THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES FOR

ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT

MOJEED KASHEEM

R2012D11718872

ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

R-24322-11718872-7151

AUGUST 2021
Introduction

Organization is a collection of people working together to achieve some goal,

contributing to growing labour expertise and division, the use of large-scale technology,

managing the external environment, reducing transactional costs, and exercising power and

control (Hosie and Smith, 2009). Technology is a key component that separates one company

from another. The motivation for using new technologies is to help organizations facilitate,

speed up, and enhance business efficiency, with technology usage having a significant

influence on employee behaviour and organizational success.

Organizational behaviour, according to Stephen (2009), is a systematic study of

activities and behaviors displayed in organizations, showing human processes that cause

change in a range of organizations. In today's dynamic corporate environment, new

technologies are a game-changer within the organization, and their effect has been a key

driving force behind most modern advancements. In today's workplaces, the impact of

digitalization is unavoidable, from technology that allows for successful communication to

new conference tables that allow everyone to have smooth control of their device while

sharing it with others. (Leedy, 2021). Implementing new technology in the workplace would

therefore aim at addressing difficulties in challenges, inefficiencies, and bottlenecks

elimination (Leedy, 2021) thereby improve organizational performance, increase efficiency,

attract more customers, and stay competitive. Although, this may be beneficial to the

organization and necessary for growth, it may be challenging for employees (Denis, 2019).

Employee acceptance, resistance, and adaptation to new technology during the transition

process greatly affects how businesses succeed in a corporate setting (Bagozzi, 2007). The

new techniques and events elicit apprehension and resistance, particularly if they have a

substantial impact on how people carry out their duties. Employees differ in their desire and

aptitude to adapt to new technology (Bareil, 2013).

1
R2012D11718872
 While organizational cultures and corporate strategies affect the adoption of new

technology, the influence is usually better the other way around. In many sectors of business,

advanced technology has a substantial impact on strategic alternatives and provides

possibilities and challenges that managers must handle (Siau and Wang, 2018).

The research uses the case study RODAC Plc, to demonstrates how RODAC plc employees

responded to these organization changes. It investigates the connections between

organizational transformation and technological innovation, as well as their impact on the

culture of the company.

Necessity for Technology in RODAC Ltd

An advanced technological organization can enable its remote workers, gain cost-cutting

economic benefits, and connect with them regardless of where and how they operate (Nova,

2020; Judge et al., 1999). This would result in much more services being provided, improved

customer experience and engagement, and improved efficiency and performance, all of which

would lead to increased revenue. It is important to recognize that technological innovation

has become critical to the success and competitiveness of every organization. In the twenty-

first century, technology is such a vital part of the business environment in that, any company

that does not have some level of technological expertise would almost definitely collapse

(Wamberg & Banas, 2000). It is quite difficult to introduce a significant technological

change. Hence, the following circumstances led RODAC plc to adopt new technology.

a) The necessity of boosting the efficiency of the company: Management and staff can

be more efficient and productive thanks to new technologies (Sonenshein, 2009). The

emphasis on efficiency improvement and corporate development, as well as the need

to satisfy specific client and industry standards, are usually driving technological

improvements (Oreg, 2006).

2
R2012D11718872
 b) Digitalisation is a must-have for a 21st-century organization: In contrast to the

former twelve-hour job sequence, work schedules have become very unpredictable.

Globalisation has made it easier to serve millions of people at the same time all over

the world. With this shift came a pressing need to streamline a number of corporate

procedures. This strategy encompasses everything from employee productivity

monitoring to guaranteeing worldwide operational efficiency for consumers. Hence,

RODAC plc had to adopt new technology in order to keep up with the changing globe

and commercial climate.

c) To enhanced Communication Capabilities: RODAC plc was facing problems that

necessitated the use of technology to facilitate communication and improve the

feedback system among executives, managers, and other employees. The COVID-19

problem (stay at home order, social distancing etc.) necessitated a change in private

and businesses communication patterns, interaction with customers were facilitated

online via Google Meet, Skype, instant messages, zoom, robotics etc. regardless of

their geographical location. Introducing new technology has made it easier to

communicate with all stakeholders in real time.

d) The need to efficiently deliver to customers: new technologies have been

developed to make work simpler, save lives, and protect customer privacy.

