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The impact of computer-mediated office technology on the labour requirements of office organizations

University of British Columbia

This thesis challenges the common belief that the use of existing and near-future applications of computer technology results in overall decreases in requirements for clerical and management labour. Three additive and one negative forms of labour impact have been identified. They are: System development and implementation, Equipment operation, Information use and management, and Labour replacement and enhancement. Five distinct areas of application have also been identified. They are: Large scale data processing, Small scale data processing, Clerical document production, Management decision-making, and Electronic office networks. For each area of application, the forms of labour impact which occur in association with the technology are discussed, and changes in employment and productivity levels claimed or documented in the literature are also examined. Tentative findings are then tested using substantive and quantitative information, concerning labour impacts that have occurred in several Vancouver office organizations which have implemented computer technology. The following is concluded from the research presented in this thesis. First, in most instances, long-term increases in labour requirements associated with the use of computer-mediated office technology outweigh the negative labour impacts which also occur. Second, the technology is seldom implemented with the primary intention of reducing labour requirements. Instead, far greater weight is given in implementation decisions to such concerns as corporate prestige, document quality, and developing new areas of information management. As a result, substantial negative labour impacts seldomly occur. Third, only a portion of negative impacts which do occur is the result of the labour replacement and enhancement capability of the technology. A large but indeterminate portion is the result of the rationalization, systemization, specialization and centralization of office practises, procedures and employees. Fourth, historic changes in employment levels and labour productivity are not accurate measures of the labour impact of computer use. As a result, it is extremely difficult to quantitatively assess the labour impact of existing or future areas of application. Fifth, the implementation of electronic office networks will be extremely difficult and costly, and will require such large increases in office labour and offers such small labour savings that few will be implemented in the near future.

Text

2010-05-31

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/25236

Planning

University of British Columbia

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