Imagining the future: concepts and possibilities

¶ … Future: Society and Communications

The continued proliferation and development of new media technologies provide an indication of the future of society and its culture in years to come. With the fast rate at which new media technologies are developed and made accessible to almost everyone in the society, it is not surprising that the future of societies today would give more emphasis on the dominant role of these technologies in almost every aspect of our lives. One of the most important developments that societies must watch out for is the increasingly changing structure of the workforce and employment system, particularly in the United States, a country which is at the forefront of technology innovation and adaptation.

American society, particularly the employment sector, is now changing its structure from hierarchical to an almost flat one, thanks to new technologies that make other work functions like administrative work, "ambient" -- that is, can be accomplished by other people and in other places or countries instead of the U.S. This gives rise to the proliferation of business process outsourcing (BPO) ventures in Asian countries, primarily in India and the Philippines. It is through these BPOs that societies become interdependent and interrelated to one another, through new media technologies. BPOs make it possibe for work functions to be extended, wherein American businesses are reaching out to its Asian neighbors through a mutual business transaction: Asian countries shall provide an efficient human resource management of employees tasked to accomplish administrative/back office roles and responsibilities, and once accomplished, are turned over to their American business counterpart for finalization or delivery.

Within the U.S., there is also an emergence of this flat structure. With the increased cost of maintaining offices and workplace environments, as well as the increasing demang among employees for moreflexible time, more and more workers are opting to work from home. The concept of "work from home" puts great importance to communication technologies as the "bridge" that will make it possible for the worker or employee at home to accomplish his/her tasks and responsibilities to his/her employer or office. Working from home does not require the individual to report for work everyday, and this saves the individual time and money, which would have been spent on commuting to and from work. Through communication technologies, more people are given the chance to create a semblance of a "work-life balance," wherein flexible time from working at home allows them to accomplish their work while at the same time, ensuring that house chores and other personal tasks are accomplished as well. This arrangement can also be applied from an inter-country perspective, wherein an employee from India need not report for work to its U.S. office or headquarters. Instead, deliverables are given through communication technologies, and other necessary communications are made possible online -- through teleconferencing, VOIP or voice-over Internet Protocol, among many other new communications media available.