Contemporary Work and the Future of Employment in Developed Countries

Contemporary Work and the Future of Employment in Developed Countries

Author: Peter Holland

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-01-23

Total Pages: 173

ISBN-13: 135103488X

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Whilst only in the second decade of the 21st century, we have seen significant and fundamental change in the way we work, where we work, how we work and the conditions of work. The continued advancements of (smart) technology and artificial intelligence, globalisation and deregulation can provide a ‘sleek’ view of the world of work. This paradigm can deliver the opportunity to both control work and provide new challenges in this emerging virtual and global workplace with 24/7 connectivity, as the boundaries of the traditional organisation ‘melt’ away. Throughout the developed world the notions of work and employment are becoming increasingly separated and for some this will provide new opportunities in entrepreneurial and self-managed work. However, the alternate or ‘bleak’ perspectives is a world of work where globalisation and technology work together to eliminate or minimise employment, underpinning standardised employment with less and less stable or secure work, typified by the rise of the ‘gig’ economy and creating more extreme work, in terms of working hours, conditions and rewards. These aspects of work are likely to have a significant negative impact on the workforce in these environments. These transformations are creating renewed interest in how work and the workforce is organised and managed and its relationship to employment in a period when all predictions are that the pace of change will only accelerate.


The Work of the Future

The Work of the Future

Author: David H. Autor

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2022-06-21

Total Pages: 189

ISBN-13: 0262367742

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Why the United States lags behind other industrialized countries in sharing the benefits of innovation with workers and how we can remedy the problem. The United States has too many low-quality, low-wage jobs. Every country has its share, but those in the United States are especially poorly paid and often without benefits. Meanwhile, overall productivity increases steadily and new technology has transformed large parts of the economy, enhancing the skills and paychecks of higher paid knowledge workers. What’s wrong with this picture? Why have so many workers benefited so little from decades of growth? The Work of the Future shows that technology is neither the problem nor the solution. We can build better jobs if we create institutions that leverage technological innovation and also support workers though long cycles of technological transformation. Building on findings from the multiyear MIT Task Force on the Work of the Future, the book argues that we must foster institutional innovations that complement technological change. Skills programs that emphasize work-based and hybrid learning (in person and online), for example, empower workers to become and remain productive in a continuously evolving workplace. Industries fueled by new technology that augments workers can supply good jobs, and federal investment in R&D can help make these industries worker-friendly. We must act to ensure that the labor market of the future offers benefits, opportunity, and a measure of economic security to all.


The Future of Work and Employment

The Future of Work and Employment

Author: Adrian Wilkinson

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2020-02-28

Total Pages: 265

ISBN-13: 1786438259

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This cutting-edge book charts the latest ideas and concepts in employment relations research. Mapping out the intellectual boundaries of the field, The Future of Work and Employment outlines the key research and policy outcomes for work and employment in the age of digitisation and artificial intelligence.


The Fourth Industrial Revolution

The Fourth Industrial Revolution

Author: Klaus Schwab

Publisher: Crown Currency

Published: 2017-01-03

Total Pages: 194

ISBN-13: 1524758876

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World-renowned economist Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, explains that we have an opportunity to shape the fourth industrial revolu­tion, which will fundamentally alter how we live and work. Schwab argues that this revolution is different in scale, scope and complexity from any that have come before. Characterized by a range of new technologies that are fusing the physical, digital and biological worlds, the developments are affecting all disciplines, economies, industries and governments, and even challenging ideas about what it means to be human. Artificial intelligence is already all around us, from supercomputers, drones and virtual assistants to 3D printing, DNA sequencing, smart thermostats, wear­able sensors and microchips smaller than a grain of sand. But this is just the beginning: nanomaterials 200 times stronger than steel and a million times thinner than a strand of hair and the first transplant of a 3D printed liver are already in development. Imagine “smart factories” in which global systems of manu­facturing are coordinated virtually, or implantable mobile phones made of biosynthetic materials. The fourth industrial revolution, says Schwab, is more significant, and its ramifications more profound, than in any prior period of human history. He outlines the key technologies driving this revolution and discusses the major impacts expected on government, business, civil society and individu­als. Schwab also offers bold ideas on how to harness these changes and shape a better future—one in which technology empowers people rather than replaces them; progress serves society rather than disrupts it; and in which innovators respect moral and ethical boundaries rather than cross them. We all have the opportunity to contribute to developing new frame­works that advance progress.


