The International Journal of Human Resource

Management

ISSN: 0958-5192 (Print) 1466-4399 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rijh20

The impact of technology on work in the twenty-

first century: exploring the smart and dark side

Peter Holland & Anne Bardoel

To cite this article: Peter Holland & Anne Bardoel (2016) The impact of technology on work in
the twenty-first century: exploring the smart and dark side, The International Journal of Human
Resource Management, 27:21, 2579-2581, DOI: 10.1080/09585192.2016.1238126

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2016.1238126

Published online: 04 Oct 2016.

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The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 2016
Vol. 27, No. 21, 2579–2581, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2016.1238126

INTRODUCTION
The impact of technology on work in the twenty-first century:
exploring the smart and dark side
Peter Holland* and Anne Bardoel

Department of Management, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

The twenty-first century has seen significant expansion in the use and availability of
technology, which has created a paradigm shift in how we can work. The papers in
this special issue explore different facets of the smart and dark side of technology
and how new waves of technology also lead to significant changes in the way we
work. The tensions between ‘smart and dark’ are examined in relation to the use of
formal telework practices, connection between IT systems and work-life balance,
social media’s potential to fundamentally change the nature and boundaries of voice
in the workplace, attitudes towards workplace surveillance, and finally a critical
research agenda between the interface of IT and HRM is proposed.
Keywords: HRM; IT systems; social media; surveillance; technology; telework

As the next wave of technological change (big data and cloud technology) has started
to emerge in the workplace, we thought it timely to explore the impact of information
technology (IT) on how we work and the individual. As Morgan (2014, p. 4) notes,
there are many fascinating things happening in the world of technology that are impact-
ing on work. The use and control of IT provides an opportunity to be innovative in
when we work, where we work and the way we work (time, place and space – see
Harvey, 2010) in a global economy. Further, as Howcroft and Taylor (2014) point out,
these innovations in labour utilization and scheduling work impact on employees’ work
and how work is done as the boundaries of the organization ‘melt’ away. Indeed, they
argue that society is seeing a new wave of revolutionary technology that provides the
platform for significant change in the way we work. These changes are creating
renewed interest in how work is conceptualized – what we describe as the ‘smart-side’
of technology. However, these advances in technology can provide an unprecedented
level of electronic monitoring and surveillance of work and employees both inside and
outside the workplace (Holland, Cooper, & Hecker, 2015), and have the potential to
create ‘deadly combinations’ (Becker, Huselid, Pickus, & Spratt, 1997), particularly
when linked with HR practices designed to develop trust and high commitment rela-
tionships. This can have a significant negative impact on work and employees – what
we call the ‘dark-side’ of technology.
For this special issue, we have a diverse range of papers that explore the impact of
IT on facilitating and inhibiting work patterns and practices from both the ‘smart’ and
‘dark’ perspectives. These changes are likely to increasingly impact HR policy and
practice as organizations strive for competitive advantage through employees who can
and are exploring new ways to work through technology.

*Corresponding author. Email: peter.holland@monash.edu.au

© 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

2580 P. Holland and A. Bardoel

Peters et al.’s paper investigates how nation-level cultural values (‘individualism’

