Changing work patterns

(Make Notes)

Ideas to be covered

• Predictions made in the 80’s• The syllabus content• Teleworking (video)• Trends that are obvious• More jobs or less• The new jobs created by ICT• The jobs lost because of ICT

The syllabus content on this section

You must investigate how computers have led to:

* job losses * changes in jobs, including de-skilling and home-working * new jobs.

You need to understand the impact of computers on:* your career * patterns of work in your local community * national and international economies * improving work opportunities (such as those for women and the disabled) * increased leisure time.

• You must also understand how developments in computer technology, such as electronic communications, have enabled people to work from home and in more flexible ways but with possible loss of social contact. You will need to formulate opinions about this, for instance, to what extent is going to work a social necessity?

• Gradually, there has been a move from 'service' to 'self-service', whether it be supermarkets, restaurants or banks. Is the trend continuing at an increasing rate? What effect will this have on employment?

Predictions made in the 80’s

• Video called “XXXX” let’s watch it and make some notes

• How much of it came true?

• Can you quote specific examples instead of just stating a general opinion

TeleworkingDefinition: • Means working at a distance. Technology has enabled people to work from home. Faster internet connections

have helped this.

Advantages:1. People can work at home and see more of their family2. If a lot of commuting is involved, the employee can get down to work straight away3. Shows trust in the worker4. No distraction from incoming calls and unseen demands, although colleagues can still make contact5. Flexibility for the worker

Disadvantages:1. Social (face-to-face) interaction for workers is absent – for some people this is very important2. Difficult to for the manager to know what work was done (trust?)3. If it is the manager at home, then the workers can lack leadership4. Employees have to be confident users of the technology, because they can bee given limited support (training)

ExamplesMicrosoft the “best company to work for”Inspectors who are given the task of writing up reports

A trend that is obvious?

Towards self-serviceExample One: Shops and shopping1. Corner shop: shop-keeper used to serve customers, passing each item

to the customer in turn when it was asked for (Open all hours)2. Convenience stores: where customer pick the items they want and then

goes to checkout where they pay.3. Supermarkets: where customers move trolleys around to get a large

selection of products before having them scanned at the checkout and then paying with electronic funds transfer

4. Online shopping: Customers do shopping from home. Van delivers, thus cutting down shopping on the road.

5. Future Supermarkets: where customers can scan their own shopping and pay by electronic funds transfer

6. Future shopping ?: Bar codes scanned by scanners in the cupboard / fridge. Minimum stock levels -> leading to automatic ordering and delivery and payment.

Tasks?

1. Can you find evidence to prove/refute the trend towards self-service in banking. Can you speculate about banking in the future?

2. Find a concrete example of someone who teleworks and describe what they do, the advantages and disadvantages

3. Describe a job that has been created because of ICT4. Describe a job that has been lost because of ICT5. Find out how ICT has impacted upon your career

choices

More jobs or less?

• More • Less

New jobs created by ICT

• Programmer

• Systems analyst

• Systems manager

• ICT Technician

• ICT teacher

• Software developer

• Web author

Jobs lost (in printing) because of ICT

• Touch typists: at one managers would write/dictate letters and typists would present them using typewriters. Now WP are so easy to use that managers tend to do this themselves.

• Typesetters: At one time journalists would send copy to be type-set at the printers. Now they directly input this at a keyboard

Jobs lost (in manufacturing) because of ICT

• Car sprayer: spraying cars with paint on the production line is now done by robots

• Skilled engineer: accurate hand-made manufacturing is lost to computer controlled equipment which can be programmed and reprogrammed