As the world of work changes in response to many factors – rapidly changing markets and services, different employee expectations and the opportunities presented by IT – organisations are adapting by moving from traditional systems and methods of organising to new ways of communicating and managing.
The CIPD asked Capgemini to undertake research to establish how these changes are feeding through into organisational thinking and structures, and what impact they are having on both performance and employee well-being.
- Phase 1 of the research offered this 'emergent definition' of smart working: 'an approach to organising work that aims to drive greater efficiency in achieving job outcomes through a combination of flexibility, autonomy and collaboration, in parallel with optimising tools and working environments for employees'.
Smart Work: The impact of work organisation and job design, a report based on the first phase of the research, was published in March 2008. It offers the hypothesis that a new organisational paradigm is emerging in organisations, based on smart working principles. The role of HR in this context might be to create the space and set the parameters for job contribution that will enable individuals to take greater ownership of their employment experience, while delivering higher levels of performance and quality in line with the organisation's view of their role requirements.
- The second phase of the study looked in greater depth at the experience of a number of organisations that have adopted smart working. Their experiences are illustrated in the report of the second phase, Smart Working: How smart is UK PLC? Findings from organisational practice.
- Contact Mike Emmott, CIPD Adviser on Employee Relations