Topic 4 - Impact of IT

Higher Administration & IT

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Learning Intentions / Success Criteria

Learning

Intentions

Impact of IT

Success Criteria

By end of this topic you will be able to describe the positive and

negative impact of IT on areas such as:

• office layout and ergonomics

• employee morale and wellbeing

• working practices:

- homeworking

- teleworking

- collaborative projects

• communication methods

• data handling:

- software applications

- networks

- file management.

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Office Layout

• The layout and condition of the

office will affect work in a number

of ways.

• A poorly designed layout will

disrupt the efficiency of the

workflow.

• Employees who work in large open-

plan environments sometimes

complain of headaches, sore throats

and fatigue, which they believe to

be associated with the building they

work in – poor layout, ventilation,

lighting or even décor.

• The type of layout used

will depend very much

on the type of work

done within the

organisation and ICT

equipment.

• Most organisations will

use one of 2 layouts:

- cellular

- open plan

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Cellular Layout

A cellular layout consists

of individual offices

accommodating one or

two employees.

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Advantages/Disadvantages of a

Cellular Layout Advantages

• Gives individual privacy and

to have one-to-one discussions.

• No distractions as doors can be

closed and allows individuals

to concentrate on their work.

• Ability to personalise the

working space and regulate

heating/lighting.

• Status – allows people to feel

important.

Disadvantages

• Wastes space.

• Difficult to share resources

such as printers.

• Employees may feel isolated

and does not promote team

spirit.

• Difficult to supervise with

everyone in individual offices.

• Uneconomic with regard to

lighting/heating.

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Open-Plan Layout

• An open-plan layout

consists of a number of

individuals working in a

totally open (without any

kind of partition of space at

all) or ‘landscaped’ office.

• Landscaped layouts will use

plants, furniture and

partitions/screens to create

work areas within one large

space. in a large open space.

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Advantages/Disadvantages of a

Open-Plan Layout Advantages

• Easier to supervise.

• Promotes teamwork and

team spirit.

• Resources can be shared,

which saves money.

• Less space is wasted.

Disadvantages

• Lack of privacy, so meeting

rooms may have to be used.

• Can be noisy and lots of

distractions.

• Difficult to suit personal

requirements such as

lighting/heating.

• Does not give an individual

status.

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Ergonomics

• Ergonomics is the study of the working environment and ways to prevent health problems for employees.

• Because of the increased use of ICT employees can develop problems such as eye strain, headaches, backache, RSI and neck pain.

• A well-designed working environment should help to reduce these problems and the risk of sick building syndrome, and can benefit the organisation due to higher moral and motivation, which increases productivity.

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Considerations for a well-designed

ergonomic environment include: • wall colours: colours should be used which are

relaxing and will minimise glare

• lighting: this should be non-glare and desk lamps should be used if appropriate

• noise: consideration should be given to floor coverings and noisy equipment should be placed in a separate room

• heating: good circulation should be provided, with opportunities to adjust heating temperature to suit individual needs

• equipment/furniture: desks and chairs should be provided that adjust to suit individual requirements and are suitable to carry out the work required.

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Advantages of a Well-designed and

Well-laid-out Ergonomic Environment

• Reduces the risk of sick building syndrome.

• Improves morale and motivation and helps

productivity.

• Ensures effective flow of work.

• Promotes health and safety at work.

• Gives a positive image for the organisation.

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Working Practices

Just 20 years ago, employees held either permanent full-time or permanent part-time contracts and carried out their work almost entirely on the organisation’s premises. Most full-time staff worked from 9 am until 5 pm from Monday to Friday.

Today things look very different and organisations use a wide range of employment contracts and working practices to carry out their operations. These changes are due to a number of factors including:

• new technology – particularly the Internet which has made communication and the exchange of information easy, fast and relatively cheap

• competition – the highly competitive business environment has forced organisations to streamline their activities and adopt working practices which are as cost-effective as possible

• social trends – the changing needs and demands of the workforce have influenced organisations to adopt more flexible working practices. Social legislation, reflecting changes in social trends has also forced changes in the workplace.

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Flexible Working Practices

Mode of working

• Office-based

• Homeworking

• Teleworking

• Hot desking

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Different working practices that organisation might

operate include:

Type of contract

• Permanent

• Temporary

• Fixed-term

• Casual

Working hours

• Full-time

• Part-time

• Flexi-time

• Job-share

Type of Contract

Full-time

• Employees work on

average 35-40 hours

per week, usually

from 9:00am to

5:00pm, five days

per week.

