IT AND JORDAN WORKER'S PRODUCTIVITY

Revision 26/02/11

IT and Jordan Worker's Productivity

R7001 Introduction to Research methods

Dr. Sema Barlas

30/01/2011

Malek Al Harafsheh

How does IT influence worker productivity in Jordan?

Theoretical Framework

This study will investigate the relationship between information technology and worker's productivity in Jordan. Private companies in any country and even the Arab World have recognized the Information Technology's influence to reduce costs. This theoretical framework will introduce our independent variable IT that includes the high demand for Internet and IT Infrastructure exists in Jordan. The framework also explores the relationship that exists with IT and job productivity in Jordanian firms as a dependent variable. This analysis will construct our definition of IT and Worker Productivity in Jordan and further define other contextual variables that influence the outcomes of this study(Brynjolfsson, 1996).

For example, there are many theoretical reasons why information should enable increase in productivity. A thorough review of the literature is provided by Buckley and Van Alstyne (2004), who present two broad families of arguments linking information to improvements in productivity. First, reductions in uncertainty can improve resource allocations and decision making, and reduce costs (Cyert and March 1963, Galbraith 1973).For instance, in the context of recruiting qualified IT workers in Jordan, more precise or accurate information about the candidate pool can reduce time wasted interviewing candidates unsuitable for a particular search. Uncertainty exists when information about that worker pool is inaccurate, out of date, hard to find or imprecise, and decisions based on faulty or incomplete information make filling positions more difficult. This analysis reveals that recruiting qualified IT candidates to improve the firm's IT recruitment and reduce costs must take precedence for Jordan to become a major IT player within its Middle East. Second, work place environments that are healthy and thermal friendly increase work productivity. Managers everywhere are acknowledging that increased environmental satisfaction and individual control help increase worker productivity. Advances in indoor environmental technology and products can now provide employees with control over their own comfort” Lomonaco & Miller, (2011).

Finally, light levels, thermal comfort and other types of ambient environmental condition affect individual performance and can be assessed in terms of positive outcomes. There is a strong body of literature that supports a link between worker productivity and healthy work place environment provided by Mau-Lin Chiu/Carnegie Mellon, (1991), West Bend Mutual, (1992) and David Wyon (1996) present convincing arguments as evidenced by the chart below. This chart validates our assessment that increased work productivity is intricably linked to worker increased environmental satisfaction and individual control. The result leads to employee satisfaction, higher profits and strengthens a firm's to IT information and increased productivity.

INCREASED PERFORMANCE BY ACTIVITY TYPE

THINKING

TYPING

SKILL

SPEED

MEAN

2.7%

7.0%

3.4%

8.6%

5.4%

Wyon, David, Predicting the Effects of Individual Control on Productivity, White Paper 960130, 1996

What other factor may be linked to explore the potential of IT to bring up the standard of living for Jordanians in the workforce?

Unskilled, repetitive motions were utilized with manual work and in order for manual work to be more productive, knowledge needed to be applied to ...