Digital technologies, for example, robots, have significantly altered the way contemporary organisations work. In addition to helping companies to enhance communication and perform routine tasks, the innovations play a central role in enabling firms to improve efficiency and production. Some people, however, argue that their use may have an adverse effect impact in workplaces, mainly leading to job losses. Although the concerns are valid, the machines cannot replace human employees completely because besides lacking creative capabilities, they do not have problem-solving competencies. What is more, the technologies cannot replicate human relationships, especially in customer service departments and promoting a teamwork culture in an organisation. The research assessed in the paper reveals that the inventions can help managers to reduce cost and facilitate communication. However, firms can only use them to a certain extent, particularly when they desire to improve productivity and improve safety, but rely on humans to establish and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders.
Keywords: digital technologies, robots, artificial intelligence, work productivity.
Impacts of Digital Technology on the Workforce
Digital technologies play an increasingly significant role in many aspects of life today. Understandably, the possible effect of the innovations, which include robotics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, has emerged as an important focus of research. In particular, researchers and scholars have sought to develop a keen understanding of the impact of the technologies on people’s jobs. Admittedly, although various studies have delved into the subject with the primary aim of exploring the prevalence, use and the benefits of automation, few have examined the extent to which they will render workers in different areas, for instance, retail and finance, redundant. This paper, therefore, discusses the degree to which machines will replace employees and explore factors that promote or hinder the trend. While the innovations lead to a considerable percentage of job losses, their inability to replicate human relationships, thoughts and skills means that they cannot replace workers entirely.
Digital technologies will not replace duties and responsibilities that require critical human skills and attributes. Although the innovations can perform various roles that companies pay employees for, for example, sales assistance, it may not be easy for them to replicate particular skills, including judgment, social interaction, and empathy in certain organisational contexts. According to the Australian Government Productivity Commission (2016), automation hurts jobs across a broad spectrum, but it has an insignificant impact on non-routine tasks or those that require social or personal skills. The reasoning is that human workers have the ability to combine these qualities in a way that the innovations may not master. As an illustration, human employees in a healthcare setting are needed to offer personalised care that meets the needs of a patient. In a similar vein, human workers in the legal sector are more effective than robots in understanding, interpreting and offering vital services to clients because they possess and can use the skills effectively. Therefore, whereas the technologies may hurt some jobs, they cannot replace an entire workforce due to the lack of important skills required in various roles.
Digital technologies cannot wholly render employees jobless because they do not have creative capabilities. In other words, the innovations, for instance, robots lack imaginative abilities, suggesting that they use is not effective in areas that need creative thought. Qureshi " Syed (2014) admit the technological intervention, for example, robots have revolutionised the way workers carry out their daily activities. However, the authors fail to consider that although the use of the machines benefits organisations, including resulting in an increase in production, they lack innovative competencies that improve performance and contribute to the attainment of set goals and objectives. To demonstrate, employees may boast critical problem-solving, creativity, and complexity management abilities that enable them to ensure organisational success. In a similar vein, staffs can establish and maintain a close collaboration with various stakeholders, for example, customers, to attain achieve the desired outcome, for instance, to improve sales. The discussion implies that although the technologies may provide valuable insight, they are not creative and are unable to solve complex problems.
Humans provide important interactions in the workplace, thereby contributing to organisations efforts to building and strengthening relationships. Lin, Abney " Bekey (2011) admit that robots have an important role in today’s society, including helping police officers to detect drugs and weapons to enhance security. The use of the technologies, however, is limited, in particular, in areas that require in-person interactions, for example, in project teams. As an illustration, although robots can help companies to reduce costs, as Broadbent (2017) observes, they cannot replicate the essential roles workers’ and managers’ meetings play not only to find solutions to organisational problems but also to build linkages. Some global companies, for instance, Google nurture a workplace whereby workers meet and talk with the aim of generating and exchanging ideas. In addition to helping employees to build relationships, the strategy allows firms to enhance collaboration. Therefore, although various companies will emphasise the introduction and the use of robots, leaders who desire to leverage strong employee relationships and interactions and idea generations cannot wholly replace humans.
A balanced approach, which entails hiring humans and using technologies to a certain extent, helps organisations to leverage the maximum benefits. In other words, a company that desires to improve efficiency may use robots but at the same time involve workers to reduce errors. The method allows employers to capitalise on the advantages of both aspects; hence enabling them to realise set goals. To demonstrate, a business person who owns a warehouse may use robotic technology to collect and arrange products to improve efficiency and the speed at which the work is done. The technique increases productivity because unlike employees, the machines do not experience boredom after engaging in one type of job for an extended time. However, the employer may also need to hire workers to make certain decisions concerning the delivery of products or specialists to address any technical issues that emerge in the workplace. Corporations, therefore, ought to make informed choices about the areas they use digital technologies and humans to take advantages of both approaches.
