Changes in Business Environment: Impact on Jobs and Careers

This essay explores the significant changes in the organizational structure and business environment over the last decade, focusing on their impact on jobs and career opportunities. It highlights how technological advancements, globalization, and evolving workplace policies have reshaped industries and created new job roles. The discussion covers the rise of employee engagement activities, flexible work schedules, and the concept of 'hot desking'. It also examines the transformation of job searching methods through online platforms and virtual interviews. Furthermore, the essay delves into Thomas L. Friedman's 'Flat World' concept, emphasizing how globalization connects businesses and individuals, enabling access to international resources and education. The analysis concludes by predicting future trends, such as the growth of technology-based jobs, the importance of cybersecurity, and the need for continuous learning to adapt to the modern, interconnected world. Desklib provides access to similar essays and resources for students.

BUSINESS
ENVIRONMENT
Running head: BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT 1
All improvements require changes as change is the law of life. Although changes are not
easy, yet all things are required to be changed after a period of time. This is a well-observed
fact in all areas of operation that a change is never permanent in nature. Different kinds of
changes lead to different improvements but the concepts of changes are quite limited. It has
been observed that changes are not accepted by society at earlier stages but when there is no
option available or such changes seem to be beneficial, then it is exercised by the individuals
(Klein, 2014). Changes can take place in different aspects of life including social, political,
economic, legal and technological. This essay will discuss the changes took place in the
organisational structure during last decade. Changes in organizational structure also have
resulted in changes in job and career. It is a considerable fact that technological
advancements had affected organizations and their culture a lot. Job opportunities have
increased for educated individuals but due to vast use of computer technology, many jobs are
eliminated also. This paper will go through the reason and results of changes and will also
specify whether these changes are beneficial to the society or not (Autor, 2015).
It is not a hidden fact that organizations are continuously changing their working
environment and policies in order to get success in long run. Changes in the organizational
environment are also affecting the jobs and career of individuals. Technological
advancements, historical change, cultural and global change, political scenario and utilization
of resources have created job opportunities in many industries where there were no job
opportunities about 10 years ago (Colbert, et al., 2016).
At present, a number of fields are providing job opportunities in which there were no
opportunities available in about a decade ago. For example, musicians used to have two
choices only, either to sing for a movie or to perform in live shows. But in present time,
social media can be used to famous a singer or musician with just a single comment and
share. This helps them in getting a job easily. This indicates that jobs in the music industry
are easy to find as compared to earlier time. Jobs are also being provided by the organizations
working in journalism sector. But if the time of before 8-10 years is analyzed, there were no
such jobs available for the people willing to work as a journalist. Similarly there were no
more jobs in the field of tourism and hospitality. But in the present scenario, a boom has been
noticed in the jobs and career opportunities of these industries (Coleman & Thomas, 2017).
Organisations are mainly emphasizing on employee engagement activities over the last years
that has caused in development of employees as valuable organizational assets. Nowadays

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT 2
workplaces and offices are designed to facilitate a friendlier environment having places to
exercise, meditation, playing games etc. This creates a non-traditional environment within the
organisations and this also helps employees to get motivation and happiness in their work.
This work environment was not present a few years ago. Employees used to follow the
typical nine to five schedule with limited facilities at the workplace (Copeland, 2012).
Technological improvements have also developed the workplace environment and
contributed most of the major changes over last decade. Communication, file sharing and
information sharing through mobile devices and other internet software creates the ability to
join forces and work efficiently. Virtual collaborations are becoming common at workplace
and competition has increased. This has been resulted into development of career
opportunities in various fields that were not accessible before some years (Elsevier, 2017).
In the present time, employees are not considered just workers. Proper attention is also given
to their health issues and to their families. In earlier jobs, there were not rotational schedules
available for the employees. But at present most of the organizations are providing flexible
schedules to their employees so that they can manage their personal life accordingly. For
example: if a student wants to continue his/her study and also wants to do the job to fulfill
his/her financial needs or to gain some experience, then he/she can opt for opposite shift to
this/her college or institutional timings (Beaugrand, et al., 2015). This is the most common
feature of BPOs which are providing jobs to approximately 50% of qualified individuals all
over the world. Facilitate working on more than one shift also originated the concept of ‘hot
desking’. When employees working in different shifts, shares the same space, it is known as
‘hot desking’. It facilitates companies in making more employees work in limited space.
During past 10 years, most of the organizations have adopted this concept as this is beneficial
to both, employees as well as for organization (Frey & Osborne, 2017).
Job searching which is also known as the job hunting has considerably changed in last 10
years. In the year 2006-2007, an individual needs to go for a job physically and there was no
availability of various consultancies and online job sites which majorly helps in referring
candidates to companies according to their job requirements. At present, a candidate does not
need to go for an interview physically if he/she is residing at some other place. There are a
number of technologies have been developed which enables to conduct the interview by the
employer. The main reason behind it the internet, which is the main reason for shifting the
ways of all works (Getsmarter, 2018).

