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Professional Issues in Computing

Professional Issues in Computing. Computers, Work and Society. [A] Computer and Work [ B] Computer (IT) and Society. [A] Computer and Work. (1) The changing nature of work (2) The impact on employment (3) The work environment (4) Employee monitoring (5) Health issues.

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Professional Issues in Computing

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  1. Professional Issues in Computing Computers, Work and Society

  2. [A] Computer and Work [B] Computer (IT) and Society

  3. [A] Computer and Work (1) The changing nature of work (2) The impact on employment (3) The work environment (4) Employee monitoring (5) Health issues

  4. (1) The changing nature of work… Computer and Work Meaning of Computer: - Machine consists of a CPU, memory and I/O devices. Meaning of Information Technology (IT): - Includes computers, computer equipment and telecommunication networks. Meaning of Work (oxford dictionary): - Use of bodily or mental powers with the purpose of doing or making something, esp. Contrasted with play or recreation. IT & Changing Pattern of Work: Informationtechnologies are having a profound impact on work. It affects the working environment; employment; existing jobs; and workers.

  5. (1) The changing nature of work… Why People Works: 1. Economic Reasons • People work in exchange for the pay and benefits they receive, so that they can support the expenditure of themselves and their families. 2. Social Reasons • Work allows individuals to interact with others and develop new friendships. The workers can support and encourage each other in order to share the frustrations and joys of daily living. /… • 3. Social Status Reasons • The higher position people occupy within the organisation, the higher status in the community the people will generally enjoy. • 4. Self-esteem Reasons • Work provides a sense of identity for individuals and tells them who they are. Through the work, people can make contributions to the society and benefit each other.

  6. (1) The changing nature of work… Eliminating many jobs; creating others, Increase productivity; reduce work hours, More leisure; fewer jobs; more unemployment, How to handle: - dislocation of jobs; - masses of people out of work; • retraining; Telework / telecommuting; Change in the size of business; Gives rise to self-employed; Virtual / dispersed office location; Provides mobility / autonomy; Increase power to monitor the work, communication & movement of employee.

  7. (2) The impact on employment… 2.1 Job destruction and creation – replaces jobs; great demand for computer experts. - IT destroys jobs and create unemployment, e.g. ATM machines decrease the number of bank teller required; • IT creates new jobs, e.g. People who build automated teller machines, maintain them and write software for them. 2.2 Income and productivity. - Average hourly wages have declined, increased in total compensation; - More part-time and temporary jobs; • Productivity increase, but working hours may not drop. Employers prefer to ask employee to work overtime rather than hire additional staff. • 2.3Impacts on Existing Jobs • Job replacement • IT replaces some jobs done by men, e.g. Internet/ computer enquiry system replaces the telephone operators. • Job enrichment • IT can make the jobs more interesting, meaningful and challenging, e.g., Accountants learn to use spreadsheets and have more time for thinking, planning and analysis. 2.4 Impact different from other technology - eliminate wider variety of job; rapid pace of change induce greater stress. 2.5 Changing jobs – eventually all jobs require the use of computer; difficult to handle the transition period of rapid change.

  8. (3) The work environment • Teleworking – save traveling time; reduce demand on transport / support services; rise to self-employ. • Management and hierarchies – flat org. structure; autonomy; empowerment. 3.1 Teleworking… • With home computers, modem, fax machines and wireless communications, people can work without going to their employer’s (or their own) business offices. • The employee can:- • Setting up a computer-equipped office at home • Travel around with a laptop computer and wireless communication equipment (mobile office) Sharp increase in working outside the normal office because of the rapidly dropping costs of communications and information transfer

  9. 3.1 Benefits of Teleworking… • Reduce overhead - In some cases, increase productivity, e.g. Save high office rental price. • Reduce rush-hour traffic congestion and associated pollution and energy use. • Reduce expenses for commuting and for work clothes. • Save time. 5. Provide working opportunity for disabled people. 6. Allows work to continue under typhoon and rainstorm. 7. Provide flexible working hour - Especially for parents to spend more time with their children. 8. Provide flexible work location - People can live in rural areas; better social life.

  10. 3.1 Problems of Teleworking • Lack immediate supervision - People are less productive. Employees need direction about what work and how much work they are expected to do at home. • No social interactions at work. • Lack of “visibility” in the office - Bad for promotion and bonuses. • Overhead shift to employee - Giving up home space for office and maintaining equipment by their own.

  11. 3.2 Management & hierarchies… • Changing business structure • Downsizing: IT makes the trend towards smaller business and more independent consultants and contractors. • Growth of larger multinational corporations: computers can contribute to the merging between giant companies, e.g. Communications and entertainment companies. • Flattening hierarchies & empowerment of workers • The availability of IT is leading many businesses to give workers more information and more decision-making authority. The need for middle manager is decreasing and their jobs are changing (hybrid managers). Managers have both IT and managerial skills.

  12. (4) Employee monitoring IT now allows employers to cross the line from monitoring the work to monitoring the worker Present ways for monitoring • Uses of log sheets and time clocks • Surveillance cameras • Bosses patrolled the aisles

  13. (4.) New Ways to Monitor Employee… 1. Monitoring keystrokes • Every keystroke of data entry and data processing clerks can be counted automatically • Some make the records of employees’ performance public in the workplace to encourage competition among workers • Terminals beep if the employee pauses in his or her work 2. Physical surveillance • Electronic identification badges allow monitoring of the movements of employees. • Locating devices equipped in company cars can keep track on the travel of the car owner. 3. Monitoring customer service calls • A computer program for supervisors listen in on calls periodically to train new workers and to check on the performance of existing workers. 4. Employee e-mail, voice mail and files • Employers can read the e-mail of employee, listen to voice-mail message, and read the computer file.

