Technological Advancements, Human Resources, and the Impact of Technology on Society

Different Technological Advancements

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
    • Branch of computer science focused on machines performing intelligent tasks.
    • Relies on logic, reasoning, and data training.
    • Example: Deep Blue (IBM, 1997)
      • Chess-playing AI that defeated a world champion.
      • Calculated 200,000,000 positions per second.
      • Used a brute force algorithm (less intelligent structure).
  • Nanotechnology
    • Manipulation of matter at the atomic to super-molecular scale.
    • Richard Feynman: Considered the father of nanotechnology.
    • Carbon Nanotubes
      • Applications in medical, electrical, mechanical, and robotics fields.
      • Example: Kansius machine (application of nanotubes).
      • Used in bicycle components, wind turbines, displays, sensing devices, batteries, microscopes, and circuitry.
      • Other uses: energy storage, test tubes, optics, semiconductors, and biofuel.
    • Nanobots (Karzweil, 2005)
      • Future use in the medical field for capturing and transferring biomolecules and cells.
      • Potential impact on isolating and biosensing damaged cells.

Importance of Human Resource (HR) Despite of Technological Advancement

  • Definition of Human Resource (HR)
    • Umbrella term for the management and development of employees.
    • Focuses on increasing employee performance.
    • Covers a wide range of needs, including hiring, firing, and pay reviews.
    • Represents the people who work for a company and the department that manages employee-related matters.
  • Main Functions of Human Resource
    • Recruitment and Onboarding
      • Finding the right employees can be difficult and costly.
      • Onboarding maximizes employee engagement and retention.
      • Poor onboarding can disengage new employees.
    • Performance Management and Training
      • Addresses employee skill gaps.
      • Supports employees and identifies future leaders.
      • Strengthens weak links in the company.
      • Contributes to engagement, productivity, reduced turnover, and positive culture.
    • Culture
      • Positive culture drives engagement, satisfaction, and retention.
      • HR develops, reinforces, and changes the culture.
      • Includes pay, performance management, training, recruitment, and values.
    • Business Communications
      • Effective communication mitigates misunderstandings and increases engagement.
      • Forms the basis for better client relationships and encourages innovation.
    • Legal and Regulatory Compliance
      • HR professionals understand employment law and regulatory requirements.
      • Unfair dismissal claims can be expensive.
  • Importance of Human Resource
    • Managing staff takes time and requires specific skills.
    • HR is an area of expertise many business owners lack.
    • Poor HR can affect employee satisfaction, culture, and long-term success.
    • Reputation as an employer is crucial for attracting talent and impacting customers.
  • Importance of HR during a Pandemic
    • Companies are measured by their treatment of staff.
    • HR supports remote management and communicates business downturn consequences.
  • Human Resource Management (HRM) vs. HR
    • HR: Set of people who manage employee-related resources.
    • HRM: Process of selecting, recruiting, onboarding, structuring policies, and ensuring employee well-being.
  • Role of HR in HRM
    • Crucial in bridging the gap between employees and management.
    • Responsible for enabling change, driving adoption, manpower planning, and improving attrition rates.
  • Functions of HRM
    • Builds and maintains the employee life cycle.
    • Includes orientation, policies, compensation, benefits, training, and payroll.
    • HR staffing ratio: 1 HR professional per 100 employees (can vary).
  • Advantages/Benefits of HRM
    • Performance Management: Tracks employee performance and aligns them with organizational goals.
    • Conflict Management: Resolves internal and external conflicts.
    • Improving Workforce Churn: Charts policies to improve retention.
    • Building Relationships: Creates a happy work atmosphere and fosters long-lasting relationships.
    • Hiring and Training: Fills positions with skilled talent.
  • HRM vs. HRD (Human Resource Development)
    • HRM governs activities performed by HRD.
    • HRM is reactive, focuses on organizational goals.
    • HRD is proactive, enhances employee productivity.
    • HRM improves overall employee performance.
    • HRD enhances skills and knowledge.
  • Challenges of HRM
    • Improving attrition
    • Accurately planning manpower
    • Continuous training and improving skills
    • Effective change management
    • Keeping up with new technologies
  • Objectives of Human Resource Management
    • Recruit and retain the right talent
    • Improve employee turnover rate
    • Ensure employee improvement
    • Handle the employee life cycle
    • Enable employee engagement and increase productivity
    • Offer a rich employee experience
  • Principles of HRM
    • Human resources are essential drivers of growth.
    • HR department is responsible for hiring, training, and retaining talent.
  • How human resource evolving with technology
    • Reduced manual interventions and automated administrative tasks
    • HR as a business function (1990s)
      • Automated and simplified its process chain
      • Expanded its role and expertise on vital aspects of employee life cycle
    • HR as a business partner
      • Online learning management applications, application tracking software, employee portals, etc.
    • HR as a strategic partner (2010)
      • Data management and people analytics solutions
      • Cloud computing and AI
    • HR and Technology in COVID Times
      • Workforce safety and business continuity
    • Bridge communication gap
      • Online collaborative platforms like Microsoft Teams, Slack, Skype facilitate stay connected
    • Make Data Driving Decisions
      • Smart use of data analytics to proactively take critical strategic decisions in a rational way
    • Outskilling of talent
      • Employee training programs have become digital and cater to individual needs
    • Employee engagement and attention
      • Dynamic goal setting, regular performance checks, and crowdsorted feedback
  • Future of HR Technology
    • Technology has been key in changing the landscape of HR
    • Processes like learning and development, payroll management, onboarding, employee engagement or outsourced services
    • Technology complements the HR function to drive productive workplaces

