What is the link between technology and physical structure? When we look at technology from the modernist perspective, technology provides one means by which businesses increase their profits and not for profit organisations decrease their need for outside funding.
There is a close connection between technology and physical structure in most organisations. We know for example that assembly-line technology create demands for the placement of people and equipment or other example an organisation which span over different geographic location has different need to transportation, communication tool and office equipment then an organisation which its entire employee set in the same office building.
The relationship between physical structure and technology is in both ways, in the same way that the physical structure can shape the need of technology, technology affect the physical structure. In Woodward’s study dividing organization depending to level of technical complexity in their production showed that the technology used has direct connection on the physical structure needed. We have to remember that Woodword’s considered only core technology even thought Thompson included service technology in his study physical structure were dominated.
With in symbolic-interpretive perspective technology is not just task activates, but action and interaction between people and technology. New methods of electronic communication such as email, internet and fax machines has effects the way we do interact with each other and it has major influence on the choice of the physical structure.
Look at the way computer has changed our work. We spend more hours to organise our work behind a computer screen then we do anything ales. It has even changed the way we arrange the interior in the offices. E.g. a graphic designer which used to spend most of his/her time in a studio with cutting papers and mixing the colours and paints, now with use of multimedia technology he/she can design and produce a poster or newspaper advertising without touching a paper or paints or even entering a studio.
The way technology has affected our life has never been more obvious. Look at the some of technology we use everyday e.g. cars, refrigerator, microwave and mobile telephone without them our life would never been the same and some of us could not even do the work they are doing now.
