Editorial

Citation

Burgess, T.F. and Heap, J. (2016), "Editorial", International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Vol. 65 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-11-2015-0178

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Volume 65, Issue 2.

Does technology help or hinder productivity and performance?

There are two basic schools of thought on this issue – though, as ever, these are not straightforward.

The first is that the introduction of technology can transform processes for the better, improving both quality and productivity. Of course, this school of thought is often promulgated by suppliers of the technology, keen to sell a positive message about their products. The evidence is not so clear. We all know organisations that have “automated” their processes using new technology – but then found that they have automated their inefficient or unreliable processes, so that their key outcome is that they can now make mistakes and errors faster.

The second major school of thought, however, is that the introduction of many modern technologies – such as e-mail and other forms of messaging – simply results in high levels of distraction for employees.

The truth is, of course, either somewhere in the middle – or, more likely, a combination of the two schools – some technology-based projects result in positive productivity gains; some do not. It depends on how such projects are implemented – and whether the introduction of the technology is a part of an overall strategy, clearly linked to the overall vision of the organisation and its strategic objectives.

This is why this journal is titled The International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management. We recognise that adopting various approaches to productivity and performance improvement, or implementing the various tools and techniques referred to in these pages, depends for success on the quality of the leadership and management of the organisation and of the specific project.

We also believe firmly that the effects of introducing any technology should be captured in the organisation’s performance measurement system so that the project can be judged and evaluated against known criteria.

This is why we publish papers like the one that leads this issue entitled “Social media and performance measurement systems: towards a new model?” – the authors of this paper make those connections.

But, like most research papers, there is a need to read it and filter it through your own perceptions and experience. Getting anything useful from reading a paper requires you to transfer the contents of the paper to your own environment and context – rather like applying technology.

So, reading this journal needs to be an active rather than passive experience. We, as editors, select papers to include on the basis of their research credibility and/or what we perceive as their practical value. The rest is up to you.

Thomas F. Burgess and John Heap