The Paradox, the Surprise, and the Wonder.

Recently I read Neil Postman’s 1993 book, Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology. In it Postman talks about the perils associated with the use of new technology and its unseen or unimagined consequences. From writing and print to the introduction and use of the computer, Postman points out the subtle ways in which new technologies designed to be of benefit to humanity have in fact detracted from the true discovery of it and have done little to advance culture, instead enslaving culture through the incessant quest for the latest gadget advertised to “simplify” or otherwise improve our lives.

Postman cites technology historian Lewis Mumford’s writings on the mechanical clock, which was invented by the Benedictine monks to call them to worship, to illustrate his point. Mumford writes, “The Mechanical clock made possible the idea of regular production, regular working hours and a standardized product.” Postman takes this point further by writing “without the clock, capitalism would have been quite impossible. The paradox, the surprise, and the wonder are that the clock was invented by men who wanted to devote themselves more rigorously to God; it ended as the technology of greatest use to men who wished to devote themselves to the accumulation of money.” (1993, p. 15)

Today in the latest edition of the magazine Business 2.0 an article titled Rethinking the Time Clock described the efforts being made by the retail chain Best Buys to move away from specified time scheduling and toward allowing employees to manage their own time based on what needs to be done based on their work assignments. Under a program called Rowe (results only work environment) employees arrange their own work schedule and are evaluated on the completion of tasks rather than time spent doing them. I wonder what the Benedictine monks would think about this concept or what Postman would have to say about this idea. Have we become so dependent upon our technology that we can no longer function properly without it? Is there no allowance for free will or the amazing ability for humans to manage themselves?

Jody Thompson, co-founder of CultureRx, a consulting firm promoting the use of Rowe, says, “Scheduling is an industrial-age mentality. Today’s workers are more capable of managing their time.” Also quoted in the article is Phyllis Moen, a sociology professor from the University of Minnesota who conducted a study of the Rowe project. Moen states, “It’s not about being free to come and go, but being free to come and go based on getting the work done, so covering the show floor will necessitate coordinating with others. It’s a revolutionary idea.” (2007, p. 24) Coordinating with others is a revolutionary idea? What about the early hunters and gatherers, wasn't there some coordination in that?

Is this a revolutionary idea or is it just another in a long line of recruiting and retention strategies? Perhaps now that Best Buys has obtained the resources of The Geek Squad to maintain all of the consumer electronics that they sell, they need a more reliable sales force to move their products out the door and into the home. They have to accommodate younger workers who have a greater desire for “creativity, social connectivity, fun, freedom, speed, and diversity in their workplaces.” (Tapscott & Williams, 2007. p. 248) Or is this just another form of “branding” which captures the unsuspecting public and gets them to commit to what they think is an exceptional level of customer service but subtly snares them in a web of consumerism. Todd Gitlin holds that added to celebrity “testimonials, symbols and logos, the typographies and labels, the long playing theme ads and public relations campaigns that establish ‘corporate identity,’ radiates a feeling about a company’s style, offering a ‘unique selling proposition’ that links a company to a mood and a social type.” (2002, p. 69)

This selling of a workplace atmosphere has become more than just a recruiting tool; it is fast becoming the standard by which a company creates competitive advantage in the global economy. Co-ordination, collaboration, whatever the new buzz word might be, communication is now critical to success in the workplace. No longer can one stand at an assembly line for 30 years without interacting with anything but the machine in front of them. From Best Buy to IBM, companies are looking for ways to re-engage the worker and re-energize the workplace. (Tapscott & Williams, 2007. p. 239 -277) Innovation is more than technology or the unintended drawbacks or rewards of technology filled machines. It is also about the human spirit, imagination, creativity, interaction and yes, fun. Tapscott writes, “Technology can open doors, but it can’t make people walk through them.” (p. 277) Ultimately people make both a choice and a difference. Perhaps it is here that we realize even more the importance of discovery and the paradox, the surprise and the wonder of new methods of communication.

REFERENCES

Gitlin, T. (2002). Media unlimited: How the torrent of images and sounds overwhelms our lives. New York: Holt & Company
Hamner, S. (2007, March). What’s next: Rethinking the time clock. Business 2.0, 8, p. 24
Postman, N. (1993). Technopoly: The surrender of culture to technology. New York: Vintage Books
Tapscott, D. & Williams, A. (2007) Wikinomics: How mass collaboration changes everything. New York: Penguin Group