The Human Experience In Order To Strengthen And Enlighten The Human Person Functioning In Society

  • Human Experience in Society
    • Human society has changed much over the last centuries
    • Society is a large group of people who are living together in an organized way, making decisions about how to do things and sharing their work that needs to be done.
  • There are three main characteristics of what society is
    • The society as a group of people
      • The group of people entails homogeneity and possesses commonality. A good example for this is using only one language in a certain society.
    • The society as living in organized ways
      • The nature of a society is to establish harmony where a group's character is being defined by the boundaries set in its territory.
    • The society with bound space and Territory
      • Each territory must have a significant identity where they are being defined by the practices they are doing and the place they are living in.
  • The origin of the society consists of a perspectives and believes that the conflicting interests of each part of the society can be harmonized
    • The guardians or the philosophers who govern the society, the government officials or the government itself, Plato believed it could only happen when political power and philosophy meet.
    • The auxiliaries are the soldiers who defend it. Plato believes and also he said that the soldiers must be courageous and intellectually gifted. They should also be philosophic to be able to see who are the true enemies.
    • The producers or the masses who were driven by their desires
      • The masses are being formed by the group of the farmers and different workers in different fields. They are the one who are providing the needs of the society.
  • The Social Evolution Perspective
    • This suggests that societies were formed through the process of evolution
  • The Structural Functionalist perspective
    • According to this perspective, each institution, relationship, role, and norm that constitutes a society serve a purpose.
  • The Social Contract Theory
    • This theory believes that the existence of the society came from the agreement entered into by the individuals.
  • The four reasons to establish Social Contract Theory
    • The quality of needs
    • The scarcity, is defined as falling short of our resources because it is just limited because of the rapid growth of the population.
    • Equality of human power
    • Limited altruism

The Effects of the Interplay Between Technology and Humanity Through the Dilemmas They Face

  • Technology's Influence
    • Technology has become central to the human condition.
    • It shapes behavior, growth, and development.
  • Historical Context
    • Humans have been tool users throughout history.
    • The last century has seen rapid technological advancements.
  • Global Connection vs. Virtual Distance
    • Technology has connected people globally.
    • It has also created distance between those physically close.
  • Positive Effects of Technology
    • Bridging the Global Gap
      • Technology allows learning about the world and connecting with others.
    • Fast and Convenient Task Completion
      • Examples: booking travel, online banking, ATM machines.
    • Faster and Ease of Communication
      • Communication, transportation, and interaction are faster.
  • Negative Effects of Technology
    • Virtual Distance
      • People are physically together but detached due to technology.
    • The End of Intimacy
      • People prefer texting instead of meeting.
      • Human interactions are replaced with machine interactions.
    • Defining Human Interaction
      • Human interaction involves actions between two humans.
    • Changing the Rules of Human Interaction
      • Cultures are absorbed by technology-reliant cultures.
    • Virtual Distance and the Growing Child
      • Virtual distance is destructive to children due to effects on cognitive development.
  • The Technological Dilemma
    • Overdependence on technology in advanced countries threatens the quality of life.
    • Nuclear Technology
      • Nuclear armory demonstrates the weakness of the world political system.
    • Population Explosion
      • Medical technology has increased population but also offers control through contraception.
    • Ecological Balance
      • Industrialization promotes a worldwide ecological crisis.
  • Interactions Between Society and Technology
    • The relationship between technology and society is complex.
    • Any technological stimulus can trigger various social responses.
  • The Putative Autonomy of Technology
    • Technology is a social phenomenon.
    • Technology cannot possess complete autonomy.
    • The element of despair in interpretations is derived from an exaggerated view of the power of technology to determine its own purse apart from any form of social control.
  • Technology and Education
    • Academic instruction has become an important feature of modern technology.
    • These accelerated the convergence between science and technology
  • The Quality of Life
    • Technology has brought a higher standard of living to people in advanced countries
  • Emerging Ethical Dilemmas in Science and Technology
    • The ethical dilemmas and policy issues are personalized genetic tests or personalized medicine, hacking into medical devices, driverless zip cars, three d printing, adaptation to climate change, low quality and counterfeit pharmaceuticals, autonomous systems, human animal hybrids ensuring access to wireless and spectrum, data collection and privacy, human enhancements.
  • Advantages and Disadvantages of Overdependence
    • Efficiency and ease.
    • Costly: e.g., medical care.
    • Disadvantages: make less intelligent. Negative effects include mental and physical health problems.