Week 5 Blog - Networked Workers: Challenge or Opportunity?


Everybody is online, all the time. Rapid and increasing developments of the Internet, artificial intelligence, and technology has resulted in workers becoming more connected, but is also presenting both challenges and opportunities associated with networked workers. Although the primary concern of technological advancements is that automation will continue to replace standardized and routine work, it also facilitates the growth of new work and provide an opportunity to bolster human capabilities when adapting to these changes (Anderson & Smith, 2014). Networked workers increase business value because faster access to knowledge is forcing employees to engage in more critical thinking when addressing complex problems, to become more transparent and creative with solutions, and to do so without the need for managerial oversight (Jarche, 2013).
Jarche (2017) suggests employees need to learn and develop human capabilities while simultaneously engaging in work, and Davies, Fidler, & Gorbis (2011) provides several examples or predictions of employee skills that will be necessary to adapt to these changes and produce effective results. However, I remain skeptical on whether or not it will be possible to develop many of the employee skills noted by Davies, Fidler, & Gorbis (2011) while simultaneously conducting work at the same time. On the one hand it makes sense to me that the more connected workers are to others externally, the more workers will develop skills such as social intelligence, cross-cultural competency, new media literacy, novel and adaptive thinking, and virtual collaboration. On the other hand, however, I believe it will be more difficult to develop skills such as sense-making, transdisciplinary, computational thinking, and cognitive load management. In other words, more exposure and access to knowledge and information doesn’t necessarily equate to also having the ability to simultaneously understand what it all means, derive meaning, discriminate importance from it, and apply it on-the-go. In fact, I believe this is the challenge itself – the ability to keep up! It reminds me of the saying that “sometimes less is more”. To Kelley’s (2016) point in the tracking chapter, even though everyone has the right to access and benefit from information, it also requires everyone to respect the integrity of information and to share it responsibly. No wonder so much skepticism exists about fake news and concern for inaccurate and falsification of information! I prefer Kelley’s (2016) notion regarding the need to ask better questions rather than trying to figure out answers.  
One last comment about this week’s readings. Smith (2015) seems to be suggesting that this digital era is providing better opportunities for individuals to search, find, and establish jobs. I disagree, but maybe this is due to my line of work. Despite the increased exposure to work opportunities via digital means, I continue to observe work opportunities and hiring to still be heavily influenced by nepotism.

References

Davies, A., Fidler, D., & Gorbis, M. (2011). Future work skills 2020. Institute for the Future. Retrieved from: http://www.iftf.org/uploads/media/SR-1382A_UPRI_future_work_skills_sm.pdf

Jarche, H. (2013). Networks are the new companies. Retrieved from: http://jarche.com/2013/11/networks-are-the-new-companies/

Jarche, H. (2017). Embracing automation. Retrieved from: http://jarche.com/2017/12/embracing-automation/

Kelley, K. (2016). The inevitable: Understanding the 12 technological forces that will shape our future. New York: NY: Penguin Random House LLC

Smith, A. (2015). Searching for work in the digital era. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/11/19/searching-for-work-in-the-digital-era/

Smith, A. & Anderson, J. (2014). AI, robotics, and the future of jobs. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2014/08/06/future-of-jobs/

Comments

  1. AshBash04November 21, 2019 at 6:19 PM

    I disagree with the very first sentence that everyone is online all the time. While it does not seem possible but, as I mentioned in my blog post, my parents do not have the internet at their house (nor do they have cable). My mom does have a smart phone but she has no idea how to use it. My dad uses his smart phone to check the price of cattle and corn (he is a farmer). Neither of them are tech savvy or know how to use a social media platform. Both of my sisters have smart phones and know how to use Facebook and email. Just today (in preparation for this blog), I asked them if they knew what a blog was and they both had no clue. The point is that I think there are a lot more people out there than what you think that would prefer to continue to live without accessing the internet 24/7. I mean, think about it, how many kids have tablets these days? And, what is this going to do to the obesity rate in America? Growing up, I had no choice but to work. I have taught my kids hardwork. My son would rather be outside than playing a video game or tablet. My supervisor was telling me how his son received a scholarship (full ride) to play video games in college. Since when did video gaming become a college sport? While technology has overtaken a lot of the workforce, I believe we are still going to need employees for a variety of jobs (i.e. farmers, welders, timber cutters, and so forth).

    ReplyDelete
  2. JustCallMeNanNovember 23, 2019 at 8:50 AM

    I wouldn't say that we are all online all the time, but it sure is tough to walk the streets of NYC without running into people looking down at their phones. I'd be interested in knowing which jobs have escaped being touched by some amount of technology. It certainly isn't the case for automative repair. The technology in a typical service bay transcends the timing light.

    Danabroms, I'd love the opportunity to sit down and compare our professions and how technology and connectivity have influenced them. When I reviewed the projected 10 most important work skills for 2020, I know there are connections with education, in general. When I think less globally and focus on my own area, there are fewer. Did you view any among as more/less relatable for your work area?

    ReplyDelete
  3. bmh4848November 23, 2019 at 8:56 PM

    Thank you for your post. You mention that hiring practices are heavily influenced by nepotism. You feel very skeptical that online job searching is helpful. What about your line of work makes you feel this way? Online activity has helped me tremendously. Have you found any research to help validate your thoughts on this?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Britt WatwoodNovember 24, 2019 at 8:56 AM

      Kind of my reaction as well ... yet looking at Dan's line of work as well as Ashley's it points out one of the values of this interdisciplinary program - that we can become siloed in our thinking ... so it is good to hear other perspectives, and to recognize that what works for us may not for them ... and vice versa!

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