A Framework to Analyze Knowledge Work in Distributed Teams

This article presents a framework to analyze knowledge work in the changing context of new ways of working. Knowledge work increasingly takes place as collaboration from different and changing workplaces due to mobility, multilocational, and geographical distribution of participants. We define the framework based on five key factors that pose challenges to the performance and productivity of knowledge work performed in distributed teams. The framework extends and integrates traditional performance models of task, team structure, and work process, with context factors like workplace, organization policy, and information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure. The framework is applied in a qualitative comparative cross-case analysis to eight globally distributed teams in two Fortune 100 high-tech companies. We conclude with a series of specific challenges for each factor when studying distributed knowledge work. It is shown that due to changing contexts knowledge workers, teams, and organizations need to constantly adapt, readjust, and realign according to the five factors

Changing academics’ ways of working: towards a distributed university campus

Academics are a peculiar category of knowledge workers whose work, by nature, is characterized by undefined time and space and includes individual and collaborative activities. Over the past decades, academics have progressively evolved their typically university-centric way of working towards a hybrid, spatially distributed model that includes home and other spaces. The spread of the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the redrawing of the geography of workspaces for academics and has opened up opportunities to enable creative, innovative and socially sustainable ways of working. Indeed, working from other spaces than the official workplace can not only have positive impacts on productivity, creativity, and collaboration of academics and staff, but also increase the attractiveness and inclusivity of university campuses by proposing a campus model that is spread across the territory according to the individual needs of its users. While there are already some cases where university campuses accommodate coworking spaces, libraries and innovation hubs within them, evidence of academics using other spaces off-campus is scarce. This research investigates whether, and to what extent, the use of off-campus spaces by Italian academics is a likely and desirable prospect for the future, based on how much their way of doing research has evolved during the Covid-19 pandemic towards a multi-local way of working. A questionnaire was distributed among Italian tenured academics. This chapter presents a quantitative and qualitative interpretative analysis of the data collected from 1,199 answers to this questionnaire. Results describe different profiles of multi-local Italian academics, in relation to the types of location they work from, the experience they had during the Covid-working period and the future they wish for at university campuses. The evidence on multi-local work presented in this chapter shows implications both for academic staff and for university management. The former could approach work in a more distributed way such as it would extend university campuses to an urban and extra-urban dimension. The latter are called upon to meet the needs of their staff using socially sustainable ways of managing their facilities within and beyond campus boundaries

Place-based approaches to child and family services

This paper synthesizes the conceptual and empirical literature on place-based approaches to meeting the needs of young children and their families. A specific focus of the paper is on the potential contribution of place-based approaches to service reconfiguration and coordination. Outline The paper begins by outlining the sweeping social changes that have occurred in developed nations over the past few decades and their impact on children, families and communities. It explores the ‘joined up’ problems faced by families and communities in the contemporary world, and highlights the need to reconfigure services to support families more effectively. The paper then focuses on ‘joined up’ solutions, on what we know about how to meet the challenges posed by the complex problems that characterise our society. Next, the paper explores what a place-based approach involves, and what role it can play in supporting families with young children. The rationale underpinning place-based approaches is outlined and the evidence for the effectiveness of the approach is summarised. The paper then looks at what can be learned from efforts to implement place-based initiatives in Australia and overseas, and explores the issues that need to be addressed in implementing this strategy. The ways in which the early childhood service system might be reconfigured are also considered, and the paper ends with a consideration of the policy and implementation implications.&nbsp

The Increasing Use of Portable Computing and Communication Devices and its Impact on the Health of EU Workers

