o changes in face-to-face communication (for example remote working, video conferencing)
o increase in expected productivity and outputs
Information and communication businesses reported the biggest increase in businesses using, or planning to use, homeworking permanently
Percentage of businesses using, or planning to use, homeworking as a permanent business model, businesses not permanently stopped trading, broken down by industry, weighted by count, UK, 16 to 29 November 2020 and 4 to 17 April 2022
o increase reach and scale
o increase of staff monitoring
o adaptive working practices
The use of autonomous operations for an organisation can provide a number of positive and negative outcomes for them. The automation of process can improve overall productivity and output with added detail and potential product quality and standards. However this can provide additional implications to a number of the below aspects.
Dehumanisation of service:
Loss of jobs - The automation of production can mean that computer systems are able to replace physical roles that may have been filled by humans. This can be cost efficient in the eyes of an organisation as any device replacing human roles will not require holidays, sickness cover, any form of employee dialusion or dispute. However, this can provide a company with improved output and performance. Adversely it may provide new employment prospects to other skilled areas of employment, such as IT operative and engineers.
Loss of human empathy in decision making - Incorperation of autonomous process can remove a "human" touch to a process, this could be in using systems to generate a list of IT devices that need to be replaced as a system will look at set criteria and not see that the system has not been used as destructfully as is condidered by the system and therefore could last for longer than has been considered. This can also be related to employees within specific roles in a system.
Shift in skill requirements and skills redeployment
Digital footprint -
Surveillance -
o social skills
o scalable remote engagement, wider peer and professional networks
o creation and curation of a digital identity
Resistance to technological change - Individuals and some organisations struggle to consider changing systems as the may think "if its not broken, then dont fix it" however in IT this may not be possible. The evolution of technology and systems mean that systems can become vulnerablilitys to attack, or prone to failure or incompatible, therefore it is important that systems follow these improvements. The impact on users will always provide challenges in itself, and for some that may have used a system for a number of years there can be resistance to change as they might have thier ways to do things and the new ways may feel that it takes longer. This resitance can be merited, however, organisations should provide training and development to those using the systems to ensure that they understand the new systems and hopefully dispel any anxioty around using the systems.
Potential isolation:
Transition to remote communication and services -
Due to lack of digital skills or technology -
Locations (for example limited mobile data coverage) -
Improved access to information (for example educational, online employment searches, access to 24/7 advice - NHS)
Links to Learning Outcomes |
Links to Assessment criteria |
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R2.1 How the increasing reliance on digital technology can cause ethical and moral impacts on business and society. |
Anonymous Assessment - Learners assess an anonymous piece of work containing deliberate mistakes against given success criteria.