Above the Clouds
A Guide to Trends Changing the Way We Work

As the world of work changes at an ever-faster rate, what can we expect work to look like in the near-future? This work, the result of a future studies prject carried out by the European Foundation for Quality Management, examines a wide range of issues and provides clues to what the future of work may look like.

The experience and insights of people from a diverse range of backgrounds were included in the project. Working with raw material from these sessions, researchers investigated each of the trends and their possible ramifications on the world of work. The resulting articles were posted for comment online. People from all around Europe responded and some of these views are quoted in this book. In addition, academics and leading CEOs and executives were asked for their reactions to these trends. Each of the 15 chapters of "Above the Clouds" analyses a trend in detail and includes perspectives from business, academia and comments from the European public. There are disagreements, but also a surprising amount of convergence on issues such as leadership, outsourcing, global risk, women, age, spirituality, stress and technology. Rather than trying to offer certainty, the book aims to equip people and organisations with the awareness and adaptability they will need to meet tomorrow's challenges to the way we work. It is fascinating reading for anyone interested in how the big issues of work are likely to impact on us all.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 THE END OF BIG EGO LEADERSHIP
As the sun sets on the glory days of the big ego leader, we look towards a quieter, more modest and, who's to say, perhaps more enduring model. Enter the humble leader. But, for how long? By Lorraine Mallinder
Respect is a two-way street
A word from business: Eugenia Lianou and Paris Nikou, Maxi Coco-Mat
Big ego leadership may be out, but leaders still need solid egos
Thoughts from academia: Jean-Francois Manzoni, IMD International
'Macho CEOs realise they need to soften style'
Selected comments from the public
2 THE FRAGILE CONDITION OF CEOs
After a succession of corporate scandals, CEOs are struggling to restore their reputations under intense scrutiny. Little more trusted than used car salesmen, they are scrutinised from every angle. There's little space nor time for today's CEO to put a foot wrong.
By Josephine Woolley
Today's CEO is alive and kicking
A word from business: John Condron, Yell
An increasingly tough job, but someone's got to do it
Thoughts from academia: Phyl Johnson, University of Strathclyde Graduate School of Business
'Leave them to get on with the ribbon-cutting jobs'
Selected comments from the public
3 GIVE US MORE SHAREHOLDER DEMOCRACY
The increasing clamour for more decision-making powers for shareholders has led to the creation of new codes and laws to improve their rights. Companies now need to take heed of investor opinion if they wish to avoid some awkward scenarios. By Josephine Woolley
An ethical business democracy
A word from business: Jesus Catania, Mondragon Corporacion Cooperativa
Towards responsible corporate governance
Thoughts from academia: Lutgart Van den Berghe, Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School, and Celine Louche, Vlerick Impulse Centre for Business in Society
'Transparency can easily be manipulated'
Selected comments from the public
4 OUTSOURCING: A ZERO-SUM GAME?
In today's global market, advanced technology and ever-faster communications networks are enabling companies to increase their competitiveness by moving operations to lower-cost economies. The rewards for such companies are potentially huge. But, what about the long-term effects on the economies that are left behind? By Lorraine Mallinder
Eurozone must adapt to survive
A word from business: Rijkman Groenink, ABN AMRO
Outsourcing: different trends and different implications
Thoughts from academia: Marcus Alexander, London Business School
'The ultimate sufferer is the global workforce'
Selected comments from the public
5 RISKY BUSINESS: THE DOMINO EFFECT OF GLOBAL RISK
Gone are the days when topping up your insurance premiums was enough to ensure peace of mind. In today's 'connected' world, the very links that allow companies to reach into every corner of the globe also multiply the chances of negative consequences raining down on them. Companies need to focus on adopting continuity plans if they are to survive potential disasters. But is it really worth shelling out for something that may never happen?
