Managment and Digital Labour Networks - Essay Example

MANAGEMENT AND DIGITAL LABOUR NETWORKS Introduction Modern growth and developments in the digital media industry has seen many people dream of finding a job in the industry. This is because of the thought that the industry has many career opportunities as well as capacity to meet and interact with people from different parts of the world. However, working in this industry is usually not as much as fun as many people assume it is, this is because, workers have always explained that the job is naturally exploitative and punishing. The job is said to be ruthless and casual in nature, there is long hours of work and sometimes errors can cause one to be banned from the digital space. People who spent time and resources acquiring it have often criticized digital labour because of the fact that it degrades knowledge work. The NetSlaves of digital networks are simply are not just typical forms of labour on the internet, they make up a complex relation to labour that is widely spread in capitalists societies. These people have to ensure that they are present online to solve the many issues that keep arising in business and organizational practice. It is this ever-increasing issues that make people work for long hours in digital media in order to satisfy them. Across different industries in many countries, the subject of study that has been dominant is cultural studies and production. In the recent past, some of these studies have paid much attention to creative labour. Research has proved that efforts in forgetting or devaluation of work in the process of analysis of cultural industries has recently a number of different forms, perhaps this has been facilitated by developments and changing forms of business and non business practices. One of the most apparent of such transformation in the field of arts and humanities has been the focus on individual producers as opposed to the complex divisions of labour and specialization as the sociology of culture has seemed to portray. Another particular instance is the emphasis that has been made in certain schools or traditions; this is normally in cultural and digital media studies that emphasize on consumption as opposed to production (Banks, 2007, p. 103). Currently, there has been a lot of work carried out in the field of communication and cultural research has been seen to adopt new methods and approaches. Growth and development in information and technology has been responsible for digitalization that has led to proliferation of new and diverse forms of amateur and semi professional productions in different businesses and organizational activities. In the 2000s, there has been widespread use of blogs, Wikipedia, citizen journalism as well as diverse forms of interactive games that have been widely cited in informational aspects of research. Many commentators and users of digital networks have applauded this explosion of non-cultural production as an evidence of a new era in cultural production and other related aspects as well as a much needed democratization in the field. This means that today, people are at liberty to expand their scope of thinking and research into ways that seem effective for them as far as collection of inputs and production of information and other kinds of output is concerned. Bruns (2008, p. 13-14), has claimed that the internet age has been the new invention that has replaced the industrial age which has stood for a long time. This development means that information is the single resource that is needed to power different social, economic and environmental systems (Arvidsson, 2005, p. 240). In this new age, consumers of information can as well the producers of the same information (Arvidsson, 2008, p. 98); they can be cultural producers, distributors as well as users of the very content simply by sidestepping traditional methods and approaches. This is through the use of different systems of communication and other means by which information can be made, transmitted and shared. The inventions and wide use of these new systems has not lacked its drawbacks. Most people have termed them as being essential, reliable yet unacknowledgeable sources of value to business practices (Terranova, 2004: 73). There are different kinds of important services that businesses and organizations enjoy, yet they may not acknowledge them or pay enough for them. Across many industries, acknowledging and appreciating these free digital labour has continued to remain subject of argument. Some of the services that are offered among thousands include wed site development, creation and modification of software packages, reading as well as active participation and involvement mailing lists and establishment of virtual spaces respectively (Terranova, 2004, p. 74). Other developments in the same field include creation and participation in internet games as well as television programs, all these developments are said to interpenetrate each other within the context of emerging giant online economy. How does this online technology work and influence people? Usually, consumers who also happen to be developers of the content are invited to sell access to their personal lines in a way that is not directly related to the manner in which they sell their labour power (Andrejevic, 2004, p. 89). Consumers serve as important contributors to the development and use of these digital system in two main ways, first they provide feedback that is vital for improvement of the effectiveness the systems. Secondly, they publicize the use of the content by sharing their advantages, this way there is a reduction in the costs that would have been incurred in advertising and other product promotional activities. Free labour in social media Modern business practice requires that businesses use different methods and strategies that enhances its