Learner outcome:  Analyze how technology impacts a workplace setting and recommend steps to address a challenge, problem, or question.

Course: ICT 733 Technology Adoption and Implications | 3 cr. | Spring 2025

Artifact:

In spring 2025, I took a course called Technology Adoption and Implications. For the final project, I reviewed the impacts of technology within a department at a real organization and provided recommendations for technologies and processes to implement. The linked executive summary gives an overview of the purpose, scope, analysis process, and findings. The full analysis paper reinforces the importance of aligning technology with company goals and highlights how investing in team capabilities will help the organization maintain success in the competitive healthcare industry. I created a corresponding PowerPoint that was presented to the department manager, which covered currently used technologies, positive impacts, challenges, an envisioned future state, recommendations, and predicted outcomes.

Work sample:

Technology Adoption and Impacts - Executive Summary (paper)

Technology Adoption and Impacts - Organization Analysis (PowerPoint)

Self-Reflection:

What did you learn?

During this project and the supporting assignments throughout the course, I learned how to propose actionable recommendations regarding the roles and use of technological systems and related processes. I gained understanding of technological changes across historical, political, and social contexts, and how to identify trends or correlations between these changes and my career discipline, HR Information Systems/HR analytics and reporting.

I learned how to conduct a deep dive into how technology plays a role in a work setting, enabling me to illuminate the way technology influences the work environment. Specifically, I learned how to identify (using visuals) how technology and people interact in tasks and duties. This included learning tactics for conducting successful interviews, designing appropriate questions, and preparing ahead of time.

How did you learn this?

I completed a semester-long project to investigate the scope and influence of technology in a career setting. The purpose was to research how technology impacts a specific department, and to recommend next steps to key stakeholders for addressing a challenge, problem, or question. The project consisted of four steps: defining the parameter, interviews & ecosystem, writing the paper, and presenting the information.

1. Define Parameter: I began by identifying the context and scope, which involved writing a description of the department’s role and purpose, employee roles and general job descriptions, and the technologies fundamental to the department’s function. I also discussed technology changes over the past 5-10 years and their direct impact, along with anticipated changes. Lastly, I documented my interview plan, including the questions and a list of interviewees.

2. Interviews & Ecosystem: I conducted personal interviews with four employees, selecting those with long tenure and a mix of job responsibilities. I used primarily open-ended questions to gather a broad perspective and a description of how technology forms, alters, enhances, and interacts with their job. Questions focused on comparing the intended versus real-world usage of technological systems, and how technology is altering workflow, pace, and responsibilities. Following the interviews, I created a PowerPoint, supported by a voiceover, to illuminate how technology influences the work setting. The objective of this qualitative research was to give voice to the interviewees by sharing their lived experiences and direct quotes, while using visuals to illustrate interactions, connections, and workflow.

3. Writing the Paper: The third step involved writing a comprehensive paper based on all information I gathered in the prior steps. The paper detailed department roles, the current state of software and hardware, technology changes and their impact, challenges, opportunities, a desired future state, my recommendations, and predicted outcomes if the recommendations were implemented over the next 3–5 years.

4. Presenting the Information: For the final step, I wrote an executive summary based on the full paper and created a final PowerPoint presentation for the stakeholders.

In summary, I learned this by completing a semester project involving departmental analysis, interviewing employees to gather their lived experiences, and developing recommendations that should lead to improvements in employee satisfaction, efficiency, system integration, and progress toward strategic goals.

What were some challenges that you overcame?

A key challenge was getting enough detailed information from interviewees, which often required me to use probing questions. I had to design my initial questions to ensure they would result in the most useful information while remaining within the project scope.

Visualizing the usage of some of the applications (such as MS Loop versus MS Planner) without directly observing department members using them was a challenge. I overcame this by asking clarifying questions and conducting external research on my own to learn about the features and capabilities of different Microsoft products.

Writing a detailed account of all the various interactions employees have with technology and how these impact their workflow and efficiency was another challenge. To overcome the volume of work required for the 20-page paper, I reviewed all interview notes multiple times and relied on the interview recordings, which I am glad I had.

A final set of challenges related to the limitations of the department: it was difficult to recommend specific actions employees hadn't already considered, and the department has limited control over available software. I overcame these challenges by focusing my recommendations on process adjustments and strategic planning for future changes on the department roadmap. I recognized the significant benefit of my role in this: summarizing all interview feedback, compiling it into a cohesive document, drawing attention to technology usage and impacts, and creating a prompt for team discussion.

How will you apply this information in the future?

I can apply the learnings from the Technology Adoption and Implications course directly to my current role and future positions. I am now equipped to provide actionable recommendations regarding technology usage and systems in the workplace. I am able to clearly explain how implementing these recommendations would lead to better user adoption and improved internal operational efficiency.

My experience interviewing, understanding technology interactions, and assessing its impact will be helpful for future projects. I can now provide insights to leaders during decisions about technology upgrades or replacements, as well as hardware and software asset management.

By having a systems-thinking approach that emphasizes integration and investing in training, I can position a department to better meet the demands of the modern workplace. This will lead to anticipated improvements in departmental capabilities and the achievement of additional strategic goals. I am now aware of the important topics to explore when conducting a technology analysis, which includes focusing on governance, change management frameworks, process improvement, documentation, skill development, and monitoring industry trends. 

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