Incorporating technology into our processes was important in enhancing a good

customer experience and better service delivery while also responding to customer

needs in timely manner. Businesses have benefited from new technology by being

more efficient, providing better customer service, and increasing shareholder and

societal value. It has enable new products and services, and has ultimately transform

people’s lives for the better.

3
R2012D11718872
 e) The prospect of bringing in expertise from outside the country: Workplace

flexibility initiatives can help businesses break down barriers to innovation by

allowing them to hire from a broader pool of candidates (Vakola, 2012). Prior to the

advent of working remotely, companies were essentially constrained to selecting the

right candidate who was either already in their immediate neighborhood or inclined to

relocate for the job, but this reportedly included being compensated for their

relocation costs, which could significantly increase the cost of new talent. RODAC

plc now recruits and retains the top applicants and industry experts regardless of their

location, thanks to aesthetically attractive flexible workplace changes.

Ethical issues in Adopting New Technologies

An ethical approach helps RODAC plc to trust that they "do right things" with

technology. Ethics transforms moral philosophy into practical rules, allowing businesses to

focus on technology while avoiding possible harm (Bostrom, 2014). Strong accountability

frameworks offer critical ethical support. Accountability requires anybody to explain what

they have done, which fosters openness, promotes good behaviour, and holds someone

accountable for wrongdoing. As a result, it aids in the translation of good intentions into

purposeful activity. In today's corporate environment, businesses must always be adaptable in

order to execute big breakthroughs and reforms (Armenakis & Bedeian, 1999). This is

obviously crucial in the world of rapid technological development, new technologies are

available to help businesses run more efficiently and successfully, managers may discover

that their employees are initially resistant to new processes and technology.

The fundamental moral standards for new technologies are becoming more widely

recognized. Moreover, putting these ideas into reality poses complex problems regarding the

precise meaning of words like fairness and justice, as well as recognizing the harm produced

4
R2012D11718872
by technology (Bossmann, 2016). Technological innovations (e.g., robotics or artificial

intelligence) are also strengthening new tensions between ethical standards, the interests of

diverse groups, such as shareholders, consumers, and employees, and cultural values.

Another very essential aspect of applying artificial intelligence technology is to consider

ethical problems (Bossmann, 2016). Every ethical approach might have a benefit. It may also

recognize its constraints and may pick the path of moral design based on the product

scenario. Humans produce science and technology to serve humanity, but artificial

intelligence technology should be better equipped to contribute to human discoveries for the

benefit of humankind.

The introduction of new technologies creates a sense of job insecurity among

employees attributed to changes in job postings that may result in their replacement (Fan,

2018). Its introduction is enough for employees working in an organization to experience

psychological trauma (Bagozzi 2007). It might be difficult to implement new technology,

such as robots or artificial intelligence, especially when it comes to persuading employees to

utilize them. Employees have been doing things in the same manner for years or decades, and

it is generally difficult for new technology to break established habits. Despite the numerous

advantages of new technology and the lengthy and steep learning curve, organizations may

experience opposition, indifference, or a mix of the two (Bihail and William, 2003). It is a

significant problem for managers since new tools may either increase or degrade a team's

performance, efficiency, or effectiveness. Almost any firm, particularly large established

businesses, may enhance productivity by making greater use of technology.

Some of the factors that contribute to RODAC plc employees' resistance to new

innovations, as well as strategies for dealing with this resistance so that new technology may

be adopted seamlessly are presented below.

5
R2012D11718872
 i. The technology that a company decides to use from the inception has a significant

impact on how challenging it is to excite and enlist people. This places the onus on

the managers and executives who select the technology to thoroughly examine their

alternatives and extensively consider the simplicity of use of the product when

adopting anything new. (Bossmann, 2016). Employees may never embrace or fully

appreciate new technological options if they are difficult to comprehend and utilize.

