Management Essay 32054016 - Eve Binet

‘The world is facing continuous change with social, technological, environmental,

economic and political forces reverberating around the world every day. In particular,
innovation and digitalisation-based technologies are a reality such that artificial
intelligence, blockchain technology and big data are presenting both opportunities and
threats that managers must not ignore.
Discuss what is more important, the management of the human element of the
organisation, or the management of technology? Address this question considering the
topics covered during the first part of the semester.’

The threat of a continually changing external environment heightens the importance of adaptive
technology in response to the forces around it, through which human expertise is unable to with such
efficiency and accuracy. However, this places pressure on the interactive elements of management that
are traditionally more valuable, bringing to question whether the benefits of such groundbreaking
technology really does outweigh the disadvantages, or if we ourselves are contributing to our own
demise by supporting the management of technology over the human element of organisation.
Technology is a means by which the talents and abilities of a human are amplified in order to present
a result that satisfies and often surpasses the expectations and boundaries the human element of
organisation can reach. Informed by research and analysis, this essay will analyse both the
disadvantages and advantages of face-to-face human interaction in businesses of today's society, and
the crucial aspects of management that are reinforced through the use of organisational and planning
abilities undertaken by managers today. In contrast, the growing benefits of adaptive technology will
be explored and elaborated on in order to demonstrate the pivotal role the innovation of technology
plays in being able to adjust to an ever changing environment in a way that ensures efficiency and
consistency, while the disadvantages are remaining clear. Lastly, a proposal on how the benefits of
both technological and managerial abilities can be utilised to provide an environment through which
opportunities are taken advantage of, without risking the threats that appear to be at large with the
increase in digitalisation-based technologies. Management is a core aspect of current businesses and
continues to define the organisations of today’s environment in light of the reverberating external
forces.

Despite an ever changing world, the central importance of human elements within an organisation
remains pivotal in the success and functioning of a business, by providing an interactive management
that connects and fosters employees,, as “managing is not a series of mechanical tasks but a set of
human interactions” (Teal, T., The Human Side of Management, 1996). Although there are many
benefits present in the management of the human element of an organisation, the disadvantages are
not to be overlooked, as they bring to light the faults that managers must not ignore. Firstly, an
organisation's success is highly dependent on the individuals that make up the organisation, and the
skills, motivation and performance of each employee, therefore the best way to foster this is through
close management of the individuals within an organisation. Moreover, collaboration is required in
order to ensure values and visions are effectively achieved, the goals of which can be most
successfully reached when human capital is utilised and management of the individual is monitored,
ultimately taking advantage of the communication that is apparent in a human-populated organisation.
H. Sobocka-Szcczapa discusses how “having well-established work habits and work experience are
often a key resource of a company's human capital” (2015), elaborating on the necessity of managing
the human element within an organisation and taking advantage of human capital. Furthermore, by
promoting management of the human element of an organisation, the desired culture of a company
can be more easily maintained, allowing the company’s image to remain as desired, highlighting the
Management Essay 32054016 - Eve Binet

unique role individuals play in the grand scheme of a business. On the contrary, despite the multitude
of benefits when managing the human element of an organisation, there are multiple disadvantages
that bring to question whether it is the most efficient style of management. Just as the individuals in a
workplace can maintain the company’s image, there is similarly a risk with views and opinions
contradicting an organisation's values and goals, risking a damaged reputation. Moreover, a common
disadvantage of human capital in an organisation is the necessity of training and consistency, as,
especially in the case of a company that has undergone globalisation, consistency across the board in
regards to quality and quantity is a crucial aspect and one that is difficult to maintain purely relying on
the human aspect. Managing the human element of an organisation is pivotal in the development and
maintenance of a company in today’s world, and poses many advantages and disadvantages that bring
to question whether it should be valued the way it is currently, or whether the impact of human
interaction should be reconsidered.

The power of technology lies in its ability to adapt and change in response to the inconsistencies of
the environment, demonstrating the importance of managing it in a way that utilises this trait.
Technology has many benefits in the management area that allow for a reliable, effective and secure
organisation, but with the positives, there are also negatives that highlight disadvantages of the
emerging technologies. One of the greatest advantages of the use and management of technology is
the guarantee of consistency and reliability through the constant adaptability of modern technology.
Through managing technology, the areas that require monitoring are altered, leading to more focus
being able to be paid to the quality and efficiency of an organisation. Moreover, effective management
of technology can allow an organisation to have an upper hand in the business environment,
increasing exposure, productivity and overall success, ultimately giving them a competitive
advantage. Management is surrounded by “a new digital reality, which is determined by the
development of computing technologies, artificial intelligence, robots and neurotechnologies”
(Kalenova, A, 2021). With the aid of technology big data can be collected, allowing more complex
data and larger amounts of it to be analysed by an organisation at one time, further enhanced with the
inclusion of AI to identify patterns and provide insights into a company’s success, in turn, allowing
for a more adaptable organisation that managers can take advantage of. Furthermore, sustainable
development is increasingly discussed in the modern world, and the management of technology
remains a pivotal point of this topic through the questioning of whether or not it is benefitting the
future, or if it is compromising the ability of future generations. Through being able to manage and
monitor technology, companies can efficiently develop in response to the changing external
environment. However, this brings to question whether sustainable development is being considered,
as through over-development, factors such as environment and social considerations can be
overlooked, in favour of economic benefit, highlighting the matter of whether it is truly benefitting the
future generation, or if possible future development is disregarded. In addition, technology presents
the disadvantages of high costs and security risks, which can set management back and lead to
negative connotations associated with a business, with a direct correlation between the two, presenting
more issues that requiring resolving in order to maintain an organisation. The management of
technology is increasingly important in the changing world, yet through the introduction of advanced
technology, new sets of advantages and disadvantages are exposed that managers must not overlook.

Both the management of technology and the management of humans within an organisation are
equally crucial in ensuring a business is effectively and efficiently organised and managed, enhancing
how an “important aspect for supporting the process of analytics in technology and innovation
management is … incorporating the human in the entire analytical process” (K Nazemi et al., 2021).
Both forms of management are equally important, as in order to manage technology, innovation and
Management Essay 32054016 - Eve Binet

creativity must be involved to successfully apply it, which in turn, cannot be achieved without
successful training of people and leadership that revolves around human management. A key factor in
moving forward is to consider the balance between technology and humanity, one that considers the
external factors of the environment, the economy, as well as the social implications, as sustainable
development is of growing importance in the modern world. It is in the best interests of those in
management to be aware of the achievable cooperation between technology and human management
within an organisation as, when fostered and monitored effectively, it can create an environment that
promotes organisation and positive culture, ultimately leading to a workplace that functions to the best
of its ability. By incorporating benefits of both mundane and technological actions, an organisation is
able to ‘do the right thing’ by investors and the community, by considering Corporate Social
Responsibility and becoming accountable to its actions. Additionally, through this, an organisation can
have all resources and information available to them through the collection of big data, with the aid of
technology, and the application of unique human interaction to present a harmonious organisation that
effectively balances the management of technology and the management of the human element of an
organisation.

Due to the continuous change the world goes through, technology and management are ever changing
in response to social, technological, environmental, economic and political forces. This leads to a
society that is constantly altering in order to stay relevant, bringing to question the managerial
concepts and approaches that should be most valued in an organisation. Although both technology and
human management bring forward positives and negatives, it is important to take advantage of the
way they can both be utilised in today's society to allow for continuous growth and development.
Management Essay 32054016 - Eve Binet

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