effectiveness and overall efficiency. In using this strategies, emphasis is given on those strategies that are cost effective and can be relied upon not just to meet the current business needs, but can remain to be effective even in future business processes. The need to improve on competitive advantages and expansion to international markets has seen many business rely on social media ((Michael, 2008, p. 90).), this platform has many advantages to the business besides being the pillar in marketing and its product promotional purposes. The platform has become vital in enabling businesses access free labour for different production as well as management practices. In order to create confidence among business and organizational managers, different theories that are associated with digitally produced labor have been developed by different scholars. Most of these theories tend to fall into different idealized, oppositional binaries that seem to be judgmental rather than based on detailed analysis of accurate and excellent systems. On one hand, there is a lot of praise and celebrations about free content and creative inventions that enhance business practices, while on the other hand, there is equal criticisms about the nature in which digital systems exploit labour from different people. Across the online platform there are millions of people whose work is to generate useful content necessary to business functions. The use of this free labour is usually an important approach in a business’ value addition processes to its functions. The fact that most of this labour is not usually compensated back in terms of payment has remained a subject of debate across different forums. The thought of whether it is ethical for business to have free labour has remained to be a subjective issue in many industries and organizations. Social media has been one of the greatest inventions that have changed the face of business management and practice (Bahrami& Evans, 1995, p. 70-1). Many people as well as businesses and organisation have used this platform to fulfill a number of their goals and objectives (Barley, 1996, p. 405). For instance, there is a lot of social interaction that goes no on regular basis on social media, people are able to link with their friends as well as facilitate their activities. Sales and marketing functions have also been on the increase on social media, people are able to buy and sell goods and services with ease on these platforms. In order to enhance the importance of social media, various businesses have launched businesses that can only be facilitated on this media, this means that particular job candidates have to create accounts nonsocial media and contact specific business in order for recruitment for such online job activities. The development and deployment of digital networks and related technology as well as their integration into almost all aspects of business practice has been responsible for the continued rise of different forms of labour. Currently, there are different strategies and schemes in production, as well as modes of value creation and addition in products manufactured by companies. In this understanding, digital labour refers to labour that is performed in and around different forms of digital technology. This processes range from production of material infrastructure of specific network technology through the process of production of information goods and services to new and current forms of immaterial labour thatis usually carried out on the internet through the web. Many attempts have been made in defining the extend, scope and importance of digital labour in modern business and organizational practice. Marx’s Labour theory of value explains digital labour as the value that is generated to the business courtesy of various online activities and relates to paid and unpaid processes of labour that are responsible for production of this value. There are different activities that the business can carry out effectively on the web, which can add value to its overall processes in management as well general business practice (Bartlett & Ghoshal, 1998, p. 122; George, 2003, p. 98). For instance, the business can use the web to increase the value of its product promotion by using the social media to create ads that reach many people in one instance. At the same time, it can source for consultancy services and labour recruitment processes. In general, the use of digital labour is important in cutting down on overall overhead costs in management processes. At the same time, the fact that digital labour is extensive means hat processes like product promotion can effectively be done and many people accessed, this increases the businesses competitive advantage and increases its market share. However, businesses need to create proper frameworks for effective exploitation of this labour in order to attain better and intended results. Critical perspectives of free labour Free labour in digital networks has been a good and worthy input in different aspects of business practice and management, but while the inventions has received praise in various instances, there have also been various criticisms that have been raised against it use in management. There are important issues that the business needs to effectively address in order to benefit from free digital labour that seems to be always at the disposal of any organisation. Much of the criticisms that have been raised against digital labour is that is largely comprises of unpaid labour especially on the part of participants (Stroh, Northcraft & Neale, 2002, p. 123). The concern of whether unpaid labour has any effects on business management practices is an issue that has been a subject of debate in many organizations. At the same time, criticisms against free digital labour have cited various cultural issues as well as those that relate to different