Technology: Influence on Organizational Structure and Future Practice Influence on Organizational Structure and Future Practice: Technology

Technology has changed the way people interact, and how they conduct business. Social media platforms have made it easier for organizations to market their products and extend their coverage beyond geographical boundaries. This text analyzes the role of technology in the modern-day organization, including how it influences organizational structure, organizational authority, and future professional practice.

Technology has, and continues to change the way we live our lives, including how we interact with each other, and how we conduct business. Social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter are an integral part of the modern-day organization. These technologies assist organizations in interacting with their customers and also marketing their products beyond geographical borders. Through technology, organizations are able to maintain authority over their counterparts that rely on traditional methods and techniques. Technology can be a crucial source of competitive advantage if used effectively. The only requirement is that professionals remain flexible, and current with evolving technologies. They need to engage in the process of continuous learning to understand technological trends and how the same affect their respective organizations. This text analyzes the role of technology in the modern-day organization, including how it influences organizational structure, organizational authority, and future professional practice.

Internal and External Changes from Social Media and Technology

Technology has, and continues to have an impact on the modern-day organization. It has opened room for new types of social, diplomatic and managerial skills, as well as changes in organizational systems and decision-making processes. It has forced changes in basic managerial functions, leading to added emphasis on coordination, control, decision-making and planning. Computer-based management science, which demands higher levels of intellectual capability from managers has become commonplace. Electronic communication is fast becoming the primary mode of communication between managers and employees, and organizations and customers. This technological revolution has facilitated the conduction of business and increased overall interaction in organizational settings. This text is intent on showing how electronic communication is changing the organizational structure of the modern-day organization, both internally and externally. Moreover, it discusses how technology plays a role in creating authority among organizations, and how it will be integrated on a national and international level throughout organizations in future.

Technology on Organizational Structure

Organizational structure refers to the methods by which an organization distributes responsibility, and how its members communicate with each other. It is the organizational structure that determines how work and decisions flow within an organization. Technology has a huge impact on how an organization is structured. Within the organization itself, technology and social media networks make it possible for people to work as groups without necessarily being in the same room or building (Couldry, 2012). Through Skype, for instance, employees can communicate and engage with other employees in a different department or floor efficiently, and work does not have to stall just because people are unable to organize a physical meeting in time. What this means is that a line manager or supervisor is no longer responsible for only those employees within a certain geographical range or locality. An employee from the sales department can easily work with and share information with their colleague in the procurement department, even when the two departments are located in different buildings. This implies that the functions of supervisors and line managers in the two departments are changed; and with time, the organization may have to create new positions or eliminate existing positions which may have become obsolete as a result of the changing organizational structure. In this case, for instance, there may no longer be a need for as many line managers as the organization once had; however, there may be a need for more technicians to grow the organization's computer network. This ultimately changes the overall structure of the organization (Couldry, 2012).

The changes are not only witnessed within an organization -- the effect outside the organization is also quite significant. In other words, these structural changes flow over to the industry as a whole. We could illustrate this using the example of file clerks -- technology has made it possible for filing to be done electronically in the organizational setting. This implies that organizations do not need as many file clerks as they did before; however, they need more IT administrators to maintain the electronic filing system and keep it effective. This change within the organization spurs a consequent change in the industry within which it operates...

The labor dynamics in the industry, therefore, change, and the change is felt far outside the industry, when more and more students opt for IT professional courses.
The Integration of Technology and Social Media in Organizations in Future

As the use and popularity of social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest continue to grow, organizations could expect to see significant changes in how business is conducted. One of the prominent changes likely to be witnessed is social commerce -- the integration of social media and ecommerce as a way of increasing engagement with one's brand (Zimmerman & Ng, 2015). This is already happening in the U.S., but to a relatively small extent. One organization that has managed to implement this integration is Shoedazzle, a popular discount retailer in women's footwear. The company has linked its ecommerce website with Facebook through its customized Shoedazzle app -- Facebook visitors can grant access to the app, where they are allowed to complete a quiz to find their ideal styles, and are then redirected to specific pages on the Shoedazzle website, from which purchases can be made. By linking its ecommerce platform with social media, the company expands its coverage to the millions of Facebook users in far-off states or cities who may never have known of its existence. This way, the company is able to market itself nationally, and to draw customers from all over the country. Moreover, since the app offers interactive features, customer views can be obtained, and Facebook users can share information on available products with their friends and followers. We could expect to see more such integrations in future as companies strive to increase their national coverage.

Growth will, however, not be limited to the national level. Cross-border ecommerce can be expected to become more prominent as more people gain access to tablets and smart phones. These gadgets provide internet coverage that allows customers to connect with other customers via social media, compare prices, discuss services and products, locate merchants/web shops in their country, and transfer payment via their mobile device anytime, anywhere. Their increasing popularity is deemed to cause an increase in cross-border commerce over the coming years.

The Role of Technology in Creating Authority among Organizations and in Future Professional Practice

Technology helps an organization maintain authority over its competitors in the industry by providing competitive advantage. Technology provides competitive advantage in a number of ways. First, it provides effective platforms for marketing one's brand, allowing the organization to stay above those companies that rely on traditional marketing techniques (Couldry, 2012). Through sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, an organization is able to expand its products' geographical coverage nationally and internationally.

Secondly, devices such as smart phones and tablets make it possible for the organization to interact with its customers regularly. This not only increases the organization's visibility in the industry, but also helps to create a sense of community for one's customers (Couldry, 2012). This enables the company to maintain authority, in terms of customer loyalty, better than those companies that do not have access to such interactive technologies.

Technology also aids in the employment of high-quality staff -- mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets allow employees to network and promote the organization to high-quality potential employees (Couldry, 2012). Moreover, they allow easy access to social networks such as LinkedIn, through which the organization could connect with professional organizations and universities to increase their exposure to high-quality personnel (Couldry, 2012). This way, the organization is able to maintain authority over other companies in the industry by having the best people as employees.

Besides providing authority over other organizations, technology has an influence on future professional practice. Technology is constantly evolving; what is the leading technological solution today may not be the best solution tomorrow. As such, professionals will need to ensure that they remain flexible to evolving technologies, and that they stay current in their practice. They will need to engage in continuous learning to understand the trends in the field of technology, how these trends could affect their organizations, and what they need to do to capitalize on the same. Moreover, they will need to ensure that they remain flexible, and are ready to accept technological changes affecting their fields or lines of work. Only then will they be able to keep their organizations in positions of authority within their respective industries.