Dr Simon Parker, Assistant Professor in Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management, Director of the Work, Employment and Organisation Group, Nottingham University Business School.
The last three years have seen a seismic shift in perspective for many concerning working practices, collaboration and connection. A report by McKinsey notes that a third of all employment can be carried out remotely and many business leaders are aiming to cut their office space by 30%. We all have experienced huge changes in what is considered “normal” in the workplace. I remember video calling into a team meeting in 2019 and everyone jumped when I spoke – four years later and this is common practice for many. The last departmental seminar I ran had more people joining online than in person.
So how has this changed the world of work?
The sociologist Eviatar Zerubavel was one of the first to highlight the importance of rhythm in work. Regular meetings, typical working hours and durations of certain activities all help to create rhythmical structures that play a role in how groups work together. A person saying: “This is taking too long” or the feeling you get when you pack up your things and leave before 5pm are examples of how rhythms influence your daily life. However, remote working means that there is no longer one great metronome or conductor keeping time and checking everyone is on beat – instead, rhythms are negotiated at a local level within teams or even at an individual level. A person who comes into the office Monday and Tuesday will simply not see a person who comes in Wednesday-Friday. This increases the risk of siloes within an organisation as “what we do around here”, the phrase that most describes organisational culture, becomes even more fragmented than before.
Remote working also, in an almost paradoxical way, has made organisations more formal in their operating. Who we communicate with is now far more intentional. Accidental collision points or coincidental water cooler moments now happen less frequently. Indeed, the elements of informal organising have been somewhat driven underground, an issue perhaps exacerbated by the numbers of people, particularly in the 50-64 age who had the most knowledge of an organisation, leaving work. The normative glue that often holds organisations together more than policies and rules has become far less sticky.
Is the increasing role of technology as a medium for communication and action within organisation, coupled with the frequent use of AI and automation; resulting in employees becoming less human? And if so, are our relationships and teams so influenced by technology that we have to reconsider what soft skills might be necessary in an organisation? Is a paradigm shift needed in how we learn and develop in this brave new world?
Join Dr Simon Parker from the University of Nottingham on day two (Wednesday 11 Oct) of the World of Learning event to explore the skills, personal development and learning necessary to work well in these changing organisational landscapes.
Wednesday 11 October (Day 2)
Time: 13:30 – 14:00
Theatre: Live Demo Zone
Visit the University of Nottingham on stand C130.
About the Author:
Dr Simon Parker
Simon Parker is an assistant professor at Nottingham University Business School. He received his PhD from Warwick Business School in 2015 and joined from Cass Business School in 2017. His research focuses on critical understandings of sustainability, corporate social responsibility and alternative organizations. He is an alumnus of ETHOS: The Centre for Responsible Business at Cass Business School and an affiliate of the International Centre for CSR at Nottingham University Business School.
Simon is also interested in responsible management education, social studies of finance, regulation and accreditation. He has been commended for his teaching activities and has experience teaching at a variety of levels.
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