Reshaping the Future

Reshaping the Future

Author: Sedigheh Moghavvemi

Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing

Published: 2023-05-25

Total Pages: 104

ISBN-13: 1837533504

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The labour economy is being transformed by technology, as employers embrace new practices that utilise flexible work contracts and a whole new generation of tech-savvy employees. Leaders and decision-makers, managers and aspiring professionals, and a generation soon joining the workforce, will find Reshaping the Future invaluable.


Employment Relations as Networks

Employment Relations as Networks

Author: Bernd Brandl

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2022-07-15

Total Pages: 267

ISBN-13: 1000615316

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Traditional approaches in the wide field of employment relations focused on a small and clearly delineated set of actors, such as trade unions and employers’ organizations, operating within the constraints given by formal, nationally confined institutions. It is becoming increasingly clear that traditional approaches are insufficiently able to account for employment relations processes and outcomes in a world wherein formal institutions are being rapidly transformed and partially dissolved, national boundaries become porous, and the sheer number of actors involved is increasing substantially. A shift in perspective is necessary, past the nationally bounded actor-institution dichotomy, towards an understanding of employment relations as fundamentally mediated by complex and emergent networks that connect a multitude of actors within and between countries. ? This volume provides a seminal starting point for such a paradigm shift by applying theories and methodologies from social network analysis to the study of employment relations. It develops a theoretical toolkit of mechanisms that operate within networks and shape employment relations processes and outcomes, such as wages, labour market policies and labour conflicts. It brings together insights from various projects that investigate the structure, functioning and impact of networks in employment relations through quantitative and qualitative methods. It will be of particular interest to students and scholars of employment relations across business and management, economics, political science, and sociology disciplines, as well as those interested in social networks. Managers, trade unions, employers’ organizations and state authorities at national and international levels will find it helpful in understanding how networks shape their world.


The Digital Continent

The Digital Continent

Author: Mohammad Amir Anwar

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2022

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 0198840802

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The Digital Continent investigates what the impact of the growth of digital work in Africa means for workers. The volume draws on a year-long field study conducted in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, and Uganda to provide one of the first empirical studies on the topic.


Employment Relations and Global Governance

Employment Relations and Global Governance

Author: Yvonne Rueckert

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2023-07-07

Total Pages: 217

ISBN-13: 131545839X

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Globalisation has created many opportunities for economic development, but it is also associated with rising income inequality and poverty. International crises such as the international financial and economic crisis of 2008, and more recently the global health pandemic, have led to a rise in unemployment and income losses for workers and a surge in the violation of workers’ rights. At global level intergovernmental organisations including the World Bank and the IMF are influential actors and policy makers which promote the UN Sustainable Development Goals. However, the International Financial Institutions (IFIs) have been criticised for their internal political power imbalances and macroeconomic policy prescriptions based on neo-liberal principles. The Global Unions and their affiliates as well as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) regularly comment on the negative impact of the IFI’s policies in regard to labour flexibilisation and the privatisation of public and social services. In 2002 a formalised dialogue was established between the Global Unions and the IFIs which addresses labour, social and environmental issues. This dialogue takes place at three levels: the country level, the sector level, and the headquarters level. The ILO maintains its own dialogue with the IFIs, but it also participates at the headquarters-level dialogue between the Global Unions and the IFIs. Employment Relations and Global Governance focuses on the headquarters-level dialogue which can be considered as a strategic instrument that helps the Global Unions and their affiliates to exercise influence over the policies of the IFIs, especially those policies which concern workers. The book describes and analyses the development of the dialogue since its establishment with a particular focus on factors which promote and hinder the dialogue. The book provides important insights into the real-world functioning of the institutions of economic global governance and its broader impact on the world of work. It is likely to be key reading for academics, researchers and students studying global employment relations, political economy, and international organisations. It will also be of interest to international and national trade unions, non-governmental organisations, and policy makers.


Multigenerational Communication in Organizations

Multigenerational Communication in Organizations

Author: Michael G. Strawser

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2021-05-10

Total Pages: 92

ISBN-13: 1000417980

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Multigenerational Communication in Organizations explores generational differences in the changing workplace from a communication perspective. Starting from the reality that a workplace can contain up to five different generations, these chapters examine topics like generational perceptions on the job search process; organizational culture; organizational identification; organizational crises; the dark side of workplace communication; remote working; and future challenges. Outlines of best practices and suggestions for application are provided based on the most recent data and corresponding literature. The authors also develop a data-forward understanding of Generation Z in context. This book is ideal for both scholars and practitioners in organizational communication and management, as well as for workplace managers and supervisors.