The Impact of Technological Change on Textile and Garment Workers in Developing Countries : HRD Strategies

This paper develops a conceptual framework of technological change and its impact on textile and garment workers in developing countries based on an extensive literature review. It proposes human resource development (HRD) strategies for adapting the change efficiently so that the negative impact of technological change is minimized. Technological change increases job insecurity, job dissatisfaction and deteriorates work relations in the company. It eliminates lower skilled jobs from the company by bringing new and advanced machines. These, in turn, have impact on the overall socioeconomic situation of workers, which is a defined in socioeconomic term. It includes economic factors such as income, and social concerns such as family or status. The level of impact of technological change depends on the change management process that includes human resource planning, work re-organization, training and development, worker participation, and information sharing. These programs act as mediating factors. The higher level of efficacy of the change management process results in a less negative impact on workers. Thus, technology alone does not determine the acceptance or rejection of the change, but it efficacy is determined by how it is managed