Forces Creating the Change

The twentieth century saw numerous shifts in the workplace, most of which were progressive, making the century very remarkable for companies and employers. Organizations in the world are not well suited to the globalized economy since they are based on the industrial revolution paradigm. Changes in our companies, such as mergers, downsizing, and reengineering, are just short-term solutions to issues faced by workers.

Employees are changing as a result of the cultural changes that are taking place. “The changes that we go through in our lifetimes are reflected in the changes that our society goes through. And the changes in the society are inevitably reflected in the in the way we interact with our work” (Grantham, Charles E, pg. 5).

There has been a major shift in the attitude of employees concerning job security, royalty to employers and openness to workplace changes. Workplace shifts are being demonstrated in the differences among the different generations and that have sometimes resulted into conflicts. E.g. traditional employees believe that changing jobs is bad for career growth while emerging generation believe that changing jobs is good for career growth.

Apart from changes in the attitude and values of employees, demographics are also contributing to changes in which employees work and interact in the workplace. The demographic factor is contributed by the fact that there has been globalization of workers. Foreign workers bring with them political and social changes ”as work becomes even more of a global issue, profound political and social challenges will continue to emerge. As workforce becomes more global, its ethnic make-up is also changing” (Grantham, Charles E, pg. 7). Technological changes are also contributing to the changes of the face of workforce. Such changes are brought by technological interactions between: computers, telecommunications, education and the workplaces.

Work Cited

Grantham, Charles E. The Future of Work: The Promise of the New Digital Work Society. New York, NY [U.A.], Mcgraw-Hill, 2000.