Britain has always been at the forefront of economic change. First, it was the agricultural revolution, then the industrial boom of the 19th century. Now the world is changing radically again, and it is critical that the UK’s businesses, public institutions and people meet that change creatively.
The change we’re facing today is multi-faceted. A revolution in technology and the application of both IT and communications networks has shifted our preconceptions about the location, purpose and value of our work. Demographic shifts are creating an aging population. A growing skills shortage is putting pressure on the education system and businesses to create knowledge workers with cutting – edge expertise; and also to ensure that people who were previously marginalised in economic terms are brought back into the workplace. Social change – particularly among the young – is forcing us to challenge assumptions about “career” and “the work ethic”. And, above all, global interconnectedness is creating a new “supermarket” for goods and services.
The New World of Work is a Microsoft® framework for understanding how all these forces will impact on organisations – it is designed to help us understand them better and channel them into improvements both in the workplace and for society.
In the UK, Microsoft is committed to addressing the needs of businesses of all sizes: supporting those companies and organisations in using technology to generate value and competitive advantage; showing how they exhibit innovation and entrepreneurialism; and driving their businesses forward through strong leadership and helping their employees work in a happy and productive environment.
Today’s workplace is all about the network – not just in a technology sense (although that is crucial, too), but in the context of people and organisations. The technology gives us the power to connect with each other wherever we are, whatever we’re doing, at any time of the day or night. It has fundamentally changed our ability to access and use information. But without considering the effects of this change holistically – and analysing how they interact with society – we are likely to get the management of change fundamentally wrong.
That’s why the New World of Work is a crucially important concept for us all.
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