News:

The business world is dynamic and fast changing. Organisations must respond to a range of external and internal pressures including changes in technology, customer tastes, competitors’ activities, materials, legislation, social or cultural values and changing economic circumstances. One way for organisations to respond to the changing business environment is to adopt New Ways of Working in the interests of performance improvements. Such organisational changes provide opportunities to realise benefit through the better utilisation of tangible and intangible resources. Two such New Ways of Working include the development of learning organisations and the adoption of hot-desking.

The Health & Safety Executive has commissioned Corporate Solutions to research the effects of New Ways of Working on employee’s attitudes, levels of stress and well-being. A comparative study is being performed which compares the implementation and effects of New Ways of Working in organisations. The research focuses on learning organisations and hot-desking. Self reported data on attitudes to the initiatives, personal well-being, and perceived stress is being collected from employees. The data will be compared against metrics gathered by the organisations themselves.

The purpose of the research is to understand whether New Ways of Working pose new opportunities or challenges in terms of ensuring the well-being of workers. Specifically whether they exacerbate or ameliorate current levels of occupational stress. The research will provide insight into the adequacy of current management practices in terms of equipping employees to cope with the impact of organisational change. The findings will enable discussion of whether existing guidelines relating to stress management are adequate for, and explore the challenges faced in, assessing and controlling possible risks posed by New Ways of Working.


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