Technostructural Interventions in the Philippines

• Main Authors: Ilac, Emerald Jay D, Menguito, Ma. Ligaya, Amante, Helen U, Lombos, Emily Ann I
• Format: text
• Published: Archīum Ateneo 2017
• Subjects: Organizational Behavior and Theory
• Online Access: https://archium.ateneo.edu/gsb-pubs/33; https://unipress.ateneo.edu/product/organization-development-practice-philippines
• Institution: Ateneo De Manila University

A recent study found that as many as 45 percent of activities that people are paid to perform can be automated by adapting new technology (Manyika and Marimadi 2015). These activities can include a sales person’s standard demonstration of the company’s products or even the regular cleaning of work areas. Interestingly, the activities that can be automated are not limited to low-level roles. High-paid occupations such as physicians and CEOs may soon find some of their work being done by machines as well. Although some may lament that introducing technology will mean fewer jobs, another perspective sees this as an opportunity to rethink how jobs can be performed. As more time is freed from doing routine tasks, people may have more time to hone specialized skills. However, as organizations harness technology with the aim of improving their processes and increasing output, a tremendous amount of organizational flexibility, learning and re-learning, and redefining of jobs and processes are necessary. These organization development initiatives are classified under technostructural interventions. This chapter aims to describe the different forms of these interventions and showcase how they are used in Philippine organizations.