Smart Working - Creating the Next Wave

Shaun Ellerton (University of Central Lancashire, Burnley, UK)

Leadership & Organization Development Journal

ISSN: 0143-7739

Article publication date: 7 September 2015

534

Citation

Shaun Ellerton (2015), "Smart Working - Creating the Next Wave", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 36 No. 7, pp. 903-904. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-03-2015-0045

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited


Anne Marie McEwan opens her book with a concise overview of her main arguments setting the scene. At the outset, McEwan argues that being able to make the transition to new ways of working, involving both practical and theoretical perspectives, although widely available, seems somewhat “overlooked”. As a direct result, potential in people is wasted.

The main concept focuses on the acceptance that successful management is not just about “where and when” people work but rather “how” people work, creating flexibility and autonomy.

McEwan divides the book into three core sections which lead concisely into one another. These consist of the “legacy of learning” – this sets the context, considers how organisations do and do not work, establishes the first wave of smarter working, and then ends with a detailed, balanced approach to the design principles involved in the first wave. The second is all about “change” and McEwan focuses on what is currently happening within organisations (including recent studies). She focuses on space, place and knowledge flows, as well as providing a focus on potential patterns and parallels to establish current workplace trends. The third and final part is all about “creating the next wave”; can organisations do better or do something differently. McEwan skilfully uses recent past events of large organisations such as GM Motors and BP to help set the context for the book. It is here that a core argument is established; the concept that the “past remains relevant”. It is made clear that much actionable knowledge is being overlooked and this would seem to be the core reason for having written this book.

The book swiftly considers how organisations do and do not work. Three main themes are discussed in detail which include the following:

  1. People create value through their relationship dynamics at work (psychological needs, culture, collaboration and influence of context).

  2. The second theme focuses on how organisations do not work, emphasising how industry organisational systems lack dynamic changeability and are reluctant to adaptation. Topics of control and employee engagement are used to illustrate what McEwan coins as a “deep-rooted” inability to act on research evidence.

  3. The final theme highlights how people make efforts, both deliberate and determined to steer existing systems towards the “status quo” of stability.

Smart Working – Creating the Next Wave highlights that organisations are intensely complex, interacting systems of human relationship networks, and formal systems tend to be rigid and lack the ability to change. McEwan discusses in detail the first wave of smart working considering the process control and methods of western manufacturing companies of the mid-1980s onwards. She presents an argument that a legacy of learning already exists and uses specifically selected case studies to demonstrate this concept successfully. She considers innovation as a core philosophy, customer focus, empowerment and the outcome of workplace relationships. McEwan states that lessons learnt from past organisational events would continue to provide a competitive advantage in the current economic climate. She argues that transformational changes in working practices can be met without the need to create radical changes to organisational structures.

Two theoretical models are considered to inform the reader of design principles for smarter working practices. According to McEwan, the Viable Systems Model is a semantic framework of inter-relationships involving social, organisational and information systems. The framework enables organisations to understand the complexities of uncertain operating environments. McEwan provides a balanced argument and considers in depth some criticisms of this model. The second theory presented is that of Socio-technical Systems. According to McEwan, this theory emerged in the 1950s by psychologists seeking to understand group behaviour for the sole purpose of applying their findings to the workplace environment; overcoming the de-humanisation of work. Both of these theories are applied in context to organisational working structures with an emphasis on supporting what would appear to be a much needed shift in the focus and approach in the management of existing organisations. McEwan clearly demonstrates that smart working is about having an organisational system designed to promote value for both business and the people involved.

This book would best suit those who currently hold positions of strategic planning responsibilities. This book contains useful information for those learning and developing their skills within an organisational environment but also would assist those who are currently engaged within their own business.

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