aspects of the IT industry. There seems to be different professional and unprofessional issues that have been raised in the quality of output that is generated by free digital labour (McGrath & McGrath, 2001, p. 108). Sometimes, the value that is said to be generated for various business practices may not be related to the prevailing business practices. The people that generate free services usually create such innovations basing on the cultural and social environment that they belong. This means that the business is sometimes unable to effectively integrate the value that is generated to business practices. As far as culture is concerned, it should be understood that the main problem facing business and organizations as far as use of free digital labour is concerned is where to get the kind of labour. Organisations need to understand that millions of people that offer digital labour exists in different organizational cultures as well environments. Some of the solutions that are usually presented to the business many not fit in the social, economic and cultural environment that the business currently exists in. This means that care should be taken when using this type of organizational and business practice and management. Sometimes, a lot of time may be spent in the understanding and contextualizing of the content and solution created. Organisational culture is an important factor that defines how people interact in a business, when different approaches are outsourced to enhance effective performance of the business and they happen to affect the prevailing organizational culture, then the business stands to lose on its effectiveness. At the same time, adoption of new approaches may face too much resistance by staff that are already used to the current practices and way of operation. It therefore goes without mention that implementation and use of free digital labour may lead the business and particular organisation into unending politics that may affect business growth and performance. In order to use them, the business should conduct a successful research into how well it can meet this objective (Kotter, et al. 2002, p. 56; McGrath, 2001, p. 121-2). In addition, there are cases where unprofessional work is done; this is because the business may not be in a better position to vet the kind of experts that work on the intended business functions (Sharon, et al. 2005, p. 9-10). The business in sometimes forced to rely on other professionals to analysis the effectiveness of various products and services generated by such free digital labour. This is a waste of the much-needed time, which is an important resource not just in business practice, but in other systems as well. Different scholars have been trying to establish alternatives that can be used to integrate digital labour in business and organizational practices. This is in a bid to enable people develop a positive outlook about use of these systems. However, it is important to appreciate the fact that they are effective and reliable in enhancing success of businesses and organizational processes. In order to do this, there should be overall restructuring of the many functions that digital labour offers t the business. For instance, currently, criticisms of digital labour have proved that these systems have one main goal, their main focus is on cutting down on a business’ running costs, which is a good thing, but there is much to do with effective business and organizational success than just minimizing on costs. Free digital labour is supposed to be more progressive and focus more on enabling people perform different activities through inventions and innovations, it is important for business to use this systems to improve on the quality of performance of their employees rather that lay them off simply because they have an alternative source of cheap or free labour. It is important to understand that however how much technology develops and expands; human resources remain to the most important resource for any business or organisation. Free digital labour should therefore not be about imposing a way of working and tackling different aspects of business performance, rather it should be there to supplement the available resources as well as provide the much-needed support to the delivery of goods and services in the private and public sectors of an economy. Scholars and different researchers on this issue have continued to emphasize that free digital labour should only be informational and content driven than the way the systems are now. Different people that have had a feel of free digital labour on social media and in digital networks have expressed the existing complexity when it comes to offering public services. This is because the information that is got from social and digital networks has been thought to be too general. In practical instances, customers and consumers of products and services from such organizations and businesses require services that are more personalized and fitting in the current context, something that free digital labour does not effectively address. If content is derived from digital networks and applied in business and organizational practices without first having to contextualize it, then chances are that customers may end up getting what they do not deserve or the business and specific organisation will fail in delivering the needs and customer tastes and preferences. In spite of these criticisms, different businesses have continued to embrace current developments in IT with reliance on free digital labour to effect business practices and management functions. However, where benefits outweigh costs, then it is convenient to use free digital labour for management and various business practices. Bibliography Andrejevic, M. 2004, Reality TV: The work of being watched. 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