Technology & Innovation

Working in the Future

December 11, 2014

Global

December 11, 2014

Global

Six guest essays on the themes reshaping work

It used to be the case that staff worked the way they were told to by their employers. It was therefore the objectives of the organisation – efficiency, in most cases – that defined the working style of the majority.

Now, though, the way we work is subject to all manner of influences. Organisations that wish to design engaging and productive working environments for their employees must understand those forces, and react accordingly. 

To take a pulse of the latest thinking on how work is changing, The Economist Intelligence Unit invited six experts in various fields to put their thoughts in writing. The six essays are collected in this curated report, sponsored by Fujitsu, the follow-up to the   

The contributors, and the subject of their essays, are as follows: 

  • Toni Schneider, former CEO of Automattic, on the power of the distributed workforce

  • Professor David De Cremer of the Cambridge Judge Business School on irrationality and globalisation's impact on work

  • Reseacher and consultant Charles Grantham on how attitudes towards work are changing

  • Philippe De Ridder, co-founder of Board of Innovation, on why intrapreneurs are the workers of tomorrow

  • Professor Dean Bartlett, co-director of the Centre for Progressive Leadership at London Metropolitan University, on social sustainability and the nature of organisations

  • Bridget Treacy, a partner at the law firm Hunton & Williams, on privacy, data and workforce analytics

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