and ‘collectivism’) and intra-organizational task control mechanisms influence the level
of organizations’ use of formal telework practices. Their multi-level analysis of survey
data from 1577 organizations within 18 nations found telework use was less likely
when organizations employed direct controls (i.e. higher proportions of managers) and
‘soft’ indirect controls (i.e. higher proportions of professionals). Low use of formal tele-
work practices was more likely when organizations employed ‘soft’ indirect controls.
Given the potential of ‘smart and dark sides of telework’, they asked ‘under which con-
ditions are organizations “fit” for telework?’. The insights from their study shed light
on this question by identifying the external and internal conditions that make organiza-
tions ‘fit’ for telework. Importantly, there is potential for greater global telework access
which can deliver ‘smart’ outcomes, such as higher productivity, commitment, engage-
ment, productivity, and better work life balance for multiple stakeholders. However, on
the flip side it is also important to recognize the challenges of telework management to
avoid the ‘dark’ sides, such as a loss of social cohesion and information and knowledge
transfer (e.g. when individualism values dominate) and a loss of work motivation and
engagement (e.g. when collectivism values dominate).
Investments in IT in the health sector are mostly associated with improvements in
the quality of care, efficiency and safety. However, what impact does the quality of IT
have on the work-life balance experienced by employees? Bardoel and Drago’s study
addresses that question using the Job Demands-Resources (JDR) model and a longitudi-
nal sample of 11,140 physicians in Australia. Controlling for a variety of factors that
may also influence work-life balance, and using diverse specifications, the reported
quality of IT services is positively associated with work-life balance. For HR practition-
ers, the results lead to two recommendations. First, at least for physicians, the role of
IT systems should no longer be ignored. At a broader level, IT systems can be viewed
as components of job design for physicians, so the connection between IT systems and
work-life balance supports Becker and Huselid’s (2010) call for at least a partial inte-
gration of strategic HRM and job design. Second, HR practitioners need to become
more involved in the selection and implementation of healthcare IT systems in order to
shine a light on the ‘smart and dark’ sides of technology.
The paper by Holland, Cooper and Hecker explores one of the major phenomena of
the twenty-first century, the impact of the internet on work. In linking it with the issue
of voice and job satisfaction at work, they argue that social media has the potential to
fundamentally change the nature and boundaries of voice in the workplace. In this con-
text, they argue that management can either embrace it as a ‘smart’ technology to get
immediate feedback from employees on issues that concern them and the organization
to improve work, or ignore it with the potential it becomes a focus or outlet for venting
and attacking the organization in a public forum. This ‘dark’ side of technology, was
highlighted in the case of HMV, where employees were tweeting live about the
retrenchment process and their treatment by the employer.
In a similar context, Martin and Grimmer explore attitudes towards workplace
surveillance. They found that higher levels of perceived surveillance were associated
with counter-productive work behaviours. However, they find that through being
empowered at work, ‘smart’ use of technology can act as a potential buffer against the
intrusions of surveillance and thus highlights the issue of the ‘deadly combination’ of
human resource policies such as espousing a high trust and empowering culture whilst
increasing levels of monitoring and surveillance.
 The International Journal of Human Resource Management 2581

This special issue concludes with a long-term perspective by Bondarouk and

Brewster. In exploring future research and practice associated with new technologies
and HRM, this insightful paper uses the classic ‘Harvard’ model to frame the analysis
and take a more expansive view of stakeholders. They conclude with a reinforcement
of the focus of this special issue, that is the need for a substantial and critical research
agenda between the interface of IT and HRM.
Overall, this special issue of International Journal of Human Resource Management
offers a set of insightful reviews and analysis of the dynamic relationship between tech-
nology and work as well as unique empirical contributions. The articles highlight the
smart and dark side of technology and the growing importance technology has for HR
researchers and practitioners. Finally, we encourage HR researchers to embrace the
avenues for future research suggested in this special issue.

References
Becker, B. E., & Huselid, M. A. (2010). SHRM and job design: Narrowing the divide. Journal
of Organizational Behavior, 31, 379–388.
Becker, B., Huselid, M., Pickus, P., & Spratt, M. (1997). HR as a source of shareholder value:
Research and recommendations. Human Resource Management, 36, 39–47.
Harvey, D. (2010). The enigma and capital: And the crises of capitalism. London: Profile Books.
Holland, P., Cooper, B., & Hecker, R. (2015). Electronic monitoring and surveillance in the
workplace: The effects on trust in management, and the moderating role of occupational type.
Personnel Review, 44, 1–27.
Howcroft, D., & Taylor, P. (2014). Plus ca change, plus la meme chose? – Researching and
theorising ‘new’ new technologies. New Technology, Work and Employment, 29, 1–8.
Morgan, J. (2014). The future of work: Attract new talent, build better leaders, and create a
competitive organization. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.