and a lot of organizations do not focus on it all at once. Depending on the organization sometimes they focus on other things first and then come and focus on the people and then the social structure. To fully understand when it comes to the concept of technology and the social boundaries when it comes to an organization, we must examine how it affects the organizational structure that supports it.
The Three Perspectives
When it comes to natural, rational, and open systems and technology those viewpoints are mostly affected by what technology means to social structures and social boundaries. They are three different viewpoints that can bounce off each other when they need to but they do not. So, when investigating all three of them in terms of technology it could be a little difficult. All three of the viewpoints have their own unique way of doing things when it comes to organizations. Some viewpoints are formal and then some of them are informal so when it comes to technology. Bonanomi et al (2019) talk about in their article the impact that digital transformation has on formal and informal organizations. Bonanomi et al (2019) also talk about in their article how technology has transformed the way professionals work and interact between firms. But when it comes to digital integration between the two the authors discuss how it can be navigating the structure no matter if it's formal or informal can be difficult during a digital transition. So, it is important for managers to use social network analysis and see how it is impacting the organizational structure. So, overall, when it comes to technology and the diverse types of viewpoints, they have an enormous impact on a company's organizational structure. They have their own issues in each organization when it comes to technology, but managers or even top management must be able to identify these issues and help everyone within the organization get through them.
Natural, rational, and open systems are three different viewpoints that have their own interdependence when it comes to the organizational structure within the technical environment. Within the viewpoints, they all have their own organizational structure based on the nature that is most closely linked to them. But when it comes to technology sometimes it can be shaped and redesigned to fit the nature of the interaction that it must have. Again, technology is always changing and sometimes it must change to fit the organizational structure that it will go into. So, when it comes to all three viewpoints sometimes, they will have issues regarding it, but technology will change for it. Bartczak (2022) talks about in their article how business models and organizations can change over time but that digital technology platforms can help when these business models are changing over time. Bartczak (2022) also talks about their article on the importance of digital technology when it comes to business models and how they promote the implementation of innovative solutions. They also talk about in their article how because of the competition and the market digital technology can be good for that also. So, when it comes to the different types of viewpoints even though they all have their own type of structure, technology can help them when it comes to fitting into their organization. That change is needed for organizations to run smoothly with their formal and informal type of structures. In the end, when it comes to the viewpoint's technology is there to help them so that they can reach their end goal regardless of what it is.
Areas of Technology are an Issue
Technology is a part of organizations today and even part of everyday life. They play a crucial role in making sure that everything is running smoothly and making sure that people can start their day at work. It also helps with producing innovative ideas for companies. Without technology, it causes a bigger issue for companies and can make it harder for employees to do their jobs. So, technology is huge in the business world. But technology is always changing and that can cause an issue for companies that do things differently. Some companies take longer to learn how to do things and learn different systems slower than others. Companies also have other issues when it comes to smoothly using technology within their company. Haseeb (2019) talks about in their article how technology adoption can be hard due to a lack of resources and other issues. Haseeb (2019) also talks about how because of those technological challenges causes low performance. So, some companies have issues when it comes to using technology and making sure that they put it into their company. Also introducing modern technology to a company that does not have the resources can cause the company to have a lot of problems that can affect how the company performs. It can also cause disruptions within the company that can cause a lot of different problems like loss of productivity, loss of continuity, and loss of employees. So, that is one of the major problems that technology can cause within a company.
There are multiple other issues that technology does cause that can hurt an organization more than it can help it. These types of issues can even include hurting the company's innovation and its development within a company. Innovation and development are particularly important for a company to continue growing and technology is a big part of that. Technology can also affect new business models that companies are trying to put in place. Especially in a company that uses mostly technology. Boni and Gross (2020) discussed in their article that there are issues when it comes to transformative technologies and because of that it affects the promise to create innovations. Boni and Gross (2020) also go over in their article how technology can evolve and change over time and that is normal but that it remains in the preliminary stages. That can be an issue because most of the transformative innovations can take a long amount of time. So, because of that, it can create a lot of different challenges for companies and for the growth of the company going forward. Introducing new types of technologies while trying to learn a different type of system can be very problematic for a company and the workers inside of it. It can also stop productivity within the company. Therefore, technology can be an issue with being innovation and the company's development. Which can set companies behind when it comes to their competition within the market that they are working in.
