Prelims

Half Title Page

New Directions in the Future of Work

Title Page

New Directions in the Future of Work

EDITED BY

MÓNICA SANTANA

Pablo de Olavide University, Spain

RAMÓN VALLE-CABRERA

Pablo de Olavide University, Spain

United Kingdom – North America – Japan – India – Malaysia – China

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley BD16 1WA, UK

First edition 2022

Copyright © 2022 Emerald Publishing Limited

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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-80071-299-7 (Print)

ISBN: 978-1-80071-298-0 (Online)

ISBN: 978-1-80071-300-0 (Epub)

Contents

List of Figures

List of Tables

List of Contributors

Foreword: Demystifying the Future of Work

I am trained as an organisational taxonomist (no, there are not very many of us!). Taxonomists seek patterns in events, themes in ideas, and order from randomness. Over the years, I have heard many speak passionately about ‘future of work’ and I have silently nodded my head affirming the value of the topic, but privately wondering what ‘future of work’ really meant. Under this broad banner, it included eloquent discussions of technological innovations, climate change, demographics, social justice, political systems, economic gaps, immigration patterns, industry disruptions, government policies, sustainability principles, organisation reinvention, workforce and workplace dynamics, employee experience, leadership requirements, governance systems, etc.

Of course, each of these topics will create ideas that shape the nature of work. But sometimes I felt lost in the randomness of all these ideas and could not find an order or pattern to make sense of future of work.

Without a doubt, questions (where, how, who, when, and what) about work matter. Individuals spend a large part of their waking hours working and their work shapes personal identity, experience, and well-being, or a positive workforce. Organisations with effective work processes succeed in the marketplace with customers, investors, and communities thus creating a better workplace. And, the future of work will shape how individuals and organisations operate. It is helpful to glance backwards to learn from what has happened; it is more helpful to fixate on the future so that it can be created.

But ordering all the ideas about the future of work into patterns and themes related to the future of work turns an otherwise interesting set of nearly random insights into specific actions with choices that leaders can make to work better.

So, I am delighted to read Monica and Ramon’s book. They recognise that ‘content is king, but context is the kingdom’. In this case, the context (or kingdom) sets the conditions for the what, where, and how work will be done. In a relatively condensed time frame, the world faced multiple crises of global pandemic (health and social isolation), social unrest (refugees and black lives matter), political squabbles (dysfunctional government elections and bickering), technological advancements (AI and cloud data) leading to a digital age, economic turbulence, and emotional malaise.

From this context, the content of work has had to change. Leaders have had to:

• redefine the boundaries of where work is done (work is not a place, but a shared set of values);

• how work is done (through a mix of face-to-face interactions and virtual settings);

• who does work (with a melding of people and technology); and

• what impact work has on employees (helping employees believe, become, and belong from their work activities), customers (adapting work to changing customer expectations), investors (ensuring confidence in the future through intangibles), and communities (being socially responsible).

In this changing context of work, Monica and Ramon create a useful typology of eight dimensions of the content of the future of work, bringing order to work choices. Their classification leads to very thoughtful chapters on how work will affect individuals (talent, vulnerable employees, education, and well-being), leaders (values and competencies), and organisations (forms and flexibility, technology, and policies). Each chapter offers insights on how individuals and leaders can make choices to shape the future of work to respond to changing contextual conditions.

I leave this book more aware of what ‘future of work’ really means. With this meaning more clear, I am more able to demystify the future of work from a set of interesting insights to specific actions and choices that will help me (and others) imagine, invent, and implement a work setting that works.

Dave Ulrich

January 2021

Acknowledgements

The editors wish to thank all the authors for dedicating their time and knowledge to the development of one of the most concerning issues in the current socio-economic system: ‘New Directions in the Future of Work’.

‘This book is dedicated to my family and especially to my children. I hope they value the importance of effort and passion in each step and project in life’. (Mónica)

‘To my family’. (Ramón)

In addition, we would like to thank research project entitled Business Management for Competitiveness and Sustainability (ref. PAIDI SEJ-602) and research project entitled Alternative Forms of Work and Employment Relationships for Sustainability and Organizational Agility (ref. PID2020-112599GB-I00)