Organisations that accentuate using artificial intelligence may gain significantly from a financial point of view, but the use is primarily limited when a firm aspires to enhance customer satisfaction. For example, some companies, especially in the developed world use social media chatbots to respond to questions from customers on the basis of pre-programmed clues. Although the firms improve competence, they may fail to attain their objectives, particularly when some clients stress a particular degree of emotional understanding as opposed to mere logical answers to their queries. Undeniably, while some robots experience emotions that people can relate with, as Broadbent (2017) maintains, they cannot attain this goal compellingly with genuine humanity the same way as employees. Replacing humans with the technologies is undoubtedly a beneficial strategy, but their effective application is undermined by managers’ desire and commitment to satisfy customers who focus on ensuring that they receive answers to their concerns and that companies consider their feelings as valid and reasonable.
The use of artificial intelligence is significantly undercut in the performance of duties that require complex human relationships. According to Glew (2012), human interaction in the workplace is irreplaceable, in particular, in customer service departments. To put it differently, establishing and maintaining strong interactions with customers enable organisations to attract new customers and retain existing ones. The author’s argument implies that even amidst revolutionary advancement in digital technologies, prospective and current customers of a certain organisation expect excellent communications from them. As Glew (2012) notes, human contact between a client and a customer service representative plays a crucial role in helping companies to gain a competitive edge in the market. Although Broadbent (2017) asserts that robots can increase and facilitate communication in the workplace, human employees can work more effectively when interacting with clients, especially if they are emotionally volatile. The technologies’ failure, therefore, to provide humanly contact limits their efficiency to tasks that do not need intricate human relationships.
Artificial intelligence, mostly robots, cannot replace workers entirely because their use undermines managers’ commitments to improve customer experience. Some organisational problems, for instance, regarding customer services, may necessitate the presence of an employee to solve. While a client can make a call to a company and resolve a given issue with the help of a computerised voice, some callers may desire to talk to a person who understands more in-depth details of the situation. It is undeniable, however, that the innovations help firms to perform repetitive tasks (Wolla, 2018). Indeed, one can present the argument that robots are more effective than humans in carrying out some dull, regular activities because of their machine-level consistency and lack of boredom experiences like workers. Despite the benefits, their effectiveness is considerably weakened by their inability to promote an absolute humanlike experience that some customers may desire to have. This limitation, therefore, means that modern and future companies can only use the technologies in certain areas and at the same time continue to depend on the services employees offer.
In essence, the application of digital technologies, mainly robots and artificial intelligence by today’s organisations can only be attained to a particular extent and in the performance of specific roles. As the literature evaluated in the paper reveals, the technology is useful in areas, including performing boring and repetitive tasks to improve efficiency. The discussion suggests that even if the innovations have, in a significant way revolutionised the manner in which many companies, for instance, healthcare providers and manufacturers operate, they cannot replicate all humans’ functions and abilities, particularly in contexts that require creativity and problem-solving. Managers, therefore, who seek to attain maximum success, must identify the tasks that robots and other innovations can perform and invest in them. In a similar vein, they ought to determine the activities that workers can accomplish effectively, notably in the customer service. The use of the technologies, therefore, cannot replace workers entirely and is limited to specific organisational areas.
References
Australian Government Productivity Commission. (2016). Digital Disruption: What do Governments Need to do? Productivity Commission Research Paper, 69-80.
Broadbent, E. (2017). Interactions With Robots: The Truths We Reveal About Ourselves. Annual Review of Psychology, 68, 627-652. Doi: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010416-043958
Glew, D. (2012). Effects of Interdependence and Social Interaction-Based Person-Team Fit. Journal of Administrative Sciences, 2, 26-46. Doi:10.3390/admsci2010026
Lin, P., Abney, K., " Bekey, G.A. (2011). Robot Ethics : The Ethical and Social Implications of Robotics. Cambridge: MIT Press.
Qureshi, M.O., " Syed, R.S (2014). The Impact of Robotics on Employment and Motivation of Employees in the Service Sector, with Special Reference to Health Care. Journal of Safety and Health at Work, 5, 198-202.
Wolla, S. (2018). Will Robots Take Our Jobs? Journal of Economics, 1-5.