Issues with Organizational Boundaries
Scott (2006) talks about in his book how organizations provide a lot of things when it comes to their employees, business partners, consumers, etc. That they do everything they can when it comes to participants but the most common problems there is within an organization are inequity, insecurity, and alienation. Organizations have taken their time over the years to try to solve these issues and the impact that it has on everyone within the organization. But even though they try it does not mean that they have been successful in making sure that it is fair for participants. Most companies find out all this information and feelings from data that is collected throughout the year. Work conditions have an enormous impact on participants within organizations. If there are poor working conditions within a company, then that tends to lead to participants having issues within the company and job satisfaction. Supranowo (2017) analyzes how working conditions and the working environment can influence participants' motivation and their improvement within the organization. In the end, they found out how when there is a more delightful working environment, it encourages things like career development and motivation for the participants in the organization. Things like that are especially important when it comes to making sure that the organization is growing at an excellent rate when it comes to participants. Companies do not want to have negative working conditions for their participants because it will not help them in the long run, it will only hurt them.
Organizations do everything they can to make sure that they do everything they can for their participants and make it an extremely comfortable place for them to work. Surveys, questionnaires, and talking to participants can let the organization see the truth and what participants think about the company. Many companies have discovered that one of the issues within the workplace is stress and work-related strains. Ipsen, Poulsen, Gish and Kirkegaard (2020) talk about in their article how there were a lot of issues dealing with stress and work-related strains. Ipsen, Poulsen, Gish, and Kirkegaard (2020) also discuss how all the stress that participants were experiencing did not just come from work, but also came from numerous economic issues going on at the time. But the authors also talk about in their article that companies are trying to reduce those stress factors at work but putting in multiple types of interventions. Companies have always had an issue when it comes to stress. Participants always feel like they are overworked and like they do not have support within the organizations. Companies do not always find out these types of issues though sometimes talking to participants to just talking to the management staff within the company. Then just like the article was talking about there could be other issues like the economy that can add to their stress at work. That is why it is important to have those types of innervation and interactions at work when it comes to the participants.
Personal Perspective
Technology, regardless of what it has been used for, can help, or hurt an organization depending on how a person uses it. When it comes to organizations and technology it can also help them or hurt them in the long run. It is especially important because of how competitive the global economy is and how organizations need to adapt to meet their customers' needs and also their employees’ needs. Technology can help when it comes to their employees in the organization. It makes everyone's participation easier so they can see how everyone feels and get involved. For example, through technology companies can send out engagement surveys to their employees to get a good look at everything. Without those surveys, companies would not know how they can make things better for people within their organization or solve any issues they may not have seen before. So, keeping the technology current within an organization lets them grab any opportunity across the board.
Even though technology can be useful it can also pose a challenge to some companies. Leaders do everything they can to make technology easier to use, but sometimes that does not always work out in their favor. Even within this 21st century technology is always changing and having to adapt to it can be hard. And complexity and uncertainty of new-age technology can make it harder for a company to get the best benefit out of technology. 1 Corinthians 10:13 in the New Testament talks about the struggle and how God will help you to overcome it. The passage says “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to men. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide the way of the escape, that you may be able to endure it.” So, even though technology can get complicated at times, it is up to the leaders within the organization to help employees when it comes to seeing them through this type of complexity.
Bartczak, K. (2022). Changes in business models implied by the use of digital technology platforms. Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, 9(4), 262-281. https://doi.org/10.9770/jesi.2022.9.4(14)Links to an external site.
Bonanomi, M. M., Hall, D. M., Staub-French, S., Tucker, A., & Talamo, C. M. L. (2020). The impact of digital transformation on formal and informal organizational structures of large architecture and engineering firms. Engineering, Construction, and Architectural Management, 27(4), 872-892. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-03-2019-0119Links to an external site.
Boni, A. A., & Gross, D. M. (2020). Emerging, transformative technologies: Promises and business model challenges. Journal of Commercial Biotechnology, 25(4), 3. https://doi.org/10.5912/jcb948Links to an external site.
Haseeb, M., Hussain, H. I., Ślusarczyk, B., & Jermsittiparsert, K. (2019). Industry 4.0: A solution towards technology challenges of sustainable business performance. Social Sciences (Basel), 8(5), 154. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci8050154Links to an external site.
Ipsen, C., Poulsen, S., Gish, L., & Kirkegaard, M. L. (2020). Continuous evaluation of participants’ perceptions of impact: Applying a boundary object in organizational‐level interventions. Human Factors and Ergonomics in Manufacturing & Service Industries, 30(3), 149-164. https://doi.org/10.1002/hfm.20830Links to an external site.
Official king James Bible online. (n.d.). Retrieved September 3, 2023, from htLinks to an external site.tps://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Links to an external site.
Scott, W.R (2007). Organizations and Organizing: Rational, Natural, and Open Systems Perspectives. London, England: Prentice Hall, Inc.
SUPRANOWO. (2017). The influence of working environment conditions, compensation and career development on employees’ working motivation at an indonesian bank. Expert Journal of Business and Management, 5(2), 142-148.
