Contribution to the NewOrg SOLUTION blog
How does a major digital services provider define the term New Work? – As a form of work with flexible workplaces equipped with modern communication technologies. In contrast, a German office furniture manufacturer defines it as working in a communication- and productivity-enhancing work environment. These are just two of many examples of how the term New Work is cleverly but one- sidedly used and shaped for product placement, thereby distracting from the core ideas.
The original concept of New Work
New Work is not about products at all, but about people in the world of work. When philosopher Friethjof Bergmann coined the term “New Work” in the early 1980s, he had an alternative to the capitalist wage labour system in mind. The classic form of work should only account for one third of working hours. The second third should be an occupation that the individual “really, really wants”, i.e. one that matches their own desires and talents. And the remaining third should be devoted to self- sufficiency.
In more recent interviews, Professor Bergmann finds it regrettable (but most readers find it understandable) that the aspect of self-sufficiency found little resonance in the business press, so that it has now almost been forgotten.
His fundamentally new and central concern at the time is now more relevant than ever: that people in economic life should no longer be perceived merely as workers and consumers who dutifully and unquestioningly perform the roles assigned to them in the work process – and are thus “three-quarters dead long before they are buried.” Instead, they should seek motivating, meaningful work in which they can use their strengths and realise their full potential.
This requires that individuals have a certain amount of freedom and can participate in business decisions. In other words, a more equal working environment where the individuality of each employee is taken into account. Ultimately, this also benefits the company, because employees can perform at their best under these conditions.
Today’s interpretation
Bergmann’s ideas have evolved over time. Fortunately, the aspect of individually motivating work has now expanded from one third to the entire working time. Since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, readers interested in New Work have been able to enjoy an exponential increase in the number of publications. Usually they have been published under the name of a well-known consulting firm in combination with a renowned author from the scientific field, see chart at the end.
The three, five or even seven key points that define New Work according to these publications are never identical. However, three cornerstones can be identified as a common denominator:
- meaningful use of individual labour by taking into account specific strengths and interests;
- democratisation of work with greater employee participation, accompanied by a new understanding of leadership;
- flexibility in terms of time, location and work structures, the latter e.g. in the sense of agility, for which digitalisation is an essential prerequisite.
There is even some overlap between these three pillars: an agile organisational form not only contributes to flexibility, but also leads to democratisation because collaboration takes place independently of hierarchies.
How, for example, can we achieve a meaningful use of individual labour? In a follow-up article, we will take another detailed look at these three cornerstones and our starting points.
fraunhofer.de
HAYS HR Report 2021
Kienbaum “Brave New Work”
The other sources are no longer available online.
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[Note: The NewOrg SOLUTION network of consultants supported medium-sized companies in developing and implementing suitable concepts for new, agile and employee-centred working practices. Thanks to the consultants’ diverse professional backgrounds, the aspects of organisation, human resources, IT and finance were examined in parallel. The NewOrg SOLUTION cooperation has since been dissolved.]
COVER PHOTO: adobestock.com / MarekPhotoDesign.com
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