Employees must be exposed to new technologies as something that would benefit

them. Values in technology must be envisioned, including how it will influence their

workflow, habits, and productivity (Chuttur, 2009). Begin with a small group of

employees that are eager to test out the new technology and provide feedback. These

employees will ultimately become the evangelistic team, assisting in the promotion of

the new tools' worth and giving support if the team requires assistance in getting

started.

ii. Massive interruptions as a result of certain employees obstructing their capacity to

apply critical data and analysis, as well as change resistance, which is first

misinterpreted as a reluctance to engage are issues that must be address. The

management team was alerted because resistance to change appeared to be delaying

the adoption of new technology. For a number of reasons, the employees protested.

To begin with, technology will make performance management and process

optimization more straightforward. Specifically, a number of employees

underperformed and caused issues in carrying out their responsibilities. These

individuals justified their behaviour by pointing to systemic issues and conflicts in

other groups.

iii. The proposed technologies were met with skepticism and dissatisfaction. Several

other employees were aware of the values, but were reluctant to put them into practice

6
R2012D11718872
 because they obviously lack the required skills and competencies. They also did not

recognize their capacity to learn and practice their usage on a regular basis, or to

embrace the idea of using technology to help them with their daily tasks. One of the

greatest methods for an organization's management to inspire employees is to

celebrate victories that result from the usage of the tools and assist the rest of the team

understand the value it provides. The victory may not always be visible to everyone,

but the consequences may be felt by a large number of people.

iv. The majority of employees were opposed to the integration. Instead, they intended to

use networking events and one-on-one meetings to persuade other employees not to

participate in the move. Their main argument was that, while digital disruption may

be beneficial, the usage of such technology should be compensated. As a result, they

decided to bargain and asked for a minor rise, citing the necessity for employees to

develop new skills for the firm. This was not possible due to the high expense of the

transformation process, and the board of directors ignored it.

Overcoming Employee Resistance

Employee resistance to change is one of the most challenging and obstinate issues that

company executives confront. Change is inevitable, yet it may be fearful. Every business will

ultimately have to make internal changes that affect a group of employees or even a single

individual. An excellent way to overcome employee reluctance is to demonstrate how new

technology improves their productivity and improves everyone's position, not only service

delivery, but also staff members' (Leedy, 2021). One of the most applied remedies to change

resistance is to change the way change is communicated and the way to deal with the

audience response (Violet, 2016).

7
R2012D11718872
 The leadership needs to be very clear and specific and be ready to provide answers to

all the questions from the workforce before, during and after the change process. This will

boost workers confidence to embrace the change process. Having employee’s assistance

scheme in place will help cushion the effect of change and reduce resistance. Similarly,

management must ensure that policies that will impact workers as a result of change are not

hurriedly reviewed prior to the change – in order not to give any room for suspicion amongst

the workforce and every interest must be represented. Communication by the appropriate

quarters cannot be too much in the process of change; employees require adequate and

effective communication on every decision made as this serves to encourage and boost their

trust in the change process.

Tailor-made training is another method for encouraging staff to utilize new

technologies. Adoption of new technology is a process that must be carefully planned from

the start. This involves training to guarantee that employees are able to use their new

technology (Judge et al., 1999). Small groups should be restricted to the training sessions, so

that employees can gain personal guidance and experience by illustrating how technological

innovation improves things in real life. As against generic professional demonstration, this is

more likely to result in increased implementation and optimism among employees.

Employees can be facilitated through having workshops to establish new ways of working.

The employer can carry out coaching to make change much easier and foster consensus and

commitment to shared vision.

RODAC plc change leaders were able to take time to educate and communicate to employees
the benefits of change and how it contributes to organizational success. At the first step of
change leaders should engage their employees because change can be tough to contemplate.
Leaders should involve employees by gaining their ideas about the new implementations and
sharing management views.

8
R2012D11718872
 Gathering opinions from stakeholders, particularly employees, is essential, but

organizations may engage employees to actively participate in achieving the expected

objectives. Employees can be given the chance to cooperate in order to create ideas on how

best to embrace and integrate new innovative technologies into the organization, provides a

sense of belonging and allowing them to contribute while utilizing their expertise (Denis,

2020).

