Chapter 4

A. Work Design Framework
a. Organizations are moving away from organization structures built around particular jobs to a setting in which a person’s work is defined in terms of what needs to be done.
B. How Information Technology Changes the Nature of Work
a. IT has created more types of works
b. IT Employment at an all time high
c. Supported new ways to manage people
C. Changing the way work is Done
a. Many traditional jobs are now done by computers
b. Jobs once done by art and skill are often greatly changed by the introduction of Its
c. Introduction of IT into an organization can greatly change the day-to-day tasks performed by its employees.
d. Crowdsourcing is now possible at a very low cost
e. Few staff are engaged in order entry any longer
f. Sometimes people can perform more strategic tasks
g. Sometimes IT disconnects us from the tasks
h. Zuboff provides an example of disconnection from the task at a paper mill where the masters could no longer smell and squeeze pulp to make sure of the chlorine content
i. Skills of salespeople have turned from order takers and stock counters to marketing consultants.
D. Changing Communication Patterns
a. More asynchronous and more irregular
b. Social networking has provided new opportunities for customer interaction
c. Collaboration allows a firm to look big with new tools
d. IT is changing the communication patterns of employees.
i. Many truck drivers do not interact with others in their organization while driving to their destination. ii. Walmart – drivers therefore use IT to save money
E. Changing Organization Decision Making and Information Processing
a. IT changes not only organizational decision-making processes but also the information used in making these decisions.
b. Data processed to create more accurate and timely information are being captured earlier in a process.
c.