Modern technology has created huge changes for the world in general and for the business world in particular. It has basically turned the business world on its head. More and more people are using and becoming familiar with technology and this goes beyond playing at an online casino.
Of course, there are many benefits of this modern technology for businesses. Productivity is increased and profits have increased. There have been many incredible inventions and innovations due to technological advances and these have led to much improvement in businesses.
However, there is another side to the story. There are negative impacts of technology on businesses and these should not be ignored. Fortunately, there are ways for businesses to avoid these negative elements of modern technology.
Below are some of the more serious negative impacts of technology has on businesses:
Less Face- to- Face communication and interaction
Workers employed in most businesses today are using modern technology. They are using different kinds of communicative software, like Skype, WhatsApp. And Messenger and this is the way in which they are communicating with each other during their working day. This is the new form of communication, in and out of the office. Because of this, we are seeing less and less face-to-face interaction between people and staff on all levels. Instead of getting up and walking into a colleague’s office to ask a question, they will simply use some form of software to do it. This does not bode well on many levels.
Regular communication amongst those working together is reduced drastically and we know that collaboration and face-to-face interaction between employers and their staff and amongst all people working together increases productivity and ultimately profitability.
Increase in stealing and hacking business data
Much of a business’s success is based on the data they have acquired. Most businesses have put time, energy and money into developing strategies, and plans, together with much research in order to further the company’s success. If this information/data is hacked or stolen by competitors this can lead to large losses and even failure. Today much data falls into the hands of hackers. Many hackers will steal information and sell it on to the company’s competitors which can have serious consequences.
If most of the company’s business is performed using computer technology, as it is today, it is very hard for a business to manage the security and be in complete control of their data. Today hacking is big business.
Being dependent on modern technology
Being totally dependent on modern technology is also not a positive condition. Employees and workers have become used to working exclusively in a technological environment
Modern technology dependency is also the negative impact of technology on businesses.
The excessive usage of modern technology makes the employees and workers dependent on the usage of modern technology in working. They have become so dependent on this technology that they are unable to do even the smallest of tasks without the help of these technologies, rendering them, for all sense and purposes, pretty useless.
The excessive use of modern technology dampens creativity and innovation in the workplace. A large part of the success of any business relies on the creativity of its workers and this can be inhibited by the overuse of modern technology.
These technologies are costly
In general, most of the newest and advanced devices and gadgets on the market are not cheap. Many small businesses cannot afford to purchase the ever- changing technology available. Everyday day new innovations are made to the present devices and it has become crucial for businesses to update the technology they use in order to remain competitive, improve their productivity and of course to increase the profitability of their businesses.
The high cost of these new modern technologies can be a real obstacle for many of these small businesses to overcome in order to remain in the playing field.
Technology can be a distraction and a time waster
Whilst we see that the business world has certainly benefited from the introduction of modern technology, there are some less beneficial side effects for them too. Employees and staff on all levels are using this technology for their own personal use, and during working hours. Many employees are wasting time, for instance, watching videos on YouTube or some other platform. This, it seems is quite widespread. This represents a big loss in terms of productivity for these businesses. Employees using technology for their own personal needs during working hours is wasting a lot of productivity time.
Modern technology is probably the number one distraction for workers in the workplace. They are able to access all kinds of non-work- related sites and platforms which takes them away from the work they are employed to do. Instead of working they are playing video games or logged into some other form of entertainment. This represents a big problem for businesses as workers are less focused on work.
Staff training in this new technology
Employees need to be fully up to date with the technology and therefore training is required. This has proven quite difficult as not everyone is able to learn and understand modern technology. For some people this is very difficult. Yes, technology can improve productivity but the burden is on the people being able to use the technology properly. Younger people may have an easier time adjusting to these new technologies but everyone will need to be trained.
Using technology to cheat
Cheating has proven a real problem with modern technology. Unfortunately, many employees are more than ready to cheat by stealing information concerning their company and passing it on to their competitors for money. Employees having access to the company’s data and secret information via technology has led to much fraud being perpetuated by employees and can have serious consequences for businesses. With the help of technology and generous ‘gifts’, competitors are able to approach the staff of their competitors and persuade them to cheat on their company. Loyalty to the employer and company seems to be less of a priority.
Problems with maintenance
Maintenance can also prove to have quite a negative impact on businesses. Technology has been developed and designed by professionals and therefore, whenever there is some glitch in the system it needs a professional to come and sort it out. Mot of the employees are not up to the task. They are not professionals and most of them do not understand how the system works at all. Waiting for a professional to come takes time and holds up work plus businesses need to pay these professionals to fix the problem.