Discuss the following questions regarding the impact(s) of computing technologie

Question

Discuss the following questions regarding the impact(s) of computing technologies in the workforce. Notes: There is not a length requirement; however, I will not accept one word/sentence answers. Inclusion of in-text citations and examples are welcomed.

1. How can computing lead to changes in the structure of an organization?

2. Is it wrong to create machines capable of making human labor obsolete?

3. The Umpire Information System, produced by QuesTec, demonstrates that a computer can call balls and strikes more accurately than a human umpire. In fact, the system is being used by Major League Baseball to evaluate the accuracy of the umpires' calls. Should Major League Baseball allow the Umpire Information System to have the final say on calling balls and strikes?

4. Kant says that humans should always be treated as ends in themselves, never merely as means to an end. Are there any circumstances under which an intelligent computer should be given the same consideration?

Explanation / Answer

1. How can computing lead to changes in the structure of an organization?

ANSWER:

Organizational structure is the method by which an organization communicates, distributes responsibility and adapts to change. According to the Reference for Business, organizational structure is how a company utilizes its resources to achieve its goals. A company needs to keep its structure dynamic so that it can respond to the things that impact organizational structure. The company that can adapt is better able to survive.

Growth:A major factor that impacts organizational structure is company growth. As a company grows, the impact on the structure of the organization is significant. This can be especially true when the organization begins to expand to other geographic regions and the structure of the organization is spread out over many miles. A company may start out small, but, as time goes by, more employees may be hired, necessitating the introduction of departmental managers to help create a managerial structure. Additionally, an executive team may be required to run the various aspects of the business, and there may be the need for middle managers who would report to the managers.

Technology: Technology can have an impact on how your organization is structured and how work flows. The Reference for Business points out that when computer networks became popular, it became easier for people to work as groups. People did not need to be in the same room, or even the same building, to be efficient. Technology can create positions within your company and it can eliminate positions. When filing is done electronically, there is no longer a need for as many file clerks as you once had but there is a need for a department of technicians to maintain and grow the computer network. As technology continues to change the function of jobs in the workplace, the landscape of organizational structure changes with it.

2. Is it wrong to create machines capable of making human labor obsolete?

ANSWER:Firstly, if machines are capable of replacing human labour, then it is obvious that some people will lose their jobs, especially if it involves manual labour such as construction or product assembly. With improvements in technology, machines are getting more productive and cheaper to manufacture. Furthermore, machines tend to be more precise and make fewer errors as compared to human workers. It would be more profitable for a company to use machinery in their production as opposed to employing human workers which are possibly more expensive to maintain in the long run. It makes business sense for companies to make the switch from using human labour to using machines. People in white-collared jobs cannot escape the unemployment too. Computers have programs such as Microsoft Word and Excel that make it easier for a single worker to go through documentation and accounts. This reduces the demand for some jobs, such as accountants or secretaries. As a result, machines end up being much than humans at their jobs, causing unemployment and making human labour obsolete.

3. The Umpire Information System, produced by QuesTec, demonstrates that a computer can call balls and strikes more accurately than a human umpire. In fact, the system is being used by Major League Baseball to evaluate the accuracy of the umpires' calls. Should Major League Baseball allow the Umpire Information System to have the final say on calling balls and strikes?

ANSWER:

It may not be Skynet, but baseball could eventually host the rise of the machines.

Eventually, technology will exist wherein computerized umpires - or umpire-like programs - will be able to call a major-league baseball game with pinpoint accuracy. Commissioner Rob Manfred says it's a topic owners will have to broach when the time comes, according to ESPN's Andrew Marchand.

"There is a separate question on whether you want to take the human element of a home plate umpire out of the game," Manfred said. "When the technology gets there, I'm sure the owners will have a conversation on whether they want to go to make that additional move of taking that human element out of the game. Right now, we don't have technology that in real time can more accurately call balls and strikes than our human umpires, who - let's not forget - get it right about 95 percent of the time."Manfred was sure to include support for his current, human, umpires following recent weeks of growing tension on the field.

The World Umpires Association (WUA) ceased its protest Sunday when Manfred agreed to a meeting. While there have been a number of confrontations in 2017, the watershed moment for the protest was the incident between Ian Kinsler and Angel Hernandez on Aug. 14.

Kinsler was reportedly fined $10,000 for his comments, but that was not enough for the umpires. Manfred, who said he doesn't think players are more abusive now than in the past, also informed the WUA that the protest was not acceptable under the current collective bargaining agreement."I was a little surprised by the umpire protest," Manfred said. "I want to be clear, that protest was a violation of their collective bargaining agreement. We let them know it was a violation of their collective bargaining agreement and we intended to enforce our rights under that agreement. Fortunately, a meeting to have a conversation defused the problem before it became more serious. That is good labor relations in my view."

4. Kant says that humans should always be treated as ends in themselves, never merely as means to an end. Are there any circumstances under which an intelligent computer should be given the same consideration?

ANSWER:

Technology is certainly evolving at an expeditious speed, and there are many circumstances under which a computer can easily replace a human to take care of simple and repetitive tasks, or for the storage of mass data which can not be processed by the human mind.

However, there are certainly times when human beings are preferred to computers.

This is when emotions are required. One thing that computers can not account for are the dynamics and intricate processes of human emotion.

So any situation that requires feeling over thought, is the situation where a human is required over a computer.

Other than this, when a grievance is issued, e.g. By a customer or employee of a company, a computer is not able to weigh up arguments and come to a logical yet emotive response. Again, only a human can do this.

As society makes advances in technology, this is a question we will be asking ourselves more and more!

Computer outperform humanity at job where :

require high precision, focus and endurance, to deal with complex , large and tedious task ( and with tremendous speed too)

neutrality and no personal judgement

constant performance, no need for self motivation

task where human live might be sacrificed or at risk etc.

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