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The world is towards digitalization in all fields and the new upcoming hybrid work culture that we all are a part of today started to take shape years ago. The Covid-19 pandemic played a role in boosting progressions. These changes have forced the economy to quickly readjust and keep businesses afloat even in times of isolation.
Organizations should now start to focus on building greater resilience while ensuring that employees succeed in this new digital world of work. Especially tech companies need to set an example for all other departments as well by making successful hybrid working environments.
A study, ‘Digital Lives Decoded: Work’ by Telenor Asia has shown multiple easy by which Mobile technology can empower businesses and their employees in unprecedented ways.
Telenor conducted a survey of over 8,000 people using mobile devices and the internet across Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The results found by the survey suggested that more than eight out of ten respondents felt their performance and productivity had increased because of mobile technology, with more than half believing personal productivity had increased by 20% or more.
When it comes to boosting careers, nine out of ten respondents believe mobile technology has a fundamental role in enhancing their skills. In Pakistan, 63% of respondents felt mobile devices significantly improved their careers and skill development.
“Mobile technology isn’t just bridging the gap between work and employees’ personal lives but also becoming a key tool in boosting efficiency and effectiveness.”
Said Areej Khan the Chief Human Resources Officer at Telenor Pakistan, said that the increased use of mobile technology in recent years has brought about many benefits, especially when it comes to sustaining productivity while working from home.
Telenor’s report also highlighted how mobile technology has impacted women more positively than men. In Pakistan, 63% of women have felt empowered because of mobile technology and experienced a positive impact on life compared to 59% of their male counterparts.
Mobile is now also on its way to becoming a popular means for generating income by nearly half of the people surveyed. 46% of the Pakistani respondents believed that mobile phones have significantly improved their quality of life. 44% of women in Pakistan have reported enjoying greater access to work and income opportunities, compared to 33% of men.
The report reveals important insights into the role of workplace practices and resistance to change in mobile technology. More than half of the Baby Boomers surveyed in the report felt they lacked adequate knowledge of mobile technology.
Almost one-third of the respondents consider connectivity a key feature in enabling them to build new skills. However, privacy and security concerns were closely followed as the respondents reported that to be their greatest concern, especially amongst urban respondents.
53% of the Pakistani respondents are concerned with their online privacy and security while hybrid working. 47% of the respondents in Pakistan felt that they needed more skills or knowledge to take advantage of the benefits of mobile devices. Despite some challenges, the bigger picture shows a positive impact of hybrid working on employees. It is common for employees to feel isolated from not having access to the same information as their in-office peers.
This research aims to reveal important insights into the scale of opportunity that mobile is present in today’s increasingly connected world and carving the path to a digital-first economy.
The findings show that more than a third of people (35%) say their usage has increased ‘significantly’ since the turn of the year, a rate greater than at any point over the past five years. Bangladesh has seen one of the sharpest digital accelerations in 2022 alone (41%), alongside the Philippines and Thailand, both at 40%.
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