How Technology Has Affected Ethics, Diversity, and Organizational Structures in Business

Technology, specifically the Internet, has become a fixture in the workplace, shifting the methods by which businesses are managed.  In the article How Technology Has Affected Businesses, Leigh Goessl discusses the alterations that have occurred in business, due the integration of technology in everyday business practice.  Goessl specifically focuses on the problems concerning the areas of diversity, ethics, and the structures of organization, which she believes have been particularly affected by the integration of technology into business.  

            Goessl explains that due to the fact that technology allows us to communicate globally, people must learn to tolerate and accept different cultures and normalcies.  This forces individuals to accustom themselves to global diversity, regardless of where they live.  Organizational structures, additionally, allow businesses the opportunity to find previously unattainable territories.  Goessl mentions the evolution of organizational structures, or information systems, in business allow small businesses to compete with bigger business, expanding local markets in the process. 

            The article effectively explicates the complications surrounding diversity and organizational structures, however, I believe Goessl fails to elaborate on the ethical dilemmas that have arisen due to the aforementioned integration of technology in the workplace. Goessl solely mentions the troubles of file deletion, difficulties in maintaining confidentiality and identity theft, however, according to Goessl, “as more and more technology is assimilated into workplaces, new ethical challenges have emerged that both employers and employees must face.”  The three dilemmas Goessl mentions are not sufficient enough to justify her notion that “new ethical challenges have emerged.”  More ethical dilemmas have surfaced due to technology and should be brought light.

            The primary dilemma that Goessl fails to elaborate to her audience of is the fact that due to technology individuals are more likely to perform acts they could not commit in person and are less accountable for the unethical actions they commit.  For instance, in the past bullies were associated with big, strong people harassing smaller individuals.  In today’s day in age, with technology, anyone can now harass another over the Internet, causing irreparable harm to others, merely because they do not have to face the person they’re bullying.  Furthermore, with technology several important documents and statistics can be easily altered or skewed for own personal gain.  A myriad of unethical events and actions can occur with the click of a button with technology, it is up to businesses to acknowledge these difficulties and prioritize the practice of ethical conduct.

Goessl concludes her article by stating, “businesses must learn to adapt and embrace…changes in order to grow and maintain success.”  This is an incredibly accurate statement that should be realized by every business.  The effects of diversity, organizational structures, and ethical conduct due to technology are abundant and must become a focus by all businesses.  Technology may provide us with many positives; however, the obstacles that come with its integration into business may one day ruin the business community as a whole, unless changes occur quickly.