Towards a strategy for workplace learning: Report to HEFCE by CHERI and KPMG

The study, undertaken between March and November 2005 aimed to inform HEFCE thinking on developing a strategy for workplace learning by: exploring the nature, purposes and outcomes of workplace learning; considering workplace learning within the broader relationships between the worlds of work and learning; exploring emerging changes in higher education which may impact on workplace learning in the future; identifying structural issues that currently enable or inhibit workplace learning, and identify future opportunities

The Workplace of the Future

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is a global development that shows no signs of slowing down. In his book, The Workplace of the Future: The Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Precariat and the Death of Hierarchies, Jon-Arild Johannessen sets a chilling vision of how robots and artificial intelligence will completely disrupt and transform working life. The author contests that once the dust has settled from the Fourth Industrial Revolution, workplaces and professions will be unrecognizable and we will see the rise of a new social class: the precariat. We will live side by side with the 'working poor' – people who have several jobs, but still can’t make ends meet. There will be a small salaried elite consisting of innovation and knowledge workers. Slightly further into the future, there will be a major transformation in professional environments. Johannessen also presents a typology for the precariat, the uncertain work that is created and develops a framework for the working poor, as well as for future innovation and knowledge workers, and sets out a new structure for the social hierarchy. A fascinating and thought-provoking insight into the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, The Workplace of the Future will be of interest to professionals and academics alike. The book is particularly suited to academic courses in management, economy, political science and social sciences

The Uncertain Future of Mandatory Arbitration of Statutory Claims in the Unionized Workplace

As arbitration processes have improved over the last ten years, the negative perception of mandatory arbitration provisions that apply to statutory claims has decreased. The case law reflects this change in perception, as courts how allow mandatory arbitration of statutory claims brought by nonunion employees. This article argues that the continued distinction between claims by union and nonunion employees lacks any meaningful justification--that is, that mandatory arbitration of statutory claims is as appropriate, if not more so, in the collective bargaining context as it is in the nonunionized workplace

I give at the office: A review of workplace giving research, theory, and practice

Workplace giving is a widely used philanthropic tool. Although it may have great unmet potential, it is also facing a number of challenges, including competition from informal crowdfunding campaigns. In the face of such challenges, we take stock of the extant research to better understand the value and future of workplace giving, emphasizing employee actions and preferences in our review. Workplace giving studies can also augment knowledge about contextual giving or bounded settings for exploring basic philanthropic questions (e.g., donor control or gift elasticity). We use a three‐part conceptual framework to synthesize and discuss research on individual workplace giving in the context of broader giving behaviors. We address what researchers know, do not know, and need to know on the topic of workplace giving

The state of workplace union reps organisation in Britain today

This article provides a brief evaluation of the state of workplace union reps’ organization in Britain as we approach the second decade of the 2000s. It documents the severe weakening of workplace union organization over the last 25 years, which is reflected in the declining number of reps, reduced bargaining power and the problem of bureaucratization. But it also provides evidence of the continuing resilience, and even combativity in certain areas of employment, of workplace union reps organization, and considers the future potential for a revival of fortunes

Benefits for the Workplace of the Future

Employee benefits of the future will be shaped by workplace developments. In the short-term, economic volatility due to the business cycle and economic shocks will influence both labor supply and labor demand, and hence compensation including benefits. Longer-term developments are to some extent foreseeable, induced by demographic trends shifting the age, sex, and ethnic/racial mix of the workforce. Others include changes in household and family characteristics of the workforce, and changes in job and labor market attachment. Long-term changes will also driven by the demand side of the labor market, as employers respond to the stresses of a more high-tech, competitive, and global economy. Employers will still seek to use benefits as recruiting and retention tools, as well as a means to induce optimal turnover. Government policy is also influential, partly via benefits provision and increasingly via benefits mandates. We suggest that future labor markets will likely be tighter than today’s, boosting both pay and benefits growth. However benefits packages will become more “unbundled,” providing tax-qualified compensation and the appeal of automatic saving mechanisms. To the extent that benefits become further unbundled, this will enhance labor market flexibility but curtail some of the key insurance aspects that benefits provided

