GHR Forum 2010: TRACK B-1: Tommorow's Workplace for Tommorow's Worforce

The change in the content of work in advanced industrialized economies to knowledge work requires the engagement and discretionary effort of employees at all levels. The changing "social compact" or contract between employers and employees has left employees disengaged and dissatisfied. There is a clear disconnect between the need for (and talk about) employee engagement and what companies are actually doing. There are also discontinuities between what the new workforce wants—interesting work and freedom to use their intellectual gifts and skills—and the increasing computer surveillance and monitoring and ever-growing centralization of decision-making authority in many companies. It is possible to build competitive economies and competitive companies—and it is possible to double sales and triple profits even in a commodity business (paper products) as Kimberly-Clark Andean region did between 20024 and 2008—but doing so requires a fundamental shift in the mind set of most corporate leaders.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• workplace
• workforce
• knowledge
• flexibility
• decentralization
• learning
• downsizing
• leadership