• The average full-

time working week

in the UK is the

longest in Europe!

Part-time

• The number of hours and the days of

the week worked will vary and

depend on what is agreed between

the employer and the employee.

• Part-time employees are entitled to

the same wage rates, working

conditions and benefits received by

full-time employees but they receive

them on a pro rata basis – work half

the week, get half the pay.

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Working Hours

Flexitime time

• Employees can choose when they

start and finish.

• Employees will be expected to cover

core times, for example, 10:00am-

12:00pm and 2:00pm-4:00pm.

• Employees can choose their own

start and finish times outwith the

core times so long as they work their

contracted number of hours for the

week or month.

• Employees can accumulate flexi

days by building up a number of

additional hours during the month

and then taking the equivalent days

off later.

Job-share

• This is when two people share one

job, splitting the hours between

them. For example, Jo might work

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday

morning.

• Pat will then finish the week by

working Wednesday afternoon,

Thursday and Friday.

• The hours can be split to suit the

individuals who are sharing the job.

• Pay and benefits are also shared.

• It is very important that they keep in

contact so that each knows what the

other has done.

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Mode of Working

• Homeworking – Employees are able to work from home, giving them the

advantages of saving time that would normally be spent travelling, having

greater flexibility to choose when they work and allowing their job to fit in

with their lifestyle. However the downside of homeworking is that there may

be a loss of social contact and the employee may miss out on training

opportunities.

• Teleworking – Employees are able to work away from the office – for

example, on a train, on a plane, while staying in a hotel on business – and stay

in touch with the office via technology such as e-mail, Skype or mobile phone.

• Hot desking – if many employees work away from the office, there may be no

need to have a desk or office for each person. Instead, employees can use any

desk that is free when they are in the office, but need to clear the table when

they have finished working for whoever uses the hot desk next.

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Advantages/Disadvantages of

Teleworking/Homeworking Disadvantages

• Staff may feel isolated and it is

difficult to promote team spirit.

• Staff may find it difficult to

discipline themselves to get the

work done as there may be more

distractions at home.

• It is difficult to ensure that staff

are complying with health and

safety requirements when they are

working at home.

• It is difficult to supervise staff

who are working from home.

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Advantages

• Allows a better work–life balance

for employees, which can increase

morale and motivation, and thus

increase productivity.

• Reduction in travel, which

reduces stress among staff.

• Organisations can save money on

smaller premises as they won’t

need to accommodate everyone in

the office.

• Allow for the organisation to

retain employees whose personal

circumstances have changed.

In addition, organisations might

choose to:

• Outsource - whole areas of its operations (for example marketing, recruitment or payroll services). They contract another organisation to deliver a service or particular skill rather than employ and train staff of their own.

• Career breaks - can be granted to employees with a certain length of service to take time out from their career to pursue other interests or family commitments. At the end of the agreed period, the employee will return to their position in the organisation.

• Unpaid leave - can be given to staff for a period of time.

• Case loading - has also been adopted in some organisation to replace the more traditional 9 to 5, 5 days a week approach. A shift in emphasis means the completion of a given workload is considered more important than working a set number of hours in a day.

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Advantages of Flexible Working

Practices (Employer)

• Contracts of employment can be used for the hours employees are required so there is a larger pool of labour with a wider range of skills.

• Being able to offer flexible work patterns may suit employees with children, therefore good staff can be retained and the need to recruit and train new employees reduced.

• Happier staff will lead to improved morale and motivation and increased productivity.

• Less absenteeism.

• Savings through cheaper rent/accommodation costs as reduced building space and less equipment is required.

• Short-term contracts can be used to employ staff only when they are needed (especially useful in businesses where demand for their good/service is seasonal).

• Organisations can buy in specialist skills for short-term projects without incurring the need to train/retrain their existing staff.

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Disadvantages of Flexible Working

Practices (Employer)

• It can be difficult to offer training and staff

development to all part-time workers.

• It is not always easy to ensure health and

safety in the home environment.

• It is harder to organise and control a large

number of part-time workers.

• There may be difficulties in communication.

• Technical difficulties when ICT equipment

breaks down.

