CASE STUDY

ON
MANAGING PEOPLE IN
TECHNOLOGY-BASED
ORGANIZATION ISSUES

By:
RHEA C. AGULAY

Submitted To:
DR. JENNIFER DEL AMEN
Most of the technological changes and developments often come with potential largescale
social, political or economic impacts on both the society and the firms that choose to
implement them.
It’s no wonder, the current global growth and socio-economic changes are closely associated
with adoption of “demand driven” technologies. The impacts are usually either
transformational or disruptive depending on how the technology has been managed. This is
because the technology which can be considered transformation can significantly become
disruptive when it is misused or not handled properly. It is however worth noting that the
world without the technology would be vulnerable to the ruthless dictation by the nature
which depends on the survival of the fittest while the weak will be sacrificed.
Many firms and companies often fail or are driven out of business because they fail to keep
pace with the technology as much as their competitors. The disruptive technologies are
however not usually disruptive to the customers, but their deleterious effects can substantially
lead to the decline of the consumer demand of a particular company leading to their reduced
profits and sometimes to the phasing out of the particular firm or company out of the market.
CHALLENGES OF MANAGING IN ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
People are the crucial factor in organizational change, and only by understanding what
motivates them can you ensure a major project's success. In a business world where
companies have access to the same technology, the same interest rates, the same
telecommunications systems and the same raw materials, it is logical that an organization’s
people must be the one resource that is bound to be different from what its competitors have.
People are the prime competitive dynamic any organization has, and this is the key principle
behind winning competitive edge and differentiation.
THE UNIQUE NATURE OF MANAGING ENGINEERING PERSONNEL
Manager. Introducing technological change into an organization presents a different set of
challenges to management than does the work of competent project administration.
Frequently, however, the managers responsible for shepherding a technical innovation into
routine use are much better equipped by education and experience to guide that innovation’s
development than to manage its implementation
As an information-systems organization becomes larger, many of the different functions are
grouped together and led by a manager. These functional managers’ report to the CIO and
manage the employees specific to their function. For example, in a large organization, there is
a group of systems analysts who report to a manager of the systems-analysis function.
THE UNIQUE NATURE OF MANAGING ENGINEERING PERSONNEL
Specifically, six organizational subsystems make engineering and technology-based
management unique and different from other types of management and influence the type of
leadership style appropriate for these situations:
(1) work, (2) people, (3) work process, (4) managerial tools and techniques, (5)
organizational culture, and (6) business environment
EFFECTIVE TEAM MANAGEMENT INVOLVES THREE PRIMARY COMPONENTS
1. People skills - having the right mix of people with appropriate skills and traits;
2. Organizational structure - organizing the people and resources according to the tasks
to be performed; and
3. Management style - adopting the right leadership style.
The key elements to successful teamwork are trust, communication and effective leadership;
a focus on common goals with a collective responsibility for success (or failure).
IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY TO ORGANIZATION
-Performance and Productivity
-Usability
-Manpower Levels and Organization Size
-Job Enrichment vs Deskilling
Business owners and managers must know the importance of technology in business, and
they must plan on how to use it well so that they increase on (RIO) Return on Investment.
Technology is used in various ways; businesses can use technology in manufacturing,
improving customer care, transportation, human resource management, business
communication, use technology to improve their services or products as a way of gaining
competitive advantage, etc. However, for a business to get the best out of technology, they
have to plan and manage this technology very well.
It is very important for an organization to manage its technology strategically because when it
is not well managed, it might result into a big loss in the organization. Managing technology
involves planning, designing, operation and control pf technological products.
As always, an organization’s people are their best competitive advantage. So, when you hit
the double jackpot of a gumptious tech-enthusiast, all you need to understand is how to
manage them. And hey, here’s a hint: it’s not that different. Management is all about
cultivating empowering relationships. You need to understand a person’s motives if you want
them to affect company success.
When you throw technology into the mix, you’re only creating a new path for them to succeed
on, and a better way of tracking and reporting their successes.

Questions:
1. What happens when a team embraces technology?
2. Do business plans reflect the full potential of technology to improve the performance?
3. Why is it important for an organization to manage its technology?
4. Who are the most critical assets affecting business performance in today’s technology-based
business environment?