  14. (5) Health issues… Several problems associated with manufacture and use of computers. Two that received lots of attention are: 1. Radiation from computer terminals; 2. Wrist problem (RSI, repetitive strain injury). • RSI causes pain in wrist, hand, and arm(sometimes neck and shoulders). It is associated with frequent, repetitive, forceful motion; • May also causes nerves, muscles, tendons, joints damage. Possible remedy: Radiation – Use low radiation remittance devise such as LCD instead of CRT monitor. Repetitive Strain Injury – Make use ergonomic solutions on devise design to reduce fatigue; employee has to keep correct working posture.

  15. [B] Computer (IT) and Society (1) Revolution in HK Society (2) Information Explosion (4) How Will We Live Together (5) Economic & Cultural Impacts (6) Social & Global Relations (7) IT & Human Behaviour (8) Some Observations (9) IT & Future Society (10) A variety of social issues (11) Criticism on computers

  16. (1) Revolution in HK Society… • Agricultural • Before world war II, most people in Hong Kong were mainly farmers and fishermen. • Industrial • Between 60’s and 80’s, most of the Hong Kong people work in a factory. Over 50% of the business in Hong Kong was in manufacturing; • The creation of mechanical engine brought the industrial revolution. However, introduction of new IT reduces the number of workers required, e.g. Introduction of automation/robotic. • Informational • From late 80’s, the majority of Hong Kong people work in servicing areas; • New IT creates new jobs in support areas for IT, e.g. Those develop software and maintain equipment.

  17. (2) Information Explosion • IT are extending our vision of the world, permitting us to see and understand new areas of physical and social life. • Information is growing sharply, making it difficult for people to stay informed (information explosion). • IT also allow us to store, access, display and communicate new information easily. • IT are both a cause, and a solution to, the problem of information explosion.

  18. (4) How Will We Live Together Information technologies change our society by affecting our economy, culture, social relations, and global relations

  19. (5) Economic & Cultural Impacts • Economy • IT impacts the economic sphere by changing what we can produce and how we produce it • E.g. Overnight delivery by express company • Cultural • Technology can also change our values of what is appropriate behaviour and what is inappropriate behaviour • E.g. Instant response from servicing organisations

  20. (6) Social & Global Relations • Social relations • The relationship between groups in a society are affected by IT. Some groups are able to use the new technologies to their advantage, less fortunate groups may be unable to do so • Global relations • Technologies put us in instant touch with other cultures around the globe. These technologies helped spread democratic values and culture to countries that previously were behind the iron curtain

  21. (7) IT & Human Behaviour… 7.1 Communication • IT shortens the time required and changes the way to transmit information • In the past, people post letters and fax a document by fax machine • Nowadays, people will use the below methods to communicate with one another • Pager/ mobile phone • E-mail/ internet (/w electronic signature) • Video conferencing • Personal digital assistants (PDAs)

  22. (7) IT & Human Behaviour… • Interpersonal relationships • IT can both isolate people from each other, and make them closer • With IT, people communicates with one another via a computer, without any physical contacts. They can keep as much secrets as they can • IT can shorten the distance between people. e.g., People can talk and see their friends who live far away

  23. (7) IT & Human Behaviour • Entertainment • IT creates new entertainment, especially indoor activities. Relatively, people may spend less time for outdoor activities • The followings are some new kinds of entertainment • More channels for TV programmes by cable • Listen CDs and watch VCDs via computers • Play video game with your friends via MODEM • Nice graphics, pictures and animations for movie • Listen live radio programmes via internet

  24. (8) Some Observations… 1. Computer illiteracy • An increasing number of occupations require computer knowledge. Knowledge of computer operations no longer optional • People must accept the permeation of the computer in all aspects of our society, no matter how people dislike machines • E.g. Everyone should know how to use e-mail, Internet...

  25. (8) Some Observations… 2. Depersonalisation • People is not treated as a person. Everyone is represented by a number, e.g. HKID • Developments in electronic communication contributes to this impersonal treatment of individuals • E.g. Replacing customer services officer with automatic answering machines. With listening to the long introduction and unstructured contents, customers are easily get loss and frustrated

  26. (8) Some Observations 3. Over-reliance on computers • People depend too much on the computer. However, the computer system may have more malfunctions than manual system. e.g. A 40-year-old woman in Canada was refused to refund by tax authorities as the system recorded that she was dead.

  27. (9) IT & Future Society • Health –Telemedicine; • Transportation - Chips in car and Global Positioning System (GPS); • Entertainment - Video-on-demand; Interactive TV; • Smart card; • Electronic commerce; • Virtual reality.

  28. (10) A variety of social issues 1. Community or isolation - personal relationship 2. The Have and Have-Nots [digital divine] - the access issue 3. Loss of skill and judgment - spell check, physical gesture, less brain work

  29. (11) Criticism on computers… Criticism that the overall evaluation of computers as a terribly bad development for mankind: 1. Computers cause massive unemployment and deskilling of jobs; 2. Computers “manufacture needs,” that is, we use them just because they are there, not because they satisfy real needs; 3. Computers cause social inequity and social disintegration;

  30. (11) Criticism on computers… 4. Computers separate humans from nature and destroy the environment; 5. Computers are dehumanizing. They weaken communities and lead to isolation of people from each other; 6. Computers benefit big business and big government most;

  31. (11) Criticism on computers 7. Use of computers in schools will thwart development of social skills, human values, and intellectual skills in children. 8. Computers do little or nothing to solve real human problems such as families break up, children are mistreated, crime terrorizes a city.

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