Has Technology Made Managers Obsolete?
Introduction
The rise and fall of technology in businesses has long been a topic of passionate dispute among economists, and this has continued. For the vast majority of us, the caliber of a company’s leadership is the most important factor in determining the success of the organisation. When it comes to the long-term health of a firm, the overall quality of the organization’s leadership is directly proportional to the health of the business.
Despite their capacity to make outstanding decisions and build lucrative businesses, the vast majority of managers are unable to compete in today’s market. It is possible to achieve and maintain a competitive advantage despite the whims of the market if one applies clear thinking and constant work. When it comes to individuals who subscribe to the “management works” school of thought, the decision tree serves as an excellent metaphor, as evidenced by well-known figures like Peter Drucker.
Read More: Leadership and People Management
Outstanding management, in the opinion of naysayers, will have little impact on the direction of a firm and will have only a limited impact over a relatively short period of time. It is impossible to foresee the strategy or product platform of a corporation in the business world. Their only hope is that everything will work out for the best and that they will be able to adjust as quickly as possible after the event.
Businesses will all go out of business at some time in their life, but they will all do it at a different stage in their development. Instead of the administration, the system is in charge in this instance. It was founded by Joseph Schumpeter, one of the most prominent economists in history, who is credited with coining the phrase “creative destruction.” It is in this location that a large number of economists, venture capitalists, and Darwinian business theorists have established their offices.
Those who advocate for management face a major challenge because they are unable to predict the effects of their decisions. As a result, what is the use of having exceptional leadership, a good business plan, and an abundance of resources if it is management that ultimately determines the fate of a corporation?
For how long has one publicly traded firm beat the S&P 500 by a large margin on a consistent basis? Consequently, as a result of globalization and the dissolution of industry boundaries, traditional aspects of strategy and competitive advantage, such as distribution channels, manufacturing capabilities, and even brands, are no longer sufficient to protect established firms against skilled and radical new entrants into their markets.
Has technology made managers obsolete?
Managers can better plan strategies, make speedier choices, outline tasks that employees must do in detail, and monitor employee performance as a result of today’s technological advances. As a result of technical improvements, the four core duties of a manager’s job have been made easier and more successful.
Through the use of technology, it is feasible to improve management planning, provided that managers have access to the information they require in order to make knowledgeable decisions. Because of technological advancements, information may be acquired from both internal and external sources, stored in a data warehouse, and made available to management via a network. Using organizational collaboration technologies, your management team will be able to plan operations and make decisions in a more collaborative environment.
In the workplace, telecommuting refers to the practice of working from home while utilizing a computer to complete job activities at one’s employer.
As a result of technological advancements in the workplace, the role of a manager is evolving as well. It was customary for employers to place their offices close to their homes in order to take advantage of the nearby pool of skilled workers. As a result of being able to see and hear what was going on in the workplace, management could communicate with its employees more effectively.
Because of technological improvements that have reduced the necessity for face-to-face interaction between employees, managers can now monitor people from a distance. For many people, working from their desks in front of their computers is the most productive place in which to do their work.
As a result of the enormous number of telecommuting options that are now available, employees can now work from virtually any location in the world. As a result, employers will no longer be required to evaluate where to locate their organisation in the future. Additionally, via the use of technology, businesses in high-labor-cost areas can outsource their work to lower-wage locations, lowering their overall operating costs.
In the case of Progressive Auto Insurance, for example, there is no need to establish a claim processing factory in South Carolina because a pool of trained employees is accessible in Mumbai, India, where the company’s headquarters are situated, and where the company’s headquarters are located. Instead, work can be completed thousands of kilometers away and then communicated back to the main office by supplying the required computer equipment and other ancillaries to the remote workers involved.
It has become increasingly difficult to communicate effectively with employees who are dispersed throughout the organisation while also ensuring that performance objectives are met. In order to create performance requirements and ensure that work is completed on time and in line with established standards, organizations are increasingly placing a greater emphasis on training managers.
When working in a decentralized environment, managers will have to adapt their methods of controlling the workplace because traditional face-to-face communication will no longer be feasible. Instead, the importance of involving employees in decision-making processes that have an impact on their daily lives is becoming increasingly apparent. Managers must be made aware of the fact that home workers will be able to do their allocated tasks at a time that is convenient for both them and the organisation as a whole from the beginning.
A person may instead choose to labor for two hours here, three hours there, and another three hours later in the evening, spreading out his or her efforts throughout the day and evening instead of working eight hours straight. Emphasis will be shifted away from the means and toward the final destination. As a result of technical advancements, the availability of huge quantities of data on sales, inventories, and production has had the greatest impact on management planning.
Information technology can be used to collect data from a variety of sources, including sales representatives, branch offices, retail locations, suppliers, and logistics partners, among others. As well as market data provided by third-party analysts and research businesses, it is feasible to incorporate client orders, inquiries, and the introduction of new products into the study. ERP software, which connects all of your company’s computer systems, assists you in making better business decisions.
To track and organize client orders, an enterprise resource planning system (ERP) replaces a variety of discrete computer systems across a wide range of domains, including sales administration, financial warehousing, and delivery. As a result of being able to trace an order’s progress across many business systems, managers can more easily spot bottlenecks or other challenges, which can then be used to plan for future improvements. In an age where technology allows employees to work at their own pace and from virtually any location, the manager’s position is changing rapidly.
Managers and employees can stay in touch by using laptop computers, for example, even while the latter are abroad on business. The issues that managers face today in terms of social responsibility include philanthropy, pricing, employee relations, resources, product quality, and conducting business in hostile environments, to name a few. A person’s social incompetence can have far-reaching consequences.
“Social responsibility” is one of just a few concepts that has been defined in as many different ways as the phrase “social responsibility”. Profit maximization, going beyond profit making, voluntary activities, concern for the broader social system, and social responsiveness are just a few of the popular interpretations.
Conclusion
Organizations functioning in an unpredictable economic climate are no different from those operating in a more stable economic environment in that the organizations with the most effective leaders and strategists will emerge as the winners in the long run. According to the organizers, despite the fact that victories may not be as long-lasting as in previous years, the games will still involve head-to-head confrontations between executives from rival companies.
Regardless of the complexity, businesses will be forced to make difficult decisions that will commit them to a specific course of action. In order to maintain their position against the shifting tides and remain afloat, they will do anything and everything in their power. After the data and their intuitions have been pushed as far as they are capable of being pushed, they will make significant investments as a result of their persistent efforts. When it comes down to it, I’d put my money on the side of the organisation that sets a high priority on sound management.