[Excerpt] Portable computing and communication devices are widely used by workers from different occupations and their use is steadily increasing. The risks associated with working with portable devices and systems, for which at present no guidelines exist, differ considerably from those associated with working with visual display units at workstations. The latter are covered by the European VDU Directive and governed by a host of guidelines and recommendations within the EU Member States. In the light of the above, the study addresses the following issues: · To what extent are mobile communication devices used by the working population – how is such use growing in absolute terms and which types of workers are using them? · How is the technology behind these devices – hardware and telecommunications – developing, and how is the technology likely to evolve in the future? · Description of the possible hazards arising from the use of portable computing and communication devices and the risks to workers in terms of ill health and accidents. We also consider how the nature and extent of these risks will change in the future in the light of likely developments in technology and its use. · The implications of the use and development of mobile communication and computing devices for occupational health and safety management and for legislation and implementation in the context of European law concerning health and safety at work. · The scope is limited to work carried out in locations and environments that are impossible or difficult for the employer to control

Training in 21st century working life skills : How to support productivity and well-being in multi-locational knowledge work

Along with the rapid development of digital technology and the increasing proportion of knowledge work, work is becoming decreasingly defined by time and place, and more diverse in terms of both. As digital tools and multi-locational spaces become focal parts of human performance, the optimal use of these resources requires not only the ability to mechanically use them, but also the ability to develop useful behavioral strategies and practices related to them. In fact, modern work requires new kinds of skills from both employees and employers, and useful work practices need to be developed at both the individual and organizational level. This study presents a training program that aims to support well-being and productivity at multi-locational knowledge work by developing the participants’ awareness skills and behavioral strategies related to knowledge work, digital tools and physical spaces as well as by facilitating the development process in the participating organizations. Fifteen trainees from eight organizations attended the program and a larger sample of employees (n = 189) responded to the questionnaires. The approach of the study was design research, and we applied mixed methodology: ANOVAs and qualitative content analysis. This study shows the organizations’ and individuals’ diverse needs regarding using multi-locational spaces and digital tools. It concludes that individuals and organizations can benefit from training in the use of modern spaces and tools in ways that support productivity and well-being. From the theoretical and practical perspective, the study contributes to the current understanding of how to utilize multi-locational spaces and digital tools in ways that support the productivity and well-being of employees.Peer reviewe

Demand for serviced office space

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2001.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 51-52).The work environment has experienced tremendous change in the past few decades. The need for global communication, enabled by technology, has been the prime catalyst to transform the traditional demand for office space from a historically inflexible asset into one that includes more flexible solutions. Serviced offices combines office space, technology and support into a global network of fully furnished, staffed and equipped offices and meeting rooms, that can be occupied or vacated on flexible terms, and tailored to the specific business needs of the users. This thesis explores the objectives of these users and the physical characteristics of their requirements for serviced office space. Two case studies further illustrate and verify the analysis. In the pursuit for greater flexibility, serviced office space plays a growing role in the corporate real estate portfolio. This is however an evolution rather than a revolution.by Philippe Troukens.S.M

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing: A Whitepaper

Illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing refers to fishing activities that do not comply with regional, national, or international fisheries conservation or management measures. This whitepaper characterizes the status of Illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing, the philanthropic community's current efforts to help reduce it, and potential opportunities for the Packard Foundation to become more actively engaged. The paper was drafted between March and June 2015, following a combination of desk research and a handful of select interviews

