This paper proposes a qualitative research study examining the relationship between technology and workplace development and innovation. Drawing on innovation system theory, open innovation models, and real-world case studies such as Sun Microsystems' Open Work program, the paper outlines how technological innovation reshapes organizational structures, work practices, and competitive strategy. The proposal details a study design involving observation, interviews, and surveys with employees, managers, and supervisors to assess how new technologies are adopted and evaluated within organizations. The paper also addresses methodological considerations including sample size, data collection, qualitative observation, and researcher bias.
This paper proposes a research study on technology and its impact on workplace development and innovation.
The work of Meckl (2008) states that innovation system theory "indicates a transition from individual study to systematic research. The innovation system theory combines the dynamic and complexity of innovation. According to this theory, technological innovation interacts with institutional innovation, and the key factors in this system include knowledge, learning, and ability" (p. 134). Meckl (2008) further states that the entrepreneur is "a core factor in a firm's technological innovation and competitiveness; it is a necessity in technological innovation." Additionally, in practice "not only a firm is embedded in the social structure as an organization, but also the entrepreneurs' innovation activities are socially embedded" (Meckl, 2008).
According to Meckl (2008), the technological innovation system in a firm "is considered as a special network structure, which consists of certain nodes. These nodes mainly include social actors that have a close relation with a firm's activities, such as suppliers, dealers, competitors, cooperators, potential rivals, consumers, government, communities, universities, research institutions, and so forth." Flowing between these nodes are "factors like innovation, information, knowledge, learning opportunities, social norms, trust and reputation" (Meckl, 2008). These factors are reported to interact "with the technological innovation activities in both market structure and social structure and eventually lead to the birth of technological innovation" (Meckl, 2008).
It is reported in the work of Benko and Weisberg (2007) that Sun Microsystems' core business is "creating innovative technologies to accelerate workplace innovations and productivity. Sun has made innovation a priority within its own $13 billion global organization" (Benko and Weisberg, 2007). The example provided involves a "collaboration of real estate, information technology, and human resource organizations. These units of the Silicon Valley-based company built an infrastructure to support employee telecommuting, 'hoteling' in temporary offices at Sun properties, and virtual teaming. Talent management goals were embedded in the project's business objectives" (Benko and Weisberg, 2007).
Included in the business objectives was the reduction of operating costs, leveraging the network to the greatest extent possible, finding talent nationally and internationally, entering emerging markets, engaging more extensively with global customers, and ensuring business continuity when the unexpected occurred (Benko and Weisberg, 2007, paraphrased). It is reported that in 2006:
"More than 50% of Sun's thirty-four thousand employees were active participants in this program, known as Open Work. The participant employees worked in Sun's offices part time, and others were designated for home-based assignments and did not work in Sun's offices at all. The company saved in excess of $387 million in five years between 2001 and 2006. Employees were able to make more creative choices about where and when to work, resulting in Sun receiving the Alliance for Work-Life Progress award in 2006. Sun's Open Work program has been recognized for its contributions to the environment, with Sun committed to eco-responsibility, which assisted in the reduction of carbon emissions from employees by taking them off the road." (Benko and Weisberg, 2007)
Technology has greatly enabled the employees of Sun, and in addition technology is stated to be "instigating a profound change in how employees are measured." It is noted that "Face Time is no longer a criterion in employee performance — it's measured by the output or the value that is being contributed" (Benko and Weisberg, 2007).
The work of Igbaria and Tan (1998) states that technology and innovation "change the ways we work and finally reshape entire societies. Our own evolution and the evolution of our tools is an interactive process" (Igbaria and Tan, 1998). It is reported that Michael Schrage stated, "humankind is really coevolving with its artifacts — genes that can't cope with that new reality will not survive into future millennia" (Igbaria and Tan, 1998).
Igbaria and Tan state that invention and technological innovation "have been key sources of human progress — political progress as well as economic progress. The power of information technology is shaping new communities on an international and even global basis; communities open to a wide variety of uses and interpretations" (1998). The question is not whether, but how, technology will bring about changes in organizations and nations throughout the world. Stated as the most intriguing challenge at the present time is the "way in which individual information users interacting with the new technology can also take part in shaping the changes to come" (Igbaria and Tan, 1998).
Virtual employment — work conducted from one's home — is serving to bring about a change in the working environment and even the urban environment. Due to virtual employment there is a "large background for the new ways of planning life that Nordic cities must face, ways of encouraging natural growth, ways of encouraging neighborhoods rather than suburbs" (Igbaria and Tan, 1998). It is not bigness but rather smallness that makes Nordic cities "so livable" (Igbaria and Tan, 1998). Therefore, the workplace of today is not necessarily the traditional work site or even the traditional work hours, as virtual employment has emerged and is presently experiencing rapid growth worldwide.
Technological innovation in a firm is required in today's business environment; however, it is reported to be little understood exactly how technological innovation arises and how a firm can best motivate the growth of technology focused on innovation and workplace development.
The relationship between IT and open innovation models is stated in the work of Nambisan (2009) to be "complex and circular in nature." IT is said to make it possible to "structure, facilitate and manage open innovation," and the continued demand for more adaptive innovation models has spurred an increased demand for new forms of technology. "As new firms continue to open their boundaries they will increasingly adopt IT to enable this way of organizing" (Nambisan, 2009).
Firms will not only adopt new technologies "but they will also demand new technological advances to create efficiencies in a world where boundaries are erasing and competitors are becoming co-operators" (Nambisan, 2009). Nambisan notes that in closed innovation models, IT is used mainly for automating existing operations and increasing communication speed. However, the open innovation model encompasses "new forms of teams" and the adoption of new technologies for the purpose of realizing competitive advantage. The offerings of new types of IT include "the ability to visualize the entire work process, create products in a flexible and real-time environment, collaborate virtually and conduct what-if scenarios" (Nambisan, 2009).
It is reported that advances in networking and communication technologies "make information more widely and readily available, reduce the use of a hierarchy to manage information flows, and coordinate activities more easily and swiftly" (Nambisan, 2009). The result is that "newer technologies decrease the need to move information through a hierarchical process and instead allow collaborators to organize work and determine what can be done with the information obtained" (Nambisan, 2009).
Research questions in the proposed study will include the following:
(1) What technologies are presently being used in the organization?
(2) What are the costs and benefits of these technologies?
(3) What are the strengths and weaknesses of the technologies?
(4) How can the organization improve its competitive position by maximizing the use of existing technologies?
(5) How are competitors using technology?
(6) What technical, marketing, and management strategies do competitors derive the most benefit from through technology?
(7) What lessons can be learned from the successes or failures of competitors with these technologies?
(8) What can the organization learn from its own experiences with new technologies?
(9) What standards of success should each adopted technology be subjected to?
"Qualitative observation, interviews, and methodological considerations"
"Participants, instruments, and data sources"
"Descriptive analysis and researcher bias controls"
This work has proposed a research study for the purpose of examining how new technology serves to develop the workplace and encourage and enable innovation. Innovation may take the form of new products, new forms of employment, new capabilities, or cost savings to the organization resulting from newly implemented technology. Understanding how technological innovation arises — and how organizations can best cultivate it — remains an important and underexplored area of inquiry in today's rapidly evolving business environment.
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