The transformative power of technology in the modern workplace

Purpose: The insurance industry is one of the industries that have experienced the Fourth Industrialization Revolution due to the ever-changing technology which will greatly affect the future of labour market. As a result, most insurance companies are reinventing their business and organizational strategies in order to modernize their workplace as well as acquire employers and employees with skills that can adapt to the new changes in technology. The objective of this study was to analyze the crucial skills required in the modern workplace by insurance sector employers. The aim of this study was to help the readers understand the crucial skills required by employees in the modern workplace and their importance in the insurance sector.
 Methodology: A desktop literature review was used for this purpose. Relevant seminal references and journal articles for the study were identified using Google Scholar. The inclusion criteria entailed papers that were not over five years old.
 Findings: Most insurance sectors aim to remain efficient and competitive in the rapidly changing global market. The challenge that affects the competitiveness and productivity of insurance sector are closely linked with the lack of the crucial skills necessary in the modern workplace. It is evident that from this review, researchers have emphasized on acquiring of various crucial skills that adapt to the ever-evolving technology in the modern workplace and specifically in the insurance sector.
 Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The following are the recommendations were made: Insurance sectors should oftenly conduct training programs that will enable insurance providers gain essential skills that align with the evolving technology in this industry. Employers should not focus on gaining professional and technical skills only but also learn the soft skills that are essential when interacting with colleagues and customers. Insurance providers should document their work ethics to the public even if it’s through the online platform.

Modern workplaces are increasingly reliant on information technologies (IT), which have begun to profoundly affect the technological adaptation behaviors of older workers. Despite globally increasing levels of professional older adult workforce participation and workplace technology use, research in this space is only emerging, particularly in the context of non-standard employment (NSE), work falling outside traditional labor agreements, increasingly adopted by older workers. Using the Self Determination Theory, this qualitative work aims to understand the factors that contribute to professional older workers adaptation to new ITs in NSE. We propose a theoretical framework to explain our findings, suggesting that older professionals’ adaptation to new ITs in NSE are motivated by competence, relatedness and autonomy and moderated by perceived occupational value, IT support, IT-based frustration and generational differences. Our findings offer a comprehensive understanding of motivational dynamics in our research phenomena.

14 - The application of Industry 4.0 in continuous professional development (CPD)

The contemporary workplaces face demanding challenges, such as expectations to be agile, competitive, efficient and adept to using employee knowledge. There are several required virtues in order to have a conductive workplace, for example, organizational learning and agility. The discussion forum aimed to bring out the inter-related roles of organizational learning, agility and social technologies in modern workplaces. The working methods in the discussion group consisted of brainstorming, learning cafe and mind mapping. Work organizations are examined as potential but contradictory learning spaces. Agility is the ability of an organization to rapidly respond to changes in demand. Organizational learning and agility are increasingly enabled by social technologies. The social technologies advances in the modern society are rigorously changing the contemporary workplaces. Social technologies include communication and interactive mechanisms embedded on the internet, such as, wikis and blogs. We suggest that organizational learning and agility might be increasingly enabled by social technologies. However, social technologies have a potential to enable and disable organizational learning. The usage of social technology and the level of agility are depending on the contextual factors like type of organization, field of profession and type of work. Different types of organizations and work have different needs for using social technologies as a driving force of organizational learning and agility.

Implementation cycles of information technologies in modern workplaces have become shorter, and employees have to constantly adapt to changing work situations. Presented here are preliminary results from a comprehensive research project. The 2nd Vienna Implementation Study, which investigated the effects on workers of continuous implementations, that is, the implementations of new information technologies on workplaces already equipped with computers. In a longitudinal research design, strain and dissatisfaction of 466 employees in 10 different companies are investigated. In each company, an implementation of a new information technology occurs during a specified time period. Seven measurements are taken over a 22-month period. Contextual factors postulated to moderate employee reactions to the new information technology include the following: type of implementation, implementation style (e.g., implementation management, participation) job profiles, external workload of employees, and personality factors. Preliminary analyses of the first two measurements of subjectively experienced stress and dissatisfaction (2 subscales representing strain and job satisfaction) in 9 companies are presented here. Compared to a control sample (the first 2 measurements in companies in which the implementation has not occurred), employees in the implementation sample had an increase in subjectively experienced stress and no changes in dissatisfaction shortly after the implementation. Both preimplementation values and changes in subjectively experienced stress and dissatisfaction seemed to be highly influenced by contextual factors at an organizational level. Regarding job characteristics (decision latitude) and external workload (e.g., family, children, and household responsibilities), employees with low decision latitude at their workplaces and a high external workload showed the strongest increases in subjectively experienced stress after the implementation....

