Critical Discussion: Workplace Skills & Management Education Report

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the evolving workplace landscape, focusing on the implications for workplace skills and management education. It begins by contrasting the workplace dynamics of the 1990s with the present, highlighting the significant shifts driven by technological advancements, globalization, and changing workforce compositions. The report delves into the impact of these changes on both workers and managers, discussing the need for advanced cognitive and socio-behavioral skills. It examines how businesses are adapting to these changes, including cost reduction strategies and the adoption of technology. The report also addresses the challenges in equipping the workforce with the necessary skills to navigate the changing work environment. Finally, it concludes with a reflection on the future of work and the importance of continuous skills development and management education to remain competitive. The report also includes reflection on the research process.

Running head: WORK AND ORGANISATION SYSTEM
Work and Organisation system
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Topic- Critically discuss the implications for workplace skills and management education
given the changing workplace and workforce composition
Introduction
This report is a detailed analysis of changing work environment in all industries
across the world. It has been identified that last two decades have witnessed gradual as well
as dramatic changes in the nature of workplace. The general reasons for such changes are not
limited to intensifying range of competition, use of innovative and information technology
growing forces of globalisation. The major purpose of the report is to analyse the
implications for workplace skills and management education according to the changing
nature of workplace and workforce composition.
Discussion
Workplace scenario of 90s and today gives a clear picture of drastic change. The
entire workplace and workforce management are governed by different supportive aspects
like technology innovation, forces of globalisation, workforce requirements, etc (Barley,
Bechky, and Milliken 2017, p.144). Pollock, Wang and Hauseman (2014, p.11) argued that
the major factor for changing nature of workplace as observed in 1990s and 2017, is that
digital technologies enable businesses to scale up or down quickly which blurs the boundaries
of organizations as well as changing conventional production patterns. It is particularly
observed that some businesses with the digital platform businesses that local start-ups to
global scale only with few employees and assets. Another significant instance of change in
the workplace is that emerging trend of industrialisation question the area of privacy, taxation
and competition and this happens because the capability of the governments to increase the
revenue is highly curtailed due to the nature of virtual work environment. Due to the
advancement of technology and its rapid adoption enable the businesses to outsource the

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work. For example, large IT firms like IBM hire employees based on short-term and
temporary contracts (Wilson 2018). Many employees are given the opportunity to work from
home or any remote places.
a). In this context, Jones and Van de Ven (2016, pp.483), mentioned that innovation has
significantly transformed the living standards; in spite of the optimism, there have been
significant concerns about how the future remains. Leu et al. (2017, p.15) argued that people
living in the advanced economies are highly anxious in relation to sweeping influence
technology especially on employment. This holds a picture that increasing inequality which is
multiplied by advent of gig economy is actually fuelling the race to the ground in working
terms.
Implications of changed/changing workplace for workers and managers
Due to the changing nature of workplace, most of the large businesses take the
decisions of laying off the workforce and replacing human labour with technology –such as
Artificial Intelligence. Increasing platforms of workplace enable businesses that adopt
technology to reach and approach more people quickly than ever before. As put forward by
Phelps, Atienza, and Arias (2015, p.125), investing more in technology remains the priority
for every businesses to make the most of the evolving economic opportunity. Consequently,
three different types of skills are required in the labour markets such as advanced cognitive
skills like problem solving skills, socio-behavioural skills like teamwork. For example, the
large telecommunication the brand AT&T is one such organization that pioneers the
alternative workplace such as the mixing of conventional work practices, locations and
setting which can supplement conventional offices.
Nonetheless, there is a motivating factor for the managers to shape the workplace
under such changing market environment. In order to meet the changing workplace,

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managers focus on cost reduction. For example, the above stated organization AT&T freed
up some $550 million in cash flow and as a result almost 30% improvement was found and
this has been done by eliminating offices that people do not need require as well as by
reducing excessive costs (Ma, Husain and Bays 2014, p.347). Likewise, another large firm
called IBM cuts its operational cost for shaping the workplace with the help of Mobility
Initiatives. IBM saves more than $100 million on an annual basis through its North America
sales and distribution units (Gottfried 2017, p.175).
a).
It has been identified that due to changing nature of the workplace, and increasing use
of technology, management finds it difficult to gear up its workforce. The major
contradiction found in managing the changing work environment is that although
organisations are adopting technology to speed up the work, but the remaining workforce is
not equipped enough to deal with the technology. This means that workforce in today’s
business environment lack skills and expertise to deal with innovative technology used in
business.
Conclusive Evaluation to remain active in the uncertain future
It is worth stating that changing nature of work and workplace is most possible
occurrence in the corporate sector today as this is mostly influenced by demographic changes,
technology advancement, and globalisation. Thus, to deal with such changing work
environment, managers needs to focus on the skills development of employees. Management
of the organization needs to plan for training and development programs and the training
requirements need to be aligned with technology needs in business.
Conclusion

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Enormous level of changes are found between the workplace in 1990s and 2017.
Especially, decades before, success of any work culture and workplace were particularly
based in human labour but today’s modern workplace is mostly governed by technology.
Cost reduction in business particularly in 90s was done given the needs of tangible assets but
today technology replaced human workforce. Thus, skill shortage in employees is most
possible outcome out of the changing nature of work.

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References
Barley, S.R., Bechky, B.A. and Milliken, F.J., 2017. The changing nature of work: Careers,
identities, and work lives in the 21st century.
Gottfried, J.A., Hardy, B.W., Holbert, R.L., Winneg, K.M. and Jamieson, K.H., 2017. The
changing nature of political debate consumption: Social media, multitasking, and knowledge
acquisition. Political Communication, 34(2), pp.172-199.
Jones, S.L. and Van de Ven, A.H., 2016. The changing nature of change resistance: An
examination of the moderating impact of time. The Journal of Applied Behavioral
Science, 52(4), pp.482-506.
Leu, D.J., Kinzer, C.K., Coiro, J., Castek, J. and Henry, L.A., 2017. New literacies: A dual-
level theory of the changing nature of literacy, instruction, and assessment. Journal of
Education, 197(2), pp.1-18.
Ma, W.J., Husain, M. and Bays, P.M., 2014. Changing concepts of working memory. Nature
neuroscience, 17(3), p.347.
Phelps, N.A., Atienza, M. and Arias, M., 2015. Encore for the enclave: the changing nature
of the industry enclave with illustrations from the mining industry in Chile. Economic
Geography, 91(2), pp.119-146.
Pollock, K., Wang, F. and Hauseman, D., 2014. The changing nature of principals’ work. The
Register.
Wilson, R.G., 2018. Disillusionment or New Opportunities?: The Changing Nature of Work
in Offices, Glasgow 1880–1914. Routledge.

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Reflection
1. Identify the process that you undertook to answer the topic:
In order to answer the research topic, a set of research articles on the chosen topic has been
selected and articles have been reviewed to generate a suitable insight about the research
issues.
2. What (if anything) would you do differently?
To perform the research more intensively, I would engage an organization to understand the
impact of change.
3. What is the key issue in the topic you selected?
Changing nature of work which affects the workforce and even the workplace
4. What (if anything) else did you need to know to answer the question more fully?
The level of productivity generated by human labour and technology

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