Dell and Intel recently released results from the final
phase of their multi-year research program under the report title,
The Evolving Workforce. The report
concluded that consumerization of IT is dependent on a broad-minded approach to
technology and mobility strategies within an organization. Yet, the research has
also demonstrated that businesses are most likely to succeed in implementing
consumerization trends when they have enforced specific, pre-defined parameters
around technology expectations.
The study involved over 8,300 workers from companies around
the world, as well as interviews with 29 global experts and senior business
leaders. Researchers found that business leaders view the consumerization of
IT—which involves increased employee input into IT provision, BYOD initiatives
and workplace flexibility—as a technique for generating additional employee
loyalty and productivity. The results have also indicated that organizations
are still struggling with security challenges and threats associated with this contemporary
IT shift.
“The way we work and live around the world is changing
rapidly,” said CEO of Chalet Tech Inc. Stephen O’Donnell, one of the senior
business leaders interviewed in the report. “For most knowledge workers, there is no such
thing as 9 to 5 anymore, and time zone differences matter less than ever
before. We are living in a time of 24/7 connectivity, where boundaries between
work and play are less marked.”
According to the report, the majority of Canadians (62%)
prefer to be judged on what they produce, rather than the hours that they work,
and the study noted that this approach to evaluation is currently the norm for
75% of survey respondents. A total of 83% of employees believe that the use of
leading-edge technology allows them to complete work assignments more
productively. And three quarters of Canadian employees feel that Internet and
technological advancements are providing them with the opportunity to make more
noticeable contributions to their organization.