The Impacts of Introducing New Technologies

Overall, technology has a tremendous influence in the workplace. At the initial stage

of adopting and implementing the technologies, customers were kept waiting for long time

and customers' complaints became frequent. This is due to the fact that certain employees

continue to struggle with the usage of modern technology. After the successful

implementation, it results to time consuming and key users complained numerous mistakes in

process design and execution. There was a segment of the workforce that embraced the

change and began promoting them. Employees had a mixed reaction, with some stating that

they were delighted to witness the positive change. The organization has suffered enough as a

result of the lack of an efficient and dependable automation systems. New technologies

increase customer satisfaction, strengthen corporate culture, increase income, and decrease

inefficiencies.

Few months after successful implementation, the new technologies are ready for use. It was

decided to keep the previous system operating concurrently to avoid needless disruptions. For

the reasons stated, implementing new technologies proved challenging. There were

departments where younger employees had to demonstrate their understanding of how to

utilize the new system to senior management, and the senior employees did not feel safe

asking questions or seeking answers. Some employees also thought that only those who knew

how to utilize technology should be actively involved in change, which led to some conflicts

9
R2012D11718872
and frictions among colleagues. The previous model was deactivated by senior management

in order to put pressure on employees to adopt the innovative technology more regularly. A

years after it was initially stated, this modification was finally implemented in RODAC plc.

However, it was more expensive than expected, and there were several conflicts and

disagreements during the change's implementation, which had an adverse effect.

Conclusion

It is important to recognize that adopting new technological and other types of

resource changes is never easy task. Even from unexpected sources, there will be resistance.

As a result, executive management must create approaches and strategic plans to encourage

staff to accept change while fostering good work ethics. Top executives should first recognize

individuals that are eager to be early adopters and embrace change (Amarantou, 2018). This

group of employees will support in persuading the sceptics to accept the concepts. This will

make it easier to adopt changes and new ideas quickly, as well as bringing the majority of

staff on board with top management. Top management should encourage a culture of

continuity in their interactions with employees, since this will improve the rapport between

management and staff. Employees should be rewarded for helping to bring about change.

This reward does not have to be monetary; it might be in the form of more promotions and

recognition.

References

Amarantou, V. et al. (2018). Resistance to change: an empirical investigation of its

antecedents. Journal of Organizational Change Management.

Aslan, H. (2020) The mediating role of organizational identification in servant leadership’s

effect on employee performance. Management & Economics, p.443.

10
R2012D11718872
Armenakis, A.A. and Bedeian, A.G. (1999). Organizational change: A review of theory and
research in the 1990s. Journal of management, 25(3), pp.293-315.

Bareil, C. (2013) Two Paradigms about Resistance to Change. Organization Development

Journal, 31(3).

Blandford, A. et al. (2008). The PRET A Rapporter framework: Evaluating digital libraries
from the perspective of information work. Information Processing & Management, 44(1),
pp.4-21.

Bagozzi, R.P. (2007). “The legacy of the technology acceptance model and a proposal for a
paradigm shift,” Journal of the Association for Information Systems, (8:4), pp.244-254.

Bihail, C.R. and William, S.B. (2003). Converging technologies for improving human
performance. Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

Bosman, L., Hartman, N. and Sutherland, J. (2019). How manufacturing firm characteristics
can influence decision making for investing in Industry 4.0 technologies. Journal of
Manufacturing Technology Management.

Bostrom, N. and Yudkowsky, E. (2014), ‘The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence’ in Frankish.

K. and Ramsey, W.(eds), Cambridge Handbook of Artificial Intelligence, New York:
Cambridge University Press

Bossmann, J. (2016). “Top 9 ethical issues in artificial intelligence. World Economic

Forum,” Available at: https://www.weforum.org/ethical-issues-in-AI. (Accessed: 21 May
2021).

By, R.T. (2005). Organisational change management: A critical review. Journal of change

management, 5(4), pp.369-380.