By Josephine Woolley
Rationalising global risk
A word from business: Marie-Christine Lombard, TNT
Offsetting risk with effective supply chain management
Thoughts from academia: Kevin Hendricks, Richard Ivey School of Business, and Vinod Singhal, Georgia Institute of Technology
'Media inflates spectre of risk to large degree'
Selected comments from the public
6 CTRL-ALT-DELETE: GENERATION Y REBOOT THE WORKPLACE
Accelerated cultural and technological change has played its part in the creation of a generation that is capable of overturning what would traditionally be viewed as 'intellectual authority' in their homes, their classrooms and at work. Where does this leave the traditional employer-employee relationship? By Lorraine Mallinder
Keeping the Y-ers on board
A word from business: Anne Catherine de Decker, Orange
No revolution, but generation Y is pushing in the right direction
Thoughts from academia: Frederique Alexandre-Bailly, European School of Management (ESCP-EAP), and Beatrice Delay, Paris V University
'You're a decade behind the times'
Selected comments from the public
7 AGEISM IN THE ERA OF WORKFORCE SHRINKAGE
As more and more of the current baby boomer workforce walk into retirement, employers will need to find ways to encourage people to stay on at work longer. For this to be successful, ageist attitudes within the workplace will need to be stamped out. By Josephine Woolley
Meeting the changing expectations of an older workforce
A word from business: Tara Brady, B&
Q
Forward thinking on workforce ageing
Thoughts from academia: Alan Walker, University of Sheffield
'I may be in my 50s now, but I was 18 yesterday'
Selected comments from the public
8 CHANGING THE GAME: WOMEN AT WORK
In the twilight age of women's liberation, where women, in the rich world at least, enjoy the same legal rights as men, the struggle for equality in the workplace risks being seen as a lumbering anachronism. But how much have things really changed? By Lorraine Mallinder
Diversity promotes a richer world-view
A word from business: Andre van Heemstra, Unilever
Feminisation: a major change in the way we live and work
Thoughts from academia: Harriet Bradley, University of Bristol
'Everything should boil down to results'
Selected comments from the public
9 UNDER PRESSURE: STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE
Difficult to define, even more difficult to prove, rising levels of stress in the workplace have been blamed on a number of factors ranging from globalisation to bullying. The scourge of the modern workplace is already wreaking havoc on our health and looks set to get worse over the coming years. By Lorraine Mallinder
Securing staff commitment in a stressed-out, competitive world
A word from business: Anton Lauber, Schurter
Tackling the root causes of stress
Thoughts from academia: Andy Smith, Cardiff University
'For me, today, work is not more important than my health'
Selected comments from the public
10
CAN WORK AND LIFE BE FRIENDS?
The changing dynamics of today's society are prompting new needs and expectations in the workplace. Faced with the difficulty of balancing personal lives with hectic work schedules, businesses and individuals are looking for flexible solutions. By Josephine Woolley
Working better, not harder
A word from business: Peter Brabeck-Lemathe, Nestle
Setting the standard for work-life balance
Thoughts from academia: Maria Nuria Chinchilla, IESE Business School, University of Navarre
'Roll on the me-centred world'
Selected comments from the public
11 SPIRITUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE
Employees now want work to be spiritually as well as materially rewarding. But why all this soul searching now? By Josephine Woolley
Unlocking individual potential
A word from business: Marina Dewitte-Schiettecatte, Cronos
Workplace spirituality: contribution or contradiction?
Thoughts from academia: Emma Bell, Queen Mary, University of London
'The job is as bad as ever, let's use spirituality as a "sticking plaster" '
Selected comments from the public
12 LOVE ME DO: ENGINEERING PRODUCTS AND SERVICES WITH EMOTION
The emotional economy is fast replacing the economy of reason. Companies are spending vast amounts engineering emotional experiences to satisfy consumers searching for meaning and identity, often neglecting their most valuable asset in the process: employees.
By Lorraine Mallinder
Market-driven emotion
A word from business: Frank M. Rinderknecht, Rinspeed
The real emotional economy: the fury and disappointment of living with poor products and services
Thoughts from academia: Patrick Barwise, London Business School, and Sean Meehan, IMD International
'Anyone who claims immunity is talking with pride, not honesty'
Selected comments from the public
13 THE AGE OF RAGE: CUSTOMERS GET STROPPY
Service sector employees are increasingly the unfortunate victims of a phenomenon that has come to be known as 'customer rage'. In a world where the old adage, 'the customer is always right', still holds sway despite no shortage of evidence to the contrary, service sector employees stand on the last frontier as people to whom you can legally be abusive. By Lorraine Mallinder
Professional at all times
A word from business: Geoff Fenlon, Edinburgh International Conference Centre
Customer dissatisfaction, complaint handling and recovery management
Thoughts from academia: Tor Wallin Andreassen, Norwegian School of Management
'Tearful and angry after a few minutes of abuse'
Selected comments from the public
14 PRODUCTIVITY IN THE IT AGE
Information technology now pervades our working lives, but productivity figures fail to reflect the massive investments made by companies. Are we expecting too much too soon? By Josephine Woolley
Micro and macro productivity gains in an accelerated world
A word from business: Juan A. Zufiria Zatarain, IBM
Thinking differently about IT and about productivity
Thoughts from academia: Chris Clegg, Institute of Work Psychology, University of Sheffield
'Many companies don't understand productivity'
Selected comments from the public
15 THE MULTIPLICATION OF NOT-FOR-PROFITS
The not-for-profit sector has become big business. Stepping in to fill the gaps in social provision left by governments seeking to cut costs and budget deficits, the huge economic impact of the sector can no longer be overlooked. By Josephine Woolley
NFPs in the 21st century: breaking out of the charitable paradigm
A word from the not-for-profit sector: Charlie McConnell, Carnegie UK Trust
Social enterprise: too big to be ignored by business
Thoughts from academia: John Vaughan, Liverpool John Moores University
NFPs 'probably helping the overall business environment'
Selected comments from the public
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