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT 3
Similar changes can be seen in terms of career opportunities. Students can find a suitable and
interesting course for them with just a single click on the computer. Even students can pursue
various courses and diplomas from foreign universities without moving there. In the present
time, 90% of the highly reputed university is facilitating online courses in which students do
not need to go anywhere. They can study at home and can also give examinations from any
place. This is also known as distance education. The facility of distance education is
continuously developing in most of the countries (Maitland & Thomson, 2011).
Above discussion about the changes in the workplace, job and career clearly identifies the
idea of ‘Flat world’ given by Thomas L. Friedman. According to this concept, the whole
world is connected by the effect of globalization. All companies can contact each other easily
with the help of internet and technology. With the help of globalization advancements,
organisations can improve their efficiency by using resources and skills of each other. A
company can work in more than one country and can operate successfully. Job seekers can
find jobs in foreign nations and can grow. Similarly, students can complete their education
from top most universities without worrying about the location and distance (Miller &
Atkinson, 2013).
In a flat world, technological improvements, dynamic shifts, and customer concern seems to
be primarily changing the way of work and designing jobs and environments by the
organization. Although some of the organizations consider this as a challenge but on the other
hand it can become the best opportunity to reconsider talented models, organizational
functions and business prototypes. Organisations will be working with more flexibility and
transparency with focusing on business sustainability and relationships. In upcoming future,
leadership will be more shared and horizontal as external and social associations collapse the
running traditional hierarchical arrangement. This will facilitate jobs like human resource
manager, facilities manager and talent manager (Zhu, et al., 2016). As virtual policies allow
workplace communication and interactions happen everywhere, jobs are restructured in such
a way so that these can fit into the virtual communication system. This will create new job
positions like information system manager, internet specialist, app developer, cybersecurity
and data manager and cloud computing specialist. Leaders and specialists of information
technology believe that emerging growth of cloud-based techniques and services will be
responsible to create job opportunities in bulk. They are also in a view that majority of
organizations will be using cloud services in different forms. This use of cloud computing

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT 4
services will generate a need for cybersecurity actions and thus job opportunities for
cybersecurity specialist will generate (PWC, 2017).
Changing in jobs will also result in changing the working patterns and employee’s
perceptions regarding career. This will help in increasing part-time employment so as to
focus on work-life balance. Promotion trend will be shifted to horizontal form upward. There
will also be reduction of jobs in some areas like banking, finance, and postal services because
of more use to computer-based technology. Some industries that are growing rapidly will
continue to grow in future and will introduce new job opportunities. Such industries includes
health, education, social and personal services, agriculture and horticulture. High demand for
nutrition and dairy products will increase the number of jobs in agricultural areas and the
management system of agricultural based industries will tend to improve. There will be need
to educate each and every individual to take opportunities of jobs and to improve
organizational structure (Report, 2016).
The few understandings of the above changes in a Flat World can be summarized as follows:
Economic and wealth advantage will depend on a community of talented individuals rather
than being located near to natural properties and ease of transportation.
Jobs will be likely to move across countries, faster than before and now. Most of the
manufacturing jobs will be shifting towards less developed countries and this will create an
advantage of the availability of cheap labor.
Rapid growth in population and standard of living will challenge the world’s ecosystem and
that challenge will directly affect the social and political systems at international level. This
will also result in change in organizations and their level of work.
Individuals will continue to obtain higher education irrespective of their age and time. They
will use their knowledge as a consumer good and as a necessity to earn their living (Hadfield,
2016).
This is a considerable aspect, to manage in a flat world that the world is both, flat and round,
ancient and modern. International trade regulations, national trading laws, and other
implications represent the rough surface of the world. Although organizations operate as a
part of the network, yet they are integrated as autonomous firms, so there is a balance
between the perception of outsider industry and the view of the firm in center. Controls may
be needed in some key areas while authorization or empowerment is required in others. Value

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT 5
of product and human resource can be created through integration as well as specialization.
The concept of the flat world offers opportunities for higher orchestration, but still, there are
more chances for traditional factors and approaches (Hammond, 2015).
From the above discussion, it can be concluded that a lot of changes took place during past 10
years in organizational structures, levels and pattern of workings in the organizations.
Similarly, jobs opportunities and career options in different fields also have emerged during
the time. The concept of the flat world was given some years ago but still, it is effective and
helpful to know about the future trends and to know the ways that can help in dealing with
such changes. There are many industries which are emerging continuously and providing job
opportunities. These industries are likely to grow in future as discussed above. The changes
in upcoming 10 years are unpredictable but still, it can be assumed that there will be rapid
increase in technology-based jobs. Use of technology will also create career development
path for individuals. Obtaining higher education will become easier than present in terms of
distance. People will have to adopt such changes in order to survive in the flat and modern
world and to grab opportunities form environment. The essay also described about the types
of job roles which will be created in near future and the industries from which they relate. It
can be summarized that changes are the necessary part of human’s life and to live in this
world, it is also required for individuals to be flexible while adopting such changes.

BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT 6
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