The Future of Mindfulness in the Workplace

Having employees who are more mindful in the workplace, holds the potential to transforms every aspect of a company. By being more aware of themselves and the worlds they operate in, workers could find opportunities to improve their own experience and the way they interact with each other, customers, stakeholders, and more broadly how they plan and prepare for the future. Although there is much interest in these programs among companies today, efforts to realize the benefits are still embryonic and face many challenges. Of companies who have launched programs, many have been around for three years or less and have only been developed in a limited number of attributes. Despite this, nearly all companies that have implemented mindfulness programs claim to have realized some benefits from them. However, the nature of most benefits remain at a qualitative level rather than from strong statistical studies. The goals of this research were to showcase why organizations should proactively implement mindfulness programs, identify the roadblocks and different approaches organizations can use to implement mindfulness programs, and specify the best practices for achieving results from mindfulness programs. The mindfulness efforts that have been most impactful are introductory talks, app usage, and guided meditations. Companies that have had mindfulness programs for longer periods of time have implemented more attributes and achieved more employee participation. In order to further realize the potential of mindfulness, companies should establish high profile commitment and an accountable champion, develop a broader community of involvement, and work diligently to make sure stigmas do not get in the way

Workplace Contextual Supports for LGBT Employees: A Review, Meta‐Analysis, and Agenda for future Research

The past decade has witnessed a rise in the visibility of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. This has resulted in some organizational researchers focusing their attention on workplace issues facing LGBT employees. While empirical research has been appropriately focused on examining the impact of workplace factors on the work lives of LGBT individuals, no research has examined these empirical relationships cumulatively. The purpose of this study was to conduct a comprehensive review and meta‐analysis of the outcomes associated with three workplace contextual supports (formal LGBT policies and practices, LGBT‐supportive climate, and supportive workplace relationships) and to compare the relative influence of these workplace supports on outcomes. Outcomes were grouped into four categories: (a) work attitudes, (b) psychological strain, (c) disclosure, and (d) perceived discrimination. Results show that supportive workplace relationships were more strongly related to work attitudes and strain, whereas LGBT supportive climate was more strongly related to disclosure and perceived discrimination compared to the other supports. Our findings also revealed a number of insights concerning the measurement, research design, and sample characteristics of the studies in the present review. Based on these results, we offer an agenda for future research

Adoption and Use of Dispute Resolution Procedures in the Nonunion Workplace

[Excerpt] This paper investigates the adoption, structure, and function of dispute resolution procedures in the nonunion workplace. Whereas grievance procedures in unionized workplaces have been an important area of study in the field of industrial relations, research on dispute resolution procedures in nonunion workplaces has lagged behind. As a result, our knowledge of the development of nonunion procedures remains relatively limited. Similarly, with a few noteworthy exceptions (e.g. Lewin, 1987, 1990), our knowledge of workplace grievance activity is almost entirely based on research conducted in unionized settings. Given the major differences in the institutional contexts of union and nonunion workplaces in the United States, existing ideas about workplace dispute resolution developed in the unionized setting will likely require significant modification in order to understand dispute resolution procedures and activity in the nonunion workplace. Issues relating to dispute resolution in the nonunion workplace are of increasing importance to public policy given the combination of continued stagnation in levels of union representation and mounting concerns over rising levels of employment litigation in the courts. Knowing what nonunion dispute resolution procedures look like and how they function will help answer the question of what role these procedures may play in the future governance of the workplace

The Basic Course and the Future of the Workplace

The preparation of students to function as effective communicators in the workplace is an important goal of the basic communication course. To meet this goal, students must be equipped with speaking and listening competencies in order to do their work. The basic hybrid course with units in intrapersonal, interpersonal, group, and public communication offers a viable framework for workplace communication