Work Transformation

Citation

Bangaruswamy, M. (2002), "Work Transformation", International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 23 No. 3, pp. 293-295. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijm.2002.23.3.293.1

This book looks at ways of “work transformation”. It deals with planning and implementing the new workplace. To cope with an economy that is rapidly changing, organizations need to revisit the way of doing work. Organizations need to redefine work methods, more specifically how and where employees work.

The initial chapters introduce the concepts and these have been explained in details in subsequent chapters. The author has given examples of organizations that have implemented some of these concepts. He has suggested ways of implementing work transformation. Considerable focus has been given to the practical aspects of implementation.

Work transformation has to be done in the context of external changes. Indeed, various aspects of working life have been changed recently. There is an increase in the percentage of professional/knowledge workers, there has been a flattening of organization structures, and technology has been replacing portions of work being done by people. Significant changes have taken place in demographics and lifestyle choices. The trend shows an increasing number of women in the workforce. There is also a growing number of men who are single parents or who are taking a much more active role in parenting. These developments have led the employees to look for more flexible options that will help them balance work and family life. Advances in technology have also changed the way work is being done.

In this context, the author has developed several ideas to transform the way work is being done. He has raised questions such as:

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  Is it necessary for all employees to work at a central location? Alternatively, would it be better for some employees to work closer to their customers?

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  Why should managers get large offices with closed doors? Can there be alternative ways of dealing with those meetings that require privacy from time to time?

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  Do employees have to work specific hours of the day and specific days of the week? The old concept of work does not hold in a global economy where customers are located in different time zones.

The various options suggested in the book revolve around alternative work arrangements (AWAs), alternative space arrangements (ASAs), and ways of tapping the benefits of technology. Some of the alternative work arrangements are:

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  variable work hours or flexitime;

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  regular part‐time;

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  modified work week where people reschedule their work so that they work longer hours per day, but fewer days over a pre‐defined work cycle;

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  phased retirement helping individuals to retire gradually by reducing their full‐time employment commitment over time;

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  job sharing where two employees with similar skills and experience share the job;

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  telecommuting;

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  work at home; and

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  mobile work for employees who work from multiple work locations.

There is a brief explanation of each of these methods. The author has articulated that alternative work arrangements are voluntary. He has given examples to show how most organizations can benefit by applying AWAs. Sales persons could use the benefits offered by mobile work, while employees who work on the manufacturing floor may take advantage of modified work weeks.

The alternative space arrangements have been categorized as on‐premises options and off‐premises options. The suggested on‐premises options are:

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  teaming space which is a space shared by the entire team;

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  shared office where two or more employees share a single assigned space; and

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  nonterritorial space which is based on the concept that no one is permanently attached to any single workplace. Employees select the workplace that meets their specific requirements at any given point of time.

The off‐premises options are mobile offices, telework centers, guest space, and home office.

Work transformation is enabled by various technologies, including the Internet, e‐mail, voice mail, networking, and other tools that facilitate workgroup computing, conferencing, etc. Workgroup computing enables people to work together more effectively as it facilitates information sharing and interaction with each other. Conferencing solutions help to reduce geographical constraints; technology facilitates audio and video conferencing.

The book discusses potential business and employee benefits. Enhanced job performance, more effective communications, enhanced focus on results, reduced office space costs, improved job satisfaction, ability to attract/utilize people with disabilities and improved customer service are some of the potential business benefits. Among the potential employee benefits are reduced stress, opportunity to balance work and family, reduced conflicts between work and personal schedules, cost savings, ability to work during personal peak performance times, and improved morale.

Gaining management support is an important aspect in the process of work transformation and this has been articulated in detail. The author has covered these in the form of strategy, assessment of the appropriateness, and building a business case. Before making a presentation to the entire organization, it is important to do the necessary research, find an executive champion and develop a shared vision of the concepts. The assessment process will help the organization determine the appropriateness of the concepts. The business case presents the strategy, the details from the assessment process and the cost‐benefit angle. From time to time, it is important to review the program and fine‐tune it to ensure that the momentum is sustained.

All through the book, the importance of human resources, facilities management and information technology is highlighted. The structure and flow of the book suits the needs of different readers. Those who have a fair depth of knowledge in any of the three areas covered in the book can skip the chapters which describe the concepts in detail. They can focus on the chapters that deal with management support and the implementation. The Web‐site bibliography, at the end of the book, gives ample scope to those who want to browse for more details. The diagrams in the book help to explain some of the concepts related to alternative space arrangements and to the technological solutions.

What I like about this book is that it does not read like a recipe for success. It gives ample scope and ideas that enable the readers to tailor the design and implementation of work transformation to suit their requirement. It has been organized around the key themes of human resources, facilities management and information technology and I felt that their inter‐dependencies have been articulated clearly. The questions in the initial chapters are thought provoking and they deal with challenging issues. The language used is simple and all jargons are explained. The detailed elaboration of the concepts may be a double‐edged sword. It can be tedious for those who know these concepts. I felt that some of the diagrams tend to distract the attention and they could have been placed in an Appendix at the end of the book. The author could have made it a more enriching experience for the reader by elaborating the experiences of organizations that have implemented these concepts.

Overall, the book does cover important points in the area of work transformation. It covers the cycle from concepts to implementation and it offers the reader sufficient information to embark on the journey.