Organizational behaviorists are seeking ways to reduce overall workplace stress and ways to harness the potential for technology to reduce instead of cause stress.
Technology can be harnessed to reduce the stress that it causes. For example, time saved on one project should be used to encourage down time, exercise, or other stress-reducing activities. Employees can be encouraged to play games, listen to music, or email friends during structured breaks. Instead of prohibiting employees from communicating with friends and families, supervisors can encourage such communications so long as employee productivity is not compromised. Workplaces rich in technological tools and with robust it departments should also ensure ergonomic work stations and related devices. Technology allows workers to telecommute and therefore spend more time with their families, and technology makes business communications far less stressful for socially anxious or shy workers.
At the same time, technology allows for a constant barrage of communications on cellular phones, portable hand-held computers, or laptops. Managers need to take care to not abuse the power of technology by ensuring employee downtime and the flexibility to respond to emails and phone calls in a reasonably timely manner. Moreover, technology can create stress when workers are pressured to perform more work than they can handle. Because of improvements in technology, managers might automatically increase workloads. Managers need to consult with employees and find out how much time is spent on learning new software or hardware, compensating employees for their training. Supervisors and managers frequently ignore the tremendous labor that technology training and maintenance entails, inadvertently creating a more stressful workplace. Any technology-induced...
Ethical decision-making can in fact be combined with improvements to technology. Software can be harnessed to create company-wide collaborative codes of ethics, instant communications related to codes of ethics or specific decisions. Ethical decision-making and responsible technologies can create a more accountable, empowered workforce.
References
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Duncan, P. (2006). Increase Productivity and Decrease Work-Related Stress. About.com. Retrieved Oct 8, 2008 at http://stress.about.com/od/managementtools/a/peggyinterview_2.htm
The Ethics Network. (2007). Building an Ethical Culture. Retrieved Oct 8, 2008 at http://www.ethicsnetwork.net/BECulture.shtml
Impact of Technology on Work Related Stress." (2008). Stress Management. Retrieved Oct 8, 2008 at http://www.aboutstressmanagement.com/stressrelief/workplace-stress/management/impact-of-technology-on-work-related-stress.htm
The PLUS Decision Making Model." (nd). Retrieved Oct 8, 2008 at http://www.ethics.org/resources/decision-making-model.asp
Workplace trends: Technology increases workplace stress." (1999). Office World News. Retrieved Oct 8, 2008 at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3840/is_199910/ai_n8869850
