ASSIGNMENT THE CHANGING NATURE OF THE WORKPLACE

THE CHANGING NATURE OF THE WORKPLACE 1
The changing nature of the workplace and its implication on workplace skills and management
education
Name
Institution

THE CHANGING NATURE OF THE WORKPLACE 2
The changing nature of the workplace and its implication on workplace skills and management
education
Introduction
The nature of work and the general workplace has experienced significant changes over
the last several years. Notably, a critical objective of every firm is to sustain productiveness and
most importantly, maintain a competitive advantage over its competitors. However, like Millar,
Groth and Mahon (2018) point, the current global business environment is characterised by high
levels of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. A variety of disruptive factors have
contributed to the current global environment. First, According to the World Bank Group (2019),
Societies are highly evolving, and this has led to changing consumer needs and overall human
priorities. Also, global markets are expanding whereby emerging markets have created additional
opportunities for firms to capitalise. Additionally, there have been disruptive technological
advancements that have brought new methods of production aimed at enhancing efficiency in
various business operations. Therefore, it is for this reason that firms are making radical changes
to not only shield on risks but also to capitalise on the opportunities arising from these
disruptions. Thus, the workplace has been characterised by an emergence of new business
models, new work patterns, and a demand for new skills. Therefore, these unique workplace
characteristics will be analysed to understand their implication on skills and management.
Important issues
A variety of interconnected issues are shaping the changing workplace. One such point is
globalisation which is the increased interconnection between various economies all across the
globe. Globalisation has led to the creation of a global value chain system. Whereby production

THE CHANGING NATURE OF THE WORKPLACE 3
processes and operations are located across several nations, taking advantage of their
comparative advantage (Hernández and Pedersen, 2017). Consequently, this has meant that firms
can easily access and leverage on the global market. Also, it means that conditions in the
worldwide market can have a significant impact on the firm and its competitive advantage. The
rise of digital age technology has been responsible for the rise of globalisation. As Szalavetz
(2019) points, digitalisation has not only enhanced efficiency in operations, but it has also
enabled firms to coordinate operations in geographically dispersed locations.
Additionally, as society continually advances, there is a significant focus on the element
of employee rights and well being. As Kowalski and Loretto (2017) points, enhancing employee
wellbeing is critical to establishing a healthy and productive workforce. Also, there is a growing
appreciation that it is a pivotal contributor to the overall societal quality of life.
Therefore, in the coming ten years, it can be anticipated that the interconnection of global
value chains will intensify. A key driver to this will be digital technology which is advancing
rapidly, particularly with the rise in industry 4.0 technologies. Additionally, there will be a
growing demand for jobs that guarantee employee wellbeing. Thus, the management should
consider these issues and identify how they impact the firm.
Implication to Workers and Management
Notably, these changes have significant implications for both workers and management.
For example, globalisation has a profound impact on the scope and nature of their roles. Both the
workers and the administration need specialised competencies to function in the complex global
business environment adequately. It is worth noting that while nations and economies have
become increasingly interconnected, they still have retained their identities and autonomy