Future Work Barometer: The Working World 4.0 Challenges Corporate Management
According to the current Future Work Barometer, well over 70% of the development potential for successful implementation of Working World 4.0 in companies lies at the management level. This includes areas such as corporate culture and values, strategy, leadership style and personal competencies.
The Corona crisis quickly revealed how companies are positioned in "matters" of Working World 4.0 and where new challenges lie. Against this background, the Future Work Group launched the Future Work Barometer for the first time in July 2020. In cooperation with the leading Swiss SME magazine "Organisator" and the FHNW Hochschule für Wirtschaft (FHNW), the short survey collects assessments, experiences and needs regarding the working world 4.0 from Swiss employers and employees on a quarterly basis. This is done with the intention of using the insights gained through active exchange with companies to shape a working world 4.0 that is beneficial to all participants.
The Future Work Barometer is based on the major Swiss study "Arbeitswelt 4.0" (Working World 4.0) published jointly by the Future Work Group and the FHNW in fall 2019. The study shows that the mutual interaction of the dimensions People (employees), Place (working environment) and Technology (technologies) is one of the key success factors of Working World 4.0.
Desire and reality in digitization
Asked about the importance they attach to a modern, digitized working environment, 96% of the 235 participants said it was important to very important for them. At the same time, there is a significant gap between desire and reality with regard to the degree of digitization. Only 38% of the respondents attested to their company having a high to very high level of digitization.
Investments in technology and place of work rank far ahead
When asked in which areas investments were made within the past six months, according to the participants, this was primarily in the areas of work location (66%), IT/data security (49%) and IT infrastructure (47%). Given the previous pandemic-related "home office boost," this is not surprising. The least investment was made in the areas of the traditional office workplace (25%) and leadership style (29%).
Overall, at 51%, just over half of the participants are satisfied to very satisfied with the investments their company has made with regard to Working World 4.0. At the same time, it is clear that the factual investments (technology, work location) are clearly in the foreground.
Clear need to catch up at management level
In contrast, according to the participants, the crucial areas at the corporate management level show massive deficits. For example, they rate the development potential of culture/values/collaboration (78%), work processes (77%), strategy (76%), personal competencies (74%) and leadership style (72%) as high. It is therefore urgent to make up for lost time here or to carry out intensive development work for the successful realization of the working world 4.0. Because this new working world is based on new thinking - and that lies with the people in the company.
Future Work Barometer: The most important key figures
The Future Work Barometer reveals the following findings in its first edition, 2020-1:
- Degree of digitization of the working environment in own company: 38% rate this as high/very high
- Satisfaction with own company's investments: 51% consider them as high/very high
- Investments in the People dimension in the last six months: 30% rate these in their company as much/very
- Investment in Dimension Place in the last six months: 46% say their company invested a lot/very much
- Investments in Dimension Technology in the last six months: 48% rate these at the level a lot/very much
Possible solution approaches for a holistic transformation to the working world 4.0
"Referring to the results of this first Future Work Barometer, it seems that the potential of the field of action Working World 4.0 is far from being fully tapped. Far too few organizations have so far developed the necessary strategy together with their employees, one of their most valuable success factors," sums up Prof. Dr. Marc K. Peter, Head of the Competence Center Digital Transformation at the FHNW and publisher of the Working World 4.0 study. One possible solution approach for the sustainable joint design of the Working World 4.0 can be offered by easy-to-use practical aids such as a workshop canvas in combination with a methodical project process that integrates the three dimensions of People, Place and Technology.
More information: www.future-work-barometer.ch
