Work in the Information AgeJohn L. Krummel1If I was asked for one short sentence to describe this presentation it would be“The key to working in the Information Age is effective communication”.2Do we shape our working world or is our working world shaping us?Information management and its associated technologies is seen as a wondrous evolution for humankind. New breakthroughs utilising information management as a core component are happening everyday.3On the other handOur jobs are becoming ever more complex and challenging, requiring steeper learning curves and full of future uncertainty.4About here we could get break out and get involved in discussions concerning culture, consumption, pseudo individualisation, standardisation and whole schools of philosophical thought.We could also get involved with the works of Taylor, Maslow, Daft and Lengel, Mc Gregor etc.But our aim is to discuss working in a information age rather than discuss the work philosophy of humankind.5Besides“Im not here to dull your beliefs, but to sharpen your curiosity”6In 1973 Daniel Bell made the following statement:“In the coming century, the emergence of a new social framework of telecommunications may be decisive for the way in which economic and social exchanges are conducted, the way knowledge is created and retrieved”. Bell, Daniel. (1973). The Coming of the Post-Industrial Society: a Venture in Social Forecasting. New York, NY: Basic. p. 487.7“People of the mid-nineteenth century encountered tremendous cultural and social change with the dawn of the industrial age. “The people of the late twentieth century experienced tremendous cultural and social shifts with the advent of the information age.” Hill -1992, 1996 http:/www.coe.uga.edu/%7Erhill/workethic/hist.htmThe Industrial Age (it was said) was giving way to the Information Age8Industrial age jobs: Low-discretion (in-ability to choose according to ones own desires) with minimal decision making. Tasks were analysed and broken into simple steps which required very little thinking or judgement on the part of workers. Information age jobs: In contrast, are high-discretion and require considerable thinking and decision making on the part of workers Miller, W. F. Emerging technologies and their implications for America. USA Today, 60-65 9Beginning nineteen seventies and expanding into the eighties “Blue Collar” workers began for the first time to outnumbered by their “White Collar” cousins.Co-incidentally also: The advent of Laser Printing, “WYSIWYG” “Macs”, IBM “PCs”, Bitmap Imaging, Graphical User Interfaces, barcode scanners, Internet (ARPANET), floppy disk, ethernet, etc etc.Check out: http:/inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa122999a.htm10Innovations (especially within the semi conductor area) arising from the seventies allowed business and organisations to capture information in a digital form and manipulate and share that information.The digital age allowed this to begin happening on a truly rapid and global stage.11Early systems were unfriendly when compared to those of today. Users had to adapt work routines to the system being used.Lots of crashes and downtime due to system failures.Systems were expensive.Specialists ruled (and were expensive)12Todays systems:Much more affordableMore powerfulMore interactive user to system, system to user, user to user, system to system.Allows for a greater depth of information processing utilising a continuously updating data stream. 13Tomorrows technology will make todays feel like yesterdays14Work in the Information AgeNo longer confined to one industry or area.Decentralised Telecommuting provides mobile offices/work from Home scenarios. “Virtual Office”Basic business core complemented by “as needed” specialist consultants with area specific knowledge. “work is something you do, not something you travel to”(anon)15Endless OpportunitiesWe generally hold to the belief that the flexibility and the opportunities for increased productivity offered by todays information technologies are real benefits.Or, are they? There are more businesses using information technology but there are also more Information specialists. Specialists are available in increased numbers but at reduced cost. “Business can be seen to gain but the workers loose”16The benefits of the virtual office are not obtained simply by arming workers with portable information systems and sending them out of the office. Managing People to work well virtually, requires new skills and attitudes on the parts of both organisations and workers.17Information Age OrganisationsNeed to be:More adaptive.More accepting of changing processes.Must spend to stay competitive.Must be prepared to use outside expertise rather than rely on internal workforce abilities.Has anything really changed?18Information Age WorkersDesirable AttributesMore adaptive and accepting of emerging innovation.Able to create social networks, co