Occupational Structure Impacts of Information Technology

OCCUPATIONAL STRUCTURE IMPACTS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

"THE COMING OF THE NEW ORGANIZATION"

By Peter F. Ducker

Reading the article "The Coming of the New Organization" by Peter F. Drucker mentioned several major points of how Information Technology has impacted management and re-structured the corporation process on a whole. Information-based organizations have sufficient computing power to control the labor force without certain levels of management.

Information Technology has reduced a variety of positions in the work place today. Positions ranging from cashiers, security personnel, typists and teachers to analysts, supervisors and managers and even higher levels of management have been eliminated. As new technology emerge, corporations will constantly review their business practices and processes to enhance their operations as well as cut costs. I agree with Mr. Drucker that positions most affected are, and will be, several layers of management and clerical positions. The function of a Supervisor, Assistant Manager and Manager is to merely coordinate, review and oversee an area or department of employees. Most levels of management do not have the knowledge of completing day to day operations and tasks, but more of an ideal of the process.

In my eleven years of employment with Fortis Health, formerly John Alden Life Insurance Company, several positions were eliminated, replaced by some form of Information Technology. Managers and supervisors that produced a variety of productivity reports using an Excel spread sheet (a form of technology), are replaced by a programmer implementing a software and coding a program to automatically read other input/output systems and calculate and measure productivity. Clerical positions such as typing, filing, and phone operators were eliminated, replaced by voice automated software and imaging software.

Information Technology is defined as any system for the acquisition, storage, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information, via computer system, software and computer equipment. Working in this field requires a variety of knowledge with specific and detailed knowledge. Employees with this knowledge (specialists) are more likely to survive a corporation's re-structure due to an implementation of new technology. The most powerful positions within a company are Information Technology positions. These positions create, monitor, enhance and control the day to day operations of a business.

A year ago I was recently transitioned from an Accounts