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Advantages of Flexible Working

Practices (Employee)

• Greater choice and flexibility to suit changing needs and lifestyle, e.g. it makes it easier to combine work and family life especially for single parents or carers.

• Part-time workers tend to have lower stress levels as they have some time to ‘recharge’ themselves on days off.

• Freedom to choose when and where to work.

• Reduction in travel time and costs.

• More accessible for people with disabilities.

• In the long term, employees can benefit from improved skills and experience, having been able to stay with the same organisation for a longer period.

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Disadvantages of Flexible Working

Practices (Employee) • There may be fewer opportunities for staff development and

training.

• There can be feelings of isolation when working from home.

• Hot desking may result in depersonalisation of space, leading

to a feeling of not belonging to the organisation.

• It can be more difficult to develop new relationships.

• Difficult to balance work and home commitments, need for

discipline to work working hours.

• Question of security of job if contracts are increasingly of a

temporary or fixed-term nature – implications for e.g.

pensions, ability to get a mortgage, etc.

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Advancing Technology and

Flexible Working Practices • Development in the internet,

mobile phones and smartphones,

webcams, and video and audio

conferencing mean that

individuals can work

collaboratively with physically

being in the same room.

• Technology such as Skype and

FaceTime has developed this

further, giving employees the

ability to hold meetings in which

each attendee is in a different

location.

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Advantages/Disadvantages of

Collaborate Projects Disadvantages

• Individuals may work at different

speeds.

• Quiet people may not feel

comfortable expressing

themselves and their ideas with a

group.

• Individuals may not feel smart as

the other individuals in the group.

• People, that have never worked

together, may have personalities

clashes which might lead to

arguments.

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Advantages

• Develop team spirit, critical

thinking, and creativity.

• Those projects that use

technology encourages

further learning.

• Each member of the group

has something unique that

he/she can contribute.

• Individuals may meet people

from all over the world

through the use of ICT and

Media.

Advantages/Disadvantages of

Technology Advances Disadvantages

• Some people may feel

awkward in front of a camera

and still prefers a face-to-

face meeting.

• If there is a network fault or

the system crashes then the

meeting will have to be

postponed.

• Management and supervision

of employees’ work and the

number of hours worked

becomes more difficult.

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Advantages

• Meetings can take place around the

world without people having to travel,

which saves time and money. In

addition, more employees can work

‘away’ from the organisation.

• Using Skype or FaceTime is more

personal than telephone calls and allows

people to see each other and observe

body language and other non-verbal

cues, leading to increased clarity.

• Demonstrations can be given online and

files can be exchanged.

Methods of Communication

Communication using ICT is constantly developing.

• Mobile phones: The features of mobile phone technology are always changing. The

main ways to communicate by mobile phone are through SMS, FaceTime and

Skype.

• Email: Email is an extremely quick way to communicate and most email accounts

can also be used through mobile phones. The benefits of using email are that the

same message can be sent to a number of people, files can be sent as attachments

and it can be used anywhere in the world.

• Instant messaging: This allows you to have a private chat or discussion with

another user. You can exchange messages in real time, which is just like a telephone

conversation but using text.

• Wikis: This is a collection of articles on the internet that users can add to and edit

freely.

• Blogs: This is an online diary where thoughts and opinions can be displayed.

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Advantages of E-mail

• Fast way of sending information and so speeds up communication.

• Information is sent electronically so costs of paper and printing are

reduced so more environmentally friendly.

• Files can be attached to e-mails.

• Can create permanent records of who sent correspondence and when.

• E-mail can be accessed anywhere with internet connection.

• Same message can be sent to many people.

• Delivery receipts and read scripts can be used as proof that someone

actually received and read a message.

• Good method of communication when working across the time zones –

allows 24/7 communication.

• Reduces the need for office storage space.

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Disadvantages of E-mail

• Storage issues – limited size of inbox.

• Network problems can delay communication and impact

on workflow.

• Danger of sending e-mails to the wrong person can

breach data handling legislations and/or cause

embarrassment.

• Time stealer – employees may try to use e-mail for

personal correspondence and this can reduce productivity.

• Possible introduction of viruses to a computer system

especially when attachment have been included in the e-

mail. 27

Data Handling: Software

Applications • Most organisations use integrated packages, for

example Microsoft Office, to deal with different types

of data and integrate data between different types of

applications.

