Will dashboard computers turn drive time into work time?

HR Magazine, Dec, 1998 by Caroline Zambrowicz

To appeal to ever-more-frenzied consumers juggling both work and family responsibilities, automakers are outfitting vehicles with new technologies that allow them to double as both home and office. While these technologies may lead to productivity gains, they also may further blur the line separating work and personal lives. Human resource professionals concerned with the work/life balance of their employees will need to consider the possible consequences of these new developments.

Toyota, Fujitsu and Toshiba are collaborating to create automobiles with multimedia systems that give riders access to the Internet as well as dozens of video and audio channels. Microsoft is ready to produce dashboard-mounted computers that have radio and CD players, accept voice commands and translate text messages to a synthetic voice, allowing users to listen to navigation directions and e-mail messages. IBM is teaming up with Netscape and Delphi Automotive to develop a concept car called the "Network Vehicle" that provides real-time stock quotes, global positioning navigation aids and travel information.

With today's economic growth and business viability closely tied to technology, innovations such as these create opportunities for companies to develop new products and services while allowing them to be increasingly efficient. For example, dashboard computers, along with laptop computers and cellular phones, will further reduce geographic distances between a company's base of operations and different work sites-thus saving time and money. In an era of urban sprawl, edge cities and inadequate road systems, these new technologies can minimize the time lost to commuting and driving to and from business appointments.

While companies adopt technology that will benefit them economically, individuals tend to adopt technology that will improve their quality of life. But will the new automotive technology really do so, and at what cost? New technologies may provide greater convenience, safety and service but may also make employees more vulnerable to stress because they will always be connected to the workplace, no matter where they are. No longer will time on the road be considered "down time" during which an employee can relax for a moment. With little effort, innovations such as these may totally erase the line between our personal and professional lives.

So, along with new opportunities, these technological developments will bring new challenges and questions related to the workplace. HR professionals will need to assess the impact of the new technologies and make sure management practices are in place to help their organizations adapt to the mobility brought about by rapidly changing technology. Will the introduction of laptop-equipped cars further expand the concept of working anytime, anywhere? Or will it spur the related, but more stressful, trend toward working all the time, everywhere? HR also faces the challenge of ensuring that employers consider the human consequences of these new technologies.

For more information on this and other emerging issues, please visit the SHRM Issues Management web site at http://www.shrm. org/issues.

Caroline Zambrowicz is a media affairs specialist for the Society for Human Resource Management. Her e-mail address is yates@shrm.org.