Design­ing Di­git­al Work­places of the Fu­ture

Course content

In this course, we explore four inter-related elements of the digital workplace:

1. Technologies of the digital workplace
2. The digital workforce
3. New ways of working
4. Leadership
    

The technological environment that enables information sharing, collaboration, and communication is at the heart of the digital workplace. Technologies of the digital workplace is thus the first element of the course, where we will discuss the necessary digital capabilities that organizations must have. Crucially, however, a digital workplace is unlikely to be fully virtual; we thus also consider how hybrid digital-physical spaces will be key in the future.

The workforce is the second critical element of a digital workplace. We will look into the workforce trends of the future and raise some of the dilemmas related to such trends. We will also discuss what makes the digitally savvy workforce tick and how the workforce of the future is changing with respect to competencies and skills enhanced by digital technology.

The third element is the various novel work practices that constitute the digital workplace. We will look at new ways of working at an individual, team, and organizational level -and discuss what boosts work-life flexibility, worker agility, and engagement. We will critically reflect on new work trends and their role in workforce management.

Finally, the fourth element of the course is the role of leadership. In a digital workplace, it is crucial to consider how different leadership styles together can provide effective sensemaking around a new digital workplace arrangement and foster new ways of working such as employees managing their own work and agile teams.

It is important to consider the synergies between the four elements when designing a digital workplace. Furthermore, a successful digital transformation is not a technology-driven endeavor; rather, it is a cultural and organizational transformation. We will conclude this course by discussing digital workplace design and transformation as key enablers of organizing for digitalization.