• Most organisations will operate their software on a

network basis for common access and communication.

• Some organisations may also use customised software

which has been specially written for the organisation.

• Examples of this might be specialised timetabling or

database packages.

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Common Types of Software

Applications • Word processing: This is used to create various

business documents such as letters, reports,

minutes etc.

• Spreadsheets: These are used to perform

calculations and analyse numeric data.

• Databases: These are used to store vast amounts of

information (like an electronic filing system) about

customers, suppliers, employees etc.

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• Presentation software: This is used to present information using slides and

handouts.

• Electronic mail software: This is a fast, efficient and cost effective way to send

messages anywhere in the world.

• Electronic diary software: This is an electronic calendar and personal organiser.

The only disadvantages of using business software are the cost of purchasing the

software, the time and expense of training staff to use the software effectively and the

effort taken to ensure confidentiality and security of the information.

Data Handling: Networks

Organisations use networks to access and communicate

information without the need for paper copies to be

passed around the office. There are 2 types of network:

• Local Area Network (LAN)

• Wide Area Network (WAN)

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Local Area Network (LAN)

• A computer network that spans a

relatively small area - a single room,

building or group of buildings.

• One LAN can be connected to other

LANs over any distance via

telephone lines and radio waves

creating a wide area network

(WAN).

• Most LANs connect computers and

devices anywhere on the LAN. This

means that many users can share

expensive devices, such as laser

printers, as well as data.

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Advantages/Disadvantages of a

Local Area Network (LAN) Advantages

• Easy to share peripherals such as

printers and photocopiers, which

can reduce costs.

• Make it easier to share files and

information with employees.

• Back-ups can be taken on a

regular basis, which reduces the

chance of losing files.

• Security can be set to restrict

access to certain areas of the

network (access rights).

Disadvantages

• If the network goes

down, then no-one can

access files, which will

slow down

productivity.

• If the file server is

damaged or stolen then

all files could be lost.

• A virus can spread

very quickly over a

LAN.

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Wide Area Network (WAN)

• A computer network that spans a

relatively large geographical area.

• Typically, a WAN consists of two

or more local-area networks

(LANs).

• Computers connected to a wide-

area network are often connected

through public networks, such as

the telephone system.

• They can also be connected

through leased lines or satellites.

The largest WAN in existence is

the Internet.

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Advantages/Disadvantages of a

Wide Area Network (WAN) Advantages • Data can be

transmitted

between branches

very quickly.

• Gives easy access

to the internet.

Disadvantages • People outside the organisation

could have access to your data

so there need to be tight

security measures in place.

• There is no control over

external websites – they can be

removed or changed by the

owner so some pages could

become unavailable.

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Internet (E-commerce)

• E-commerce (electronic

commerce or EC) is the buying

and selling of goods and

services, or the transmitting of

funds or data, over an

electronic network, primarily

the Internet.

• These business transactions

occur either business-to-

business, business-to-

consumer, consumer-to-

consumer or consumer-to-

business.

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Advantages/Disadvantages of the

Internet (E-commerce) Disadvantages

• Cost of setting up and

maintaining website.

• Security issues.

• Loss of face-to-face

contact.

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Advantages

• Able to reach a wide

range of customers.

• Access to the site 24/7

• Reduced costs.

• Monitor customers for

marketing purposes.

Data Handling: File Management

File management is the organisation of computer files. Organisations will put

their own procedures in place to ensure that files are stored properly.

Procedures should cover:

• File locations: information should be given on where files should be

stored, e.g. on the server, in which location and whether an external storage

device is required.

• File names: files should be stored in named folders with appropriate file

names that will make it easy to find files.

• Routine maintenance: information should be provided to staff about

deleting unnecessary files as storage may need to be freed up on the server.

• Back-up procedures: back-up copies should be made on a regular basis

and staff should know the procedure for this. Some servers may

automatically back up data on a regular basis.

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Consequences of Poor File

Management File management is really important to organisations and it is vital that

information can be found when needed. If good procedures are not in

place then the following can happen:

• time will be wasted looking for files, which can lead to stress for

staff

• relationships with customers could deteriorate as they may complain

if information cannot be found

• computer systems could slow down as the server is holding too

many files

• wrong management decisions could be made if out-of-date

information is used

• there could be legal implications regarding data handling.

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