The Future of Work

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

170 Hours

None

None

It is recommended that students have completed at least 150 points of study to take this subject.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

The way we work is changing. Graduates entering the workforce are facing a revolution in both organizational cultures and working practices, all designed to boost output, cut costs, give employees more freedom over how they work and contribute to a greener economy. Trends are disruptive and fast-moving. This subject provides an examination of and introduction to new ways of working and equips students with the knowledge and skills required to effectively contribute to and lead the ‘future of work’. Addressing opportunities and challenges, this highly digestible and contextually-linked subject offers the most up-to-date guidance on modern business and organisational culture for students who want (need) to embrace the new world of work.

Further information:

This subject covers the nature of what it means to work in a dynamic, changing system. It starts with a broad overview of the history of work, including an examination of how work has evolved (with humble Melbourne town featuring in some of the world’s most progressive early work policies!). It next examines the future of work, building a case for why turning convention on its head makes business sense. It then narrows from systems thinking to organisational culture, exploring how workplaces themselves are changing, how culture is critical, and the importance of strategies and skills in any change process. The subject then focuses on the individual: what do (should) we expect of leaders in the future of work? What does that mean for you? And how can you positively contribute to this future? The subject finishes with a ‘look over the horizon’ and solidifies new knowledge and skills through an experiential capstone.

The subject is intended to act as a meaningful and valuable development journey to assist participants in securing a strong start to and succeeding in their desired professions. Through the use of reflection, experiential activities, case studies, simulations, guest lecturers and workshops, students will examine how course content can be applied at the individual, team and organisational levels.

See: Future Work Skills 2020: Drivers and skills (Institute for the Future)

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

• Engage in the critical skills and knowledge of understanding and influencing workplace culture and practice;
• Describe and explain current academic theories and research on careers and organisational studies, particularly as they relate to the changing nature of work
• Apply major theories and models to individual problems, as presented in case studies
• Critically analyse organisational problems and apply relevant models and theories to generate effective solutions; and
• Analyse and evaluate (and potentially start developing) the key competencies needed to lead the ‘Future of Work’.

• Summary and synopsis of weekly readings (up to 300 words each), due before the start of each lecture, 5% each x 6, (30%)
• Group (3-4 members) case study report of 2,000 words, 20% and presentation, 15% due in teaching week four, total (35%)
• Reflective individual essay of 1,500 words, due in the assessment period, (35%)

Reading materials for this subject will be selected from relevant refereed journals, current academic monographs, grey literature such as The Harvard Business Review and MIT Technology Review and industry publications relevant to the future of work.

Indicative texts include:

• Maitland, A. & Thomson, M. (2014) Future Work: changing organizational culture for the new world of work. 2nd Edition. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Donkin, R. (2010) The Future of Work. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
• Gratton, L. (2011) The Shift: The future of work is already here. London: Harper Collins.
• Moretti, E. (2012) The New Geography of Jobs. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Biomedicine
• Bachelor of Environments
• Bachelor of Music
• Bachelor of Science

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

We expect participants to experience the development of:

• High level of development: oral communication; written communication; self-awareness and reflection; and, interpretation, synthesis and analysis.
• Moderate level of development: teamwork; critical thinking; and, receptiveness to alternative ideas.
• Some level of development: problem solving; evaluation of data and other information; accessing data and other information from a range of sources; and, ‘Future Work Skills: 2020’