Future of Work - PSY6270 (15 sp)
This course will provide students with an introduction to the trends and implications of various changes that may impact work and workplaces, which are often called the “Future of Work” (FoW).
Dette emnet undervises på engelsk og beskrives derfor på engelsk.
Du kan levere arbeidskrav og eksamen på norsk eller et annet skandinavisk språk.
Future of Work (FoW) is an umbrella term, popularised by the International Labor Organization (ILO) as well as consultancy firms like McKinsey, to capture the idea that work and workplaces may be undergoing radical changes as a result of interactions from a range of trends such as technological change (robotics and AI), globalisation (and migration), increasing longevity (and therefore longer working lives) and climate change.
Changes in the nature of work and of workplaces will force changes in how managers work, how HR develops and implements policy, how individuals develop their careers etc. This creates a demand for graduates who understand these emerging changes and can offer insights into how organizations can respond most effectively. This is especially relevant for organizational psychology graduates, who need to be able to demonstrate an understanding how this shifting context affects our theories and models, and their application in organizations. The purpose of the course is therefore to provide in depth coverage of the future of work, at a point in the programme where students have the depth of knowledge to be able to place these issues in context and are starting to think more about their own working futures.
The trends and emerging patterns of activity captured by the future of work are constantly changing, the following is a sample of current issues which may be explored in the course:
The context for the future of work
- Fourth industrial revolution
- 100 year life
- Globalisation and mass migration
- Climate change
- Diversity and diversity management
- Work-life balance
Predicted changes
- End of jobs?
- Hollowing out of jobs
- Rejection of work
- 60 year careers
Changes to the workplace
- Hybrid and remote working
- More virtual teams
- Multi-generational workplaces
- Working across time zones
- Cultural differences
Changes to managing
- Dealing with the whole person
- Managing greater expectations of work (e.g. offering meaningful work)
Knowledge
After completing this course, students will:
- have wide knowledge of key topics, theories etc. which fit within the Future of Work, for example the Fourth Industrial Revolution, extended careers, work-life balance etc.
- be familiar with research and policy debates on the Future of Work, e.g., in terms of how hybrid and remote work influence organizations and employees
- be familiar with ethical debates on the implications for individuals and society of changes to the nature of work
- have knowledge about the opportunities and challenges thar arise from globalisation and how they influence organizations
Skills
After completing this course, students will be able to:
Gather information on relevant models and evidence, summarize and describe them to non-specialists, and apply them to practical problems to make informed decisions
- Execute environmental scanning (PESTLE, SWOT etc.)
- Reflect upon their own career development in the context of a complex and unpredictable future of work
- Reflect upon ethical aspects related to the future of work, such as work-life balance and the use of technology in HR
- Evaluate and refer to information and use this to discuss a topic
General competence
Students have:
- developed their understanding of the complexity associated with cultural differences in an organization
- learned how to communicate important information about theories, challenges and solutions
- insight into key aspects concerning how changes in work-life influence individuals and organizations, e.g., work-home balance and remote working arrangements
- basic knowledge to plan and participate in virtual team work
Approved compulsory activities is a prerequisite to complete the exam. The compulsory activities in this course are:
- Complete an online course about the personal and organisational implications of the 100-year life
- Written assignment on a given topic, 800 words, with student-assessment
The written assignment is graded pass/fail.
The exam in this course consists of an individual written assignment lasting 48 hours, 1500 words (+/- 10 %). The paper needs to be written according to given criteria and the APA-manual.
