PREPARATIONS UNDERTAKEN BY IBM EMPLOYEES FOR OFFICE AUTOMATION IN THE PHILIPPINES
Abstract
The study examined the preparation of IBM Human Resource Transformation and Operations (HRTO) employees for the implementation of office automation in the Philippines. The study employed mixed methods type of research combining both quantitative and qualitative types of research. This study focused on one selected segment through which the company operates: Global Business Services (GBS). The population of the study were bona fide active employees of IBM. The respondents were also explicitly working at IBM Eastwood Libis, Quezon City site under the Human Resource Transformation and Operations (HRTO) department of IBM Business Services, Inc.
In terms of the selection of the respondents being studied, purposive convenience sampling technique was utilized. The study was done in two (2) stages. The first stage is about the respondents’ personal profile such as age, educational attainment, and years of service in the company and their Career Adaptability Scales. The data collection ran from December 18 – 31, 2019. The study was conducted in 1800 Building of Eastwood Libis, Quezon City site where approximately 150 professional employees of HRTO are presently working. Only the respondents who were able to finish the questionnaire within the 2-week period were included in the conduct of the study. Data was collected from 102 respondents.
The first section was conducted to aid the selection participants for the second stage of the study. From 102 respondents, the researcher reached out to 20 participants who were selected based on their willingness and availability to proceed with the second stage of the research which is the interview process. While it was intended to evenly distribute the representation of respondents per age range, educational attainment, and length of service, the scheduling conflicts to conduct interviews as well as the limited number of respondents for certain demographic groups proved the endeavor not feasible. Nevertheless, the researcher has managed to get representatives from each group from the original population of 102 respondents.
The result of the study revealed that the institutionalization of office automation in the HRTO department of IBM has significantly impacted the career paths of the employees. The employees are very adaptable to office automation and they continue to mold their careers by constantly adapting to technological changes. All of the IBM HRTO employees are very aware, and they are preparing for their vocational future. Certainly, the employees have strong beliefs about their personal responsibility to prepare for their careers.
The study concentrated on employees from one type of industry. The researcher recommended a quantitative study on the effects of automation to the job security of employees within the same industry. Other researchers could also look for further study from other companies where automations are being implemented for differentiation and validation of results. The researcher also suggested further research from other industries where automations are directly impacting human work and compare the displacement and productivity effects of automation. A review of current curriculums of educational institutions and align with what skillsets are being sought by future employers were highly proposed too. Lastly, a further study and review of national and international policies regarding employee severance since organizations are more likely to displace employees due to technological advancements.
