Strong collaboration and alignment between business leaders, policymakers, educators, civil society and other stakeholders can support transformations such as digital transformation to occur effectively. More than 85% of organizations participating in the 2023 Future of Jobs Report, compiled by the World Economic Forum, report that the increase in the adoption of new and pioneering technologies; He predicts that this can be achieved by expanding digital access. The technologies most likely to be adopted by surveyed organizations are digital platforms and applications; 86% of companies expect to incorporate them into their operations within the next five years. Approximately 4 million digitally enabled roles such as E-Commerce Specialists, Digital Transformation Specialists, and Digital Marketing and Strategy Specialists are expected to grow.
Adaptation to New Technologies and Sustainability
It is time to ensure that future investments translate into better jobs and opportunities for everyone; In fact, companies have already started to think about what they can do on these issues… More than half of the companies participating in the survey conducted while preparing the Future of Jobs report state that quality and sustainable job growth is expected to increase. According to this report, some of the issues that need to be emphasized are technology, digital transformation, sustainability, flexible business models & working arrangements.
To keep up with technological changes, businesses must adapt to new technologies such as digital transformation and artificial intelligence. Business leaders should create sustainable business models by considering environmental and social responsibilities. Business strategies that minimize social and environmental impacts are important for long-term success. Considering that flexible working arrangements started to be more on our agenda after the pandemic: The reduction of weekly working days to 4 days, which is planned to be implemented at the beginning of 2024 in Germany, after Belgium, is one of the most basic examples on this issue. Shortening/stretching days or working hours around the world are topics that attract everyone’s attention, and this adaptation has been accepted in many circles. In the future, the business world should continue to embrace new business models such as remote working and flexible working hours. This can help businesses access a more diverse and global talent pool and help employees achieve work-life balance.
Advantages and Challenges of Technology Adoption
Rapid adoption of technology can bring about a significant transformation in the business world. This can offer benefits such as more efficient business processes, better customer experience, more innovation and new business models. However, this process can also present some challenges:
Positive Aspects:
- Increased productivity: New technologies can be used to automate business processes and increase efficiency. This allows businesses to provide more effective and faster service.
- Innovation and Increased Competition: Technological innovations can provide competitive advantage to businesses. Innovation gives you the chance to be a pioneer in developing new products and services.
- Digital Access and Global Collaboration: Technological advances can help businesses reach a wider audience digitally and establish global collaborations. This provides an environment for companies to increase their market share and awareness.
Difficulties That May Occur:
- Updating Competencies: Adopting new technologies may require employees to update their skill sets. This may increase the need for training and development.
- Information Security and Privacy: Greater digitalization may make data security and privacy issues more urgent. Businesses must be vigilant in protecting customer data.
- Cost: Adopting new technologies often requires investment. This can be a financial challenge for small businesses.
- Loss of Human Orientation: In the digitalization process, human orientation may be lost. It is important that customer service and human interactions are maintained in a digitalized environment.
If we are talking about the future, we need to get rid of some of our routines and learn to embrace technology.
I would like to share with you a very important sentence from Charles Duhigg‘s book ‘The Power of Habit‘: ‘Most of the time, routines and truces work perfectly. Competition still exists, of course, but thanks to corporate habits, it is kept within certain limits and the business continues.”
We must not forget that today and the future require us to exceed those limits.
In this context, technology adoption presents both opportunities and challenges. For a successful transformation, it is important for businesses to use technology strategically, train their employees and focus on customer needs. At the same time, it is critical to consider social impacts and sustainability issues in this transformation.
