Impact of Workplace Technologies

A Critical Analysis of the Article New Work: New Motivation? A Comprehensive Literature Review on the Impact of Workplace Technologies
Student Name
Program Name or Degree Name
COURSE XXX: Title of Course
Instructor Name
Month XX, 202X
A Critical Analysis of the Article New Work: New Motivation? A Comprehensive Literature Review on the Impact of Workplace Technologies
Introduction
The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic provided a myriad of unprecedented challenges in workplaces around the world. The restrictions measures meant to curb the spread of the virus implied that only a limited number of people could occupy the current workspaces. As a result, some businesses closed while people lost jobs. A key outcome, however, was the increase in the number of employees working from home. This was particularly feasible for people whose job requirements rely on digital solutions. Therefore, the pandemic emphasized the importance of technology in modern business and its influence on productivity. It also revived the topic on the importance of technology in workplaces and its impact on employee motivation. In the article New Work: New Motivation? A Comprehensive Literature Review on the Impact of Workplace technologies, Schmid and Dowling (2020). According to the authors, changes within workplaces can have a significant impact on employee motivation which may, in turn, affect productivity. They note that technology is among the key driving forces that have caused changes in workplaces over the years. It can therefore motivate or demotivate employees depending on the context in which it is implemented. However, the authors establish that contemporary research does not explain a direct link between technology and motivation in workplaces. In the current critical review, I postulate a direct relationship between technology and motivation in workplaces and that the former can deter or enhance the latter.
Article Summary
In the article, the authors note that technological development has a significant impact on the work environment. Technologies in a modern workspace like AI, the Internet of things, and mobile devices are responsible for shaping modern workspaces and processes (Schmid & Dowling, 2020). Quoting a 2016 study by Dell Technologies, the authors argue that 42% of American millennials would quit their jobs if the technology did not meet their standards. On the other hand, they also argue that technology can be a demotivating factor to some employees. In this aspect, the authors define workplace technology as technologies that surround the employee and are needed to get their job done. Technology shapes the working environment and job-related processes. They also define motivation as an unobservable force that energizes, directs, and sustains behavior across changing circumstances in a given period.
In identifying articles for review in their study, Schmid and Dowling adopted the following steps of literature review: search, filter, selection, and evaluation. The first step did not place restrictions on the definition of motivation. It, therefore, resulted in a broad range of results amounting to 200,000 (Schmid & Dowling, 2020). The outcomes were then filtered based on the presence of comprehensive abstracts resulting in 1454 articles. The selection step involved a criterion that required technology to feature as a motivational factor at work. The selection process resulted in 205 articles. The 205 articles were evaluated to determine whether they addressed motivational theory. The evaluation resulted in 67 publications that the authors used for the study.
The analysis of the 67 publications involved descriptive analysis of the sample. The integrative approach was key in identifying gaps and gaps and trends within the research area. The descriptive analysis followed the origin of articles, the date of publication, and the quality of results. The authors then mapped the perspectives on motivation, theories, and potential external factors that may affect workplace motivation. In the analysis, the authors focused on the descriptive analysis process, workplace technologies, and the types of relationships between technology and motivation.
By examining publications from the field of psychology, education, and management, the authors found that researchers hold different perspectives on the impact of technology on workplace motivation. They proposed combining publications into four paradigms depending on how different authors perceive technology as a motivational or demotivational factor. These paradigms assume technology as background music, a hygiene factor, a motivator, and an influencer of a mediator. They, therefore, establish that existing research seldom focuses on the direct relationship between technology and motivation. Instead, research only gives an indirect relationship constrained by current motivational theories.
Article Critique
I agree with the authors on the assertion that technology plays a significant part in transforming the work environment and impacting employee motivation. Technologies affect both processes and interactions. For instance, the mass production of cars would not have been realized without the influence of technology. The methods through which organiz...