Chuttur, M.Y. (2009). “Overview of the Technology Acceptance Model: Origins,

developments and future directions,” Working papers on Information Systems, (9:36), pp.9-
37

Denis, S. (2019) Ethical Issues When Implementing Organizational Change Student's Name.
Available at:
https://www.academia.edu/32036249/Ethical_Issues_When_Implementing_Organizational_C
hange_Students_Name (Accessed: 14 August 2021).

Fan, Z. and Chiffelle, C.R. (2018). These 5 Technologies Have the Potential to Change
Global Trade Forever. In World Economic Forum. Accessed February (Vol. 18, p. 2020).

Hanif, M., Khan, Y.S. and Zaheer, A. (2014). Impact of organizational resistance to change
on BPR implementation: A case of state bank of Pakistan. European Journal of Business and
Management, 6(4), pp.186-196.

11
R2012D11718872
Hunter, E.M. (2020). A Perspective of Silent Generation and Baby Boomers Challenges and
Acceptance of Workplace Technology: Qualitative Case Study (Doctoral dissertation,
University of Phoenix).

Hosie, P.J. and Smith, R.C. (2009). A future for organisational Behaviour. Emerald
European Business Review Vol .21 No. 3,2009

Judge, T. et al (1999) Managerial coping with organizational change: A dispositional

perspective. Journal of applied psychology, 84(1), p.107.

Kerin, M. and Pham, D.T. (2019). A review of emerging industry 4.0 technologies in
remanufacturing. Journal of cleaner production, 237, p.117805.

Kreitner, R., & Kinicki, A. (2004). Organisational behaviour (6th ed.). New York, NY:
McGraw Hill.

Leedy, I. (2021). Technology in the workplace. Available at:

https://www.protectedtrust.com/technology-in-the-workplace/ (Accessed: 16 August 2021).

McDermott, A.M., Fitzgerald, L. and Buchanan, D.A. (2013) Beyond acceptance and
resistance: Entrepreneurial change agency responses in policy implementation. British
Journal of Management, 24, pp. S93-S115.

Mullins, L. J. (1985). Management and organisational behaviour. Great Britain: Pitman

Oreg, S. (2006) Personality, context, and resistance to organizational change. European

journal of work and organizational psychology, 15(1), pp.73-101.

Piderit, S. K. (2000). Rethinking resistance and recognising ambivalence: A

multidimensional view of attitudes toward and organisational change. Academy of
Management Review, 25(4), 783-794

Robbins, S. P. and Coulter, M. (2001). Management (7th ed.). New Jersey, NJ: Upper Saddle:
Pearson Education.

Robbins, S. P, and Judge, T. A. (2007). Organisational behaviour (12th ed.). New Jersey, NJ:
Pearson Education.

Samah, S. et al (2017) The roles of managers and acceptance of change in the public
sector. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 7(9),
pp.1-18.

Siau, K. and Wang, W. (2018). Building Trust in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning,
and Robotics. Cutter. Business Technology Journal, Volume 31(2), p. 47–53.

Sonenshein, S. (2009). Emergence of Ethical Issues During Strategic Change

Implementation. Organ. Sci., 20, 223-239.

12
R2012D11718872
Tran, D.T., Pham, H.T. and Bui, V.T. (2020) The Effect of Contextual Factors on Resistance
to Change in Lean Transformation. The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics, and
Business, 7(11), pp.479-489.

Vakola, M. (2014) What's in there for me? Individual readiness to change and the perceived
impact of organizational change. Leadership & Organization Development Journal.

Vakola, M. and Nikolaou, I. (2005). Attitudes towards organisational change: what is the role
of employee’s stress and commitment? Employee Relations, 27 (2), 160-174. DOI
10.1108/01425450510572685.

Visagie, C. M. and Steyn, C. (2011) Organisational commitment and responses to planned

organisational change: An exploratory study. South African Business Review, 15, 98-121.

Wanberg, C. R. and Banas, J. T. (2000). Predictors and Outcomes of Openness to Changes in

a Reorganising Workplace. Journal of Applied Psychology, 85(1), 132-142

Yilmaz, O. and Kilicoglu, G. (2013). Resistance to change and ways of reducing resistance in
educational organisations. European Journal of Research on Education, 1 (1), 14-21.

13
R2012D11718872