Digital nomads : The rising workforce of the digital era

Digital nomadism is a phenomenon growing in popularity, especially among the younger generation of knowledge workers. Digital nomads are digital workers who enjoy freedom and global mobility. Due to the nature of their work, they can live and work from anywhere in the world. This is made possible by technological advances and favourable global economic conditions. Digital nomads are prime examples of people and workers who take advantage of the technological advances and innovative digital possibilities. In the increasingly dynamic and global business world, the demand for other types of workers than traditional employees is rising. Digital nomads are a modern type of workforce that companies can leverage to their advantage. This thesis is conducted by literature review about the current academic knowledge about digital nomadism coupled with empirical research, in which five Finnish digital nomads were interviewed. The aim of this research is to construct a more thorough understanding of the digital nomadism phenomenon. This thesis aims to answer the questions of why people are increasingly working as digital nomads, what motivates them, how do they operate and run their businesses, and what kind of challenges and risks are there in digital nomadism. As a result, it is found in this thesis that digital nomads are motivated by the desire for freedom and new experiences, increased flexibility regarding the time and place of work, utilizing the value of their work by advancing their own businesses, and an independent lifestyle as an alternative to traditional employment. Digital nomads are passionate about what they do, they are able to manage themselves and sell their services to potential clients. They are digitally skilled people, and their business relies heavily on digital solutions. For organizations, hiring a digital nomad can often be a more cost-efficient way than hiring a permanent employee, especially for project-like assignments. As a dynamic type of lifestyle, there are naturally challenges as well in digital nomadism. The work is highly uncertain and insecure, digital nomads are solely responsible for running their businesses and delivering their services, they need to tolerate constant risk and a lonely working environment and maintain a favourable work-life balance.Digital nomads, vapaasti suomennettuna diginomadit, ovat paikkariippumattomasti töitä tekeviä ja digitaalisia ratkaisuja käyttäviä henkilöitä. Tämä tutkielma on rajattu yrittäjinä toimiviin diginomadeihin. Diginomadina työskentely on ilmiö, joka on kasvattanut suosiotaan etenkin nuoremman sukupolven asiantuntijatyötä tekevien ihmisten keskuudessa. Diginomadit nauttivat työssään vapaudesta ja globaalista liikkuvuudesta. Digitaalisen työn luonteen vuoksi, he voivat elää ja työskennellä missä tahansa omista preferensseistään riippuen. Tämä on mahdollista teknologisen kehityksen ja suotuisan globaalin markkinatilanteen myötä. Diginomadit ovat erinomainen esimerkki työtä tekevistä ihmisistä, jotka käyttävät edukseen teknologista kehitystä ja digitaalisten innovaatioiden suomia mahdollisuuksia. Nopeasti muuttuvassa, dynaamisessa ja globaalissa liike-elämässä kysyntä muunlaisellekin työvoimalle, kuin perinteiselle vakituiselle palkkatyölle, on kasvavaa. Diginomadit ovat vaihtoehtoinen työvoima, jota yritykset voivat käyttää edukseen. Tämä tutkielma koostuu kirjallisuuskatsauksesta sekä empiirisestä tutkimuksesta, johon on haastateltu viittä suomalaista diginomadia. Tutkielman tavoite on luoda syvempi ymmärrys diginomadeista. Erityiset kiinnostuksen kohteet tutkielmassa ovat syyt, miksi ihmiset enenevissä määrin työskentelvät diginomadeina, mikä heitä motivoi, kuinka he toimivat ja edistävät liiketoimintaansa ja millaisia haasteita diginomadien elämässä on. Tutkielman tuloksena voidaan todeta, että diginomadeja motivoi erityisesti vapauden ja uusien kokemusten halu, lisääntynyt joustavuus koskien työn aikaa ja paikkaa, mahdollisuudet hyödyntää oman työnsä arvoa edistämällä omaa liiketoimintaa ja itsenäinen elämäntyyli vaihtoehtona perinteiselle palkkatyölle. Diginomadit ovat intohimoisia työtään kohtaan, kykenevät hallitsemaan omaa työtään ja myymään palveluitaan potentiaalisille asiakkaille. He ovat digitaalisesti lahjakkaita ja heidän toimintansa nojaa vahvasti digitaalisiin ratkaisuihin. Yrityksille diginomadilta työn tilaaminen voi olla kustannustehokkaampi ratkaisu kuin vakituisen työntekijän palkkaaminen erityisesti projektiluontoisiin tehtäviin. Diginomadit kohtaavat työelämässään myös haasteita. Heidän työtilanteensa on epävarma ja turvaton, he ovat yksin vastuussa liiketoiminnastaan ja tarvittavien töiden tekemisestä, heidän tulee kyetä sietämään riskejä ja yksinäisyyttä sekä ylläpitämään suotuisaa työn ja vapaa-ajan tasapainoa