The High Technology Workplace

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The High Technology Workplace
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High Technology Industry

• The definition of high technology industry
• Employs 1.5 times the average proportion of
  technology-oriented workers
• With research and development expenditures twice
  the average of all industries
• Being above average in both categories

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• Electronics, pharmaceuticals, aerospace,
  genetics, communication equipment, machinery,
  ordnance, chemicals, instrumentation.

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• Is technology liberating or enslaving?

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Impact of Technology on Jobs

• Job skill level
• Control of the labor process
• Job creation and loss

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Technology and Jobs Skill Level

• 1. Deskilling with increasing technology
• Increases labor supply

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• 2. Skill upgrading thesis
• Machine and computer designer, maintainers, and
  problem solvers

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• Requires continuous upgrading of skills

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• Mixed results
• Even in high technology industries, more low
  skilled jobs created than high skilled jobs

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Reciprocal RelationshipTechnical and Job Skill
at Societal Level

• Prosperity and quality of life require
• Symbolic analysts

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Situation in the U.S.

• The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports
  that people 25 and older with college degrees

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Job Skill Level

• New economy requires symbolic analysts (Reich
  1992)
• Increase in percent of population with college
  degree

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Earnings by Education (Monthly Labor Review Oct.
20, 2005)
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But the news for college graduates is not all
good.

• college graduates will
  not find college level employment. Among those
  preparing for the professions this number will be
  one in two. (Bureau of Labor Statistics 2006)

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Control of the Labor Process

• Machine pacing and regimentation
• Telecommuting

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Telecommuting Facts

• How many workers telecommute?
• Telework America, Behavior Research Center study
  (July 2000) - sponsor, ATT

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• Who are telecommuters?
• Home workers are more often
• Telework America

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• Telecommuters are just one group of teleworkers.
  Other teleworkers include
• "Telecommuting (or Telework) Alive and Well or
  Fading Away?," International Telework Association
  and Council, June 2001

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• Telecommuting is most popular in both
• IDC Report, Telecommuters and Technology Use,
  Office technology equipment.

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• Advantages
• Self employment opportunities
• Disadvantages
• Missed access to information
• Coordination with others
• Flexibility --

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Job Creation and Loss

• Robots replace workers

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Occupations most Susceptible to Offshoring
(Bureau of Labor Statistics 2006)

• 13-1023 Purchasing agents, except wholesale,
  retail, and farm
• products
• 15-1011 Computer and information scientists,
  research
• 15-1021 Computer programmers
• 15-1031 Computer software engineers, applications
• 15-1032 Computer software engineers, systems
  software
• 15-1041 Computer support specialists
• 17-1011 Architects, except landscape and naval
• 17-2011 Aerospace engineers
• 17-2031 Biomedical engineers
• 17-2041 Chemical engineers
• 17-2061 Computer hardware engineers
• 17-2071 Electrical engineers
• 17-2072 Electronics engineers, except computer
• 17-2121 Marine engineers and naval architects
• 17-2131 Materials engineers
• 17-2141 Mechanical engineers
• 17-3011 Architectural and civil drafters
• 17-3012 Electrical and electronics drafters

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• 17-3013 Mechanical drafters
• 17-3023 Electrical and electronic engineering
  technicians
• 17-3024 Electro-mechanical technicians
• 17-3027 Mechanical engineering technicians
• 19-1021 Biochemists and biophysicists
• 19-1022 Microbiologists
• 19-1042 Medical scientists, except
  epidemiologists
• 19-2031 Chemists
• 19-2032 Materials scientists
• 19-4021 Biological technicians
• 19-4031 Chemical technicians
• 27-1014 Multi-media artists and animators

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• 27-1021 Commercial and industrial designers
• 27-1024 Graphic designers
• 31-9094 Medical transcriptionists
• 43-2011 Switchboard operators, including
  answering service
• 43-2021 Telephone operators
• 43-3011 Bill and account collectors
• 43-3031 Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing
  clerks
• 43-4051 Customer service representatives
• 43-9021 Data entry keyers
• 49-3011 Aircraft mechanics and service
  technicians

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Software Jobs and Industries(Work in America
2004-2005187)
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Iowa State University undergraduates
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Aircraft Maintenance Outsourced
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Medical Tourism

• In a nutshell, medical tourism can be described

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• A Louisiana man, upon learning that surgery to
  repair a herniated disk in his neck would cost
  90,000, turned to the internet to look for a
  hospital abroad. In the end, the procedure, which
  was performed by a U.S.-trained surgeon, only
  cost him a mere 10,000. In addition to favorable
  exchange rates, the cost savings gained through
  our unique partnerships with facilities abroad
  can often mean even greater savings for our
  clients.

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• Medical tourism is affordable
• No insurance administrative fees
• Bumrungrad International Medical Center in
  Bangkok, Thailand