Office workers face the threat of increasing control, monitoring, scrutiny and micromanagement, according to a new report published by the LSE today and sponsored by Microsoft. Supply chain technology developed for monitoring goods, the research argues, is now being applied to individuals and the creation of knowledge instead of products.
The report, entitled The Future Role of Trust in Work is part of Tomorrowís Work, a long-term study initiated by Microsoft in October 2003. It argues that outdated command and control management culture is causing managers to misuse technology, over scrutinising worker performance. This means employees are reacting to communication from employers rather than interacting with customers ñ therefore ultimately damaging UK productivity.
It involves organisations including the LSE, TUC and CBI, and explores how we manage our working lives and professional environments in the digital age. Speaking at the reportís launch, the author, Dr Carsten Sorensen, LSE, said that British business needed to find new ways of managing people in the face of the changing technological world of work.
ìWorkers need a new deal. We cannot assume as white collar workers we have complete freedom. However, bosses cannot manage as they have before by command and control ñ there is simply too much information in a modern technology driven service economy,î said Sorensen. ìOutdated management practices such as these are causing the continuing productivity gap between the UK and continental Europe. We need to trust people more.î
The launch event, which was also hosted by Alistair Baker (managing director, Microsoft UK), Ian Brinkley, (Chief Economist and Head of the Economic & Social Affairs Department, TUC) and Susan Anderson, (Director, Human Resources Policy, CBI) provoked considerable debate.
Ian Brinkley of the TUC said that workers were becoming unhappy with control: ìRecent research from the ESRC (The Economic and Social Research Council) found that job satisfaction has fallen over the last ten years because employees feel that they have more and more people looking over their shoulder. We need to rebuild trust, share risk and move to more partnership in the workforce.î
Alistair Baker, Microsoft commented from his companyís experience he said that he was happy that Microsoftís UK Head Office was often empty on a Friday afternoon: ìI know that my staff are either out with customers or looking after their work/life balance. Should I worry? No ñ because weíve got the people, processes and management that cultivate mutual trust.î
Carsten in closing said this trust was crucial to the 21st century economy. ìWe are entering a world of work there is everywhere to go and nowhere to hide. Managers learn to manage by outcome. We need to set the workers free to interact with customers and therefore learn to trust. Otherwise, British productivity will continue to suffer.î
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