Social Implications

General Purpose Packages

Effects on Jobs & Careers

• Types of job

• Retraining

• Employment

• Working conditions

• Mail Shots

• Increased paper

Effects on Types of Jobs

Before:• Large number of

typists entering data.– Slow & regular

mistakes

After:• A small number of

data entry employees.– Faster & more

accurate.

Retraining

• Trained on how to use hardware & software.

• Updating training with new hardware & software.

• Therefore retraining will occur throughout their career.

Effects on Employment

• Do we need as many employees?• No and Yes.

– Less in areas of jobs such as factories and administration.

– More in areas of training and creating and repairing hardware and software.

• Many will loose their jobs but new types of jobs are now going to be available.

Working Conditions

• Modern offices should have:– Less stored paper &

filing cabinets– A quieter atmosphere

without noisy typewriters

– Adjustable seats & monitors to improve user comfort

– Good lighting, curtains to reduce glare.

• But:– Issues still exist with

RSI (repetitive strain injury)

– Monitors can damage eyesight.

– Human communication can break down.

Other Effects

• Mail Shots– Otherwise known as

junk mail.– Companies send out

flyers, etc to promote new customers.

– Uses DTP and word processing.

• Increased paper– Introduction of computers

should mean the paperless office.

– Today it is believed that more paper is used.

– Instead of phoning people send emails which are then printed out.

– It is harder to read from a monitor than from paper.

Economic Implications

General Purpose Packages

Economic Issues

• Initial Costs– Hardware and software are expensive to

purchase at first.– Staffing costs may be reduced.– Training costs will increase– Adequate backup is essential.

• Replacement Costs– Things break!

Economic Issues

• Running Costs– Operating and maintaining equipment:

• Paper, ink or toner cartridges• Repair& Maintenance of hardware• Insurance & security of hardware and data• Updating software, etc

• Staffing Costs– Less staff maybe but new jobs required qualified

professionals meaning higher wages.

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