The Future of Work: The Promise of the New Digital Work Society [Hardcover]

Charles E. Grantham (Author), Grantham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 26, 1999 | Series: CommerceNet Press

According to Robert Walker, CIO of Hewlett-Packard, the notion of where a corporation starts and stops is going to be different in future. This volume paints a compelling portrait of how the new workplace that is already taking shape is creating a new framework for the way people think about, and act, at work. It draws on cutting-edge research of the Institute for the Study of Distributed Work, the leading international think tank on virtual workplaces and other trends in the workplace of tommorrow. For anyone interested in the sociology and psychology of the workplace, this text aims to help frame the questions that must be asked now. It explores how the modern moves toward the virtual corporation, the technological consolidation of traditional job functions, and the growth in part-time employment that continues to change the relationship between the workers and their jobs around the world.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"Technology can augment human function, but it isn't being used to augment humanity."--Charles Grantham. How can you survive in a workplace that is rapidly changing because of revolutionary changes in technologies? What does it mean to you that network computing is becoming dominant and the familiar organizational structures and systems that flowed from mainframe computing are increasingly obsolete? How can you achieve a smooth, confident transition from the old, centralized work practices of the immediate past to the many new alternative ways of working, collaborating, and living that are necessary in a global community? The Future of Work is a no-nonsense, well-researched, and very shrewd guide to the "virtual workplace" of tomorrow. Charles Grantham, experienced business professional and academic, explains in detail how various technological development and related concepts are creating a surprising new technology of work. In this new work, he argues, it will be critically important to draw upon individual creativity and heightened communication potential to create networks of people that become viable communities. "The construction of social communities," he stresses, "bears a positive business benefit." Explaining such fascinating new ideas as "distributed work" and "telework," showing how his own research can help sustain the human dimension of the virtual workplace, and exploring such revolutionary possibilities as wearable computing and the physical integration of humans with technology, Dr. Grantham provides a pattern to the apparent chaos of accelerating technological change. The Future of Work is his prescription for success in the new era. His advice: "Take these changes and do something with them to make your life better."

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies; 1 edition (November 26, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071348301
• ISBN-13: 978-0071348300
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,527,286 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Clear Vision from a Good Heart, April 22, 2000

By 

Bernie DeKoven (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Future of Work: The Promise of the New Digital Work Society (Hardcover)

The Future of Work by Charles Grantham is a book that gives us a well-researched and comprehensive vision of the implications of technology for the evolution of self, society and the workplace -- a vision we really want to be true.

"The new world of work," says Grantham, "is one in which people voluntarily come together and find e ach other as workmates based on a common personal philosophy, social attitudes and shared behaviors. This is the collaborative workspace. This is a work space that is enabled by our new technologies and by people's desires to work with others with whom they share more commonalities than differences."

Grantham describes three new forms of the emerging work organization. From 1989-1992 we had "teleworkers." The emphasis was placed on the individual contributor. The commerce model, "manufacturing;" the type of interaction "work flow;" the social metaphor "coordination;" the sports metaphor "baseball." Then, from 1993-1997 we had "virtuality." The emphasis was on technology and the project team, the type of interaction "connectivity;" the social metaphor "cooperation;" the sports metaphor "football." From 1998 to 2004 Grantham predicts that we will be in the age of "Hollywood" type organizations. The emphasis will be placed on the organization, on teams of teams. The type of interaction "community." The social metaphor "collaboration." The sports metaphor "basketball." 

Grantham's vision is undeniably positive and hopeful. And what makes reading this book so valuable is that the vision turns out to be based, not on hope, but on actuality. In his case study of VIA International, he concludes: "VIA is what the workplace of the future can be. It's collaborative; it's about community; it's very respectful of all its people; and it is led by people with a clear vision of the future, a sincere desire to serve their customers, and a wish to foster the development of all people in the company."

The following list of "Charlie's Assumptions" reveals as much about the author as about his vision. We find ourselves wanting to embrace both:

Charlie's Assumptions About Technology 1. People strive to develop in a positive fashion toward greater self-actualization. They are always trying to be better and realize their full potential. 2. The meaning of work is derived from the phenomenon of interaction with others and with the environment. Work gives meaning to our lives that derives from how we interact with one another. 3. Symbiotic evolution of people and social groups is facilitated by open communication. We can all learn and grow together if there is open communication. 4. Purposeful communication provides a material benefit to human action. Being clear and honest in our communication leads us to fewer misunderstandings and more satisfaction in our relationships. 5. A person or group has meaning only within the identity of a larger social context. That is, our identity derives only within the context of being a part of a bigger group or community. 6. Development of technology tends to increase the scope and rate of human interaction. We get more connected every day, and there is always more information coming at us. 7. Clear, concise conversations, based on mutual nonjudgmental respect, provide a clear pathway for people to transcend narrow, self-serving behavior. 8. The creative aspect of people arises from the act of serving beyond self. We can realize our creative potential when we put self aside and strive for a greater good.

For more, visit Grantham's website: TheFutureofWork.net

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Solid Effort!, May 29, 2001

By 

Rolf Dobelli "getAbstract" (Switzerland) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Future of Work: The Promise of the New Digital Work Society (Hardcover)

Charles Grantham's book examines rapid changes in the workplace in response to new technologies. He looks at how these changes affect all of us personally and explains how to prepare for the future. The book's language is quite academic. The average reader could find it difficult to read from beginning to end. Regular readers of business books, on the other hand, may find that many of the ideas sound familiar. This is because Grantham references more than 125 previously published works. We [...] recommend this book to futurists and trend-watchers, particularly those from a more academic background.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for everyone who is affected by "work", February 15, 2000

By 

Gerald De Kerchove (San Rafael, Ca USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Future of Work: The Promise of the New Digital Work Society (Hardcover)

"The Future of Work is a significant book and a must read for anyone and everyone who will be affected by "work" during the next couple decades. Yes this means most of us, not just management consultants, workplace strategists and designers, and technology developers. Charlie Grantham uses a breath of perspectives from sociology, to environmental psychology, to economics, to knowledge management to force the reader to think about a future that is at the same time frightening and exciting. After reading (and perhaps re-reading the book), the reader will find him or herself better equipped to plan, prepare and adjust to working in new and fascinating ways. One of the most compelling arguments that Grantham makes is that technology is a tool evolving from "something we use to get the job done to something that we use to connect and relate to others". He then introduces us to the "community of work" where once you think about it you cannot escape the logic and the simplicity of the concept. As a researcher in the field of workplace strategy, I have shamelessly highlighted and borrowed and built on numerous thoughts and concepts wonderfully exposed in the book "