While job crafting has been widely acknowledged as an effective form of individual work redesign, less attention has been devoted to the concrete behaviors by which individuals craft different aspects of their job. Given the ubiquitous presence of technologies in modern workplaces, the aim of the current research was to explore the role of information and communication technologies (ICT) in individuals’ job crafting behaviors. In Study 1, we interviewed 17 research associates with regards to their strategic use of ICT in influencing demands and resources at work. Applying a blend of qualitative content analysis and concept mapping, this approach yielded ten distinct job crafting strategies drawing on ICT. In Study 2, we set out to validate the 10-factor structure of these strategies in a broader sample of 215 employees and link these to work engagement, job satisfaction, and well-being. The results of Study 2 corroborated the existence of seven of the ICT-related job crafting strategies identified in Study 1, while also showing their relevance by linking these strategies to work engagement and job satisfaction. Taking everything together, this paper provides insights into the process by which individuals can effectively manage their individual work design using ICT. By virtue of integrating research on job crafting and ICT use, we thus contribute towards a more process-oriented perspective on job crafting while further shedding light on the positive effects of ICT on individual outcomes.

This article examines the evolving work landscape in the context of technological advancements, addressing a significant gap in understanding the foundational principles of algorithmic management. Employing labor process theory (LPT), this study focuses on power dynamics and control mechanisms within algorithmic management systems in platform-mediated work settings. By exploring managerial aspects such as task assignment, work organization, monitoring, surveillance, and performance evaluation under algorithmic management, this research utilizes LPT to meticulously explore the social relations of production, technological deskilling, division of labor, potential alienation and exploitation, and complex dynamics of control and resistance in the gig economy. By emphasizing the pivotal role of algorithms, this study reveals their influence on shaping the structural aspects of the gig economy, highlighting the intricate interplay between technological advancements and fundamental labor processes. This work also contributes to a deeper understanding of contemporary work dynamics by offering valuable insights into the evolving intersection of technology and labor in the modern workplace.

The widespread use of information and communication technology in modern workplaces has intensified techno-stress. This study examines the impact of techno-stressors—techno-overload and techno-complexity—on techno-anxiety, its role in driving techno-exhaustion, and the mediating effect of techno-anxiety in this relationship. Data from Indian IT sector employees, collected via snowball sampling, was analyzed using structural equation modeling in AMOS (Version 23). Our findings revealed that techno-overload and techno-complexity significantly heighten techno-anxiety, which, in turn, exacerbates techno-exhaustion. Techno-anxiety serves as a crucial mediator in linking stressors to exhaustion. The study offers theoretical insights and practical implications, and emphasizes managerial strategies, employee support, and socio-technical interventions to mitigate techno-stress and to enhance workplace well-being.

The pursuit of efficiency and the permeation of communication technologies in modern workplace have increased prolonged sitting and physical inactivity among the white-collar workforce. Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for developing various chronic diseases and obesity. This study intends to understand the impact of physical environment on both voluntary and imperative physical activity levels in an office building, and to collect evidence for design suggestions to encourage office workers' activity level on a daily basis. This study examined how proximity from individual workstations to various shared service and amenity spaces in the workplace (e.g., meeting spaces, copy areas, kitchens, restrooms, elevators, and stairs) is associated with office workers' physical activity level (e.g., sedentary and non-sedentary behavior) and their environmental and job satisfaction. To objectively measure physical activity, twenty-six office workers, in a three-story office building, wore accelerometers for three consecutive days at work. Environmental and job satisfaction of office workers was measured by a questionnaire. Proximity variables were measured using the floor plans of the subject building. Participants on average were sedentary for 80% of the time during the study. Proximity to several service and amenity areas was positively associated with step counts and job satisfaction.

This study reviewed evidence linking economic globalization to the obesity epidemic. Keyword/reference search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, EconLit, Google Scholar, and BMC Globalization and Health. A total of 16 studies were identified, in which six adopted a cross-sectional study design, nine adopted a longitudinal study design, and the remaining one adopted a case-control study design. Thirteen studies assessed the relationship between economic globalization and obesity at the country level, whereas the remaining three analyzed individual-level data. Fourteen studies found at least one aspect and/or measure of economic globalization to be positively associated with overweight/obesity, one found an inverse association, and the remaining one reported a null finding. Through market deregulation, tariff reduction, and investment liberalization, economic globalization tends to accelerate the market entry of modern food manufacturers, supermarket chains, and fast-food restaurants, resulting in substantially increased supply of high-sugar/fat energy-dense foods with enhanced variety and accessibility and reduced price. The potential impact of economic globalization on obesity through the adoption of modern workplace and domestic technologies and motorized transportation and through changes in social norms and culture were hypothesized in the literature but not empirically examined, which warrants future data-driven research.

“Balancing Digital Efficiency with Human Connection in the Workplace” explores the equilibrium between leveraging technology and maintaining essential human interactions. It provides a comprehensive guide for organizations to harmonize these aspects, ensuring both productivity and employee well-being. The book traces the evolution of workplace technology, detailing automation, productivity tools, and collaboration platforms, while emphasizing the psychological and professional benefits of human connection like trust, creativity, and team cohesion. Strategies for integrating technology without sacrificing personal interactions are presented, highlighting leadership's role in fostering this balance. It addresses digital communication's challenges, particularly for remote and hybrid teams, and discusses creating a human-centric digital workplace. Practical solutions for digital fatigue, security, and generational technology gaps are explored. Future trends and case studies from successful organizations offer practical insights into navigating the complexities of the modern workplace.