Automation, Globalization, and the Digital Divide Technology's Impact on Work Ethics for the Information Age, Chapter 10

Questions Does automation help or hurt employees in the US? Does automation help or hurt companies?

Arguments for Automation Automation reduces price of products Lower price increases demand Lower prices increase consumers' buying power  which also increases demand Increased demand creates more jobs Ethics for the Information Age by M. Quinn

Facts against Automation US Workers in Manufacturing % % However, manufacturing output has increased Between 1970 and 1990, avg time at work per year increased by 163 hours Many middle-class jobs like secretaries are disappearing Congressional Budget Office

Effects of Increased Productivity We own more, have more job choices, better healthcare, etc. than any time in history  avg house was 1470 sqft, 20% had AC  avg house is 2100 sqft, with 3 TVs We also work more than any time in history  Medieval England had four months of holidays per year Hence, we have far more luxury but less leisure time

Question So, is this trend good or bad?

Next Questions Is globalization good or bad? How has computing technology impacted globalization?

Pro-Globalization Globalization increases competition better products lower costs People in poor countries deserve jobs too Creating prosperity around the world increases stability

Anti-Globalization The US should be run by Americans, not the WTO US workers should not have to compete with foreign workers who do not have decent pay or decent working conditions Globalization has accelerated the loss of both white-collar and blue-collar jobs Removing trade barriers hurts non-US workers too  Japanese farmers can't compete with Texas rice growers

So… Is globalization good or bad? Will all the Information Technology jobs end up going to India?

Digital Divide Global Divide  Internet Users in USA - 75%  Internet Users in Africa - 5% Social Divide Is the Internet … A. a luxury item B. standard equipment, like the DVD or microwave oven C. an essential utility, like clean water D. a right

"Winner takes All" Tradition Examples: star athletes movie stars Info Tech has speeded the pace of change resulting in the spread of "Winner takes all" Results tax software has cost CPAs business online real estate software -- small brokers stock trading companies execute trades in a fraction of a second, making $millions every day.

Next Time… You.