Working Environment and Digital Transformation: Challenges for the Public Sector

124 Pages·2022·2.618 MB·English

by  Eleonora Veglianti

SpringerBriefs in Business
Eleonora Veglianti
Working Environment
and Digital
Transformation
Challenges for the Public
Sector
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Eleonora Veglianti
Working Environment
and Digital Transformation
Challenges for the Public Sector
EleonoraVeglianti
UniversityCatholicofLille
Lille,France
ISSN2191-5482 ISSN2191-5490 (electronic)
SpringerBriefsinBusiness
ISBN978-3-031-16737-9 ISBN978-3-031-16738-6 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-16738-6
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Dedication
To my parents who taught me the importance
of discovery,
To my sister mate of many journeys,
To the one I have loved for more than twenty
years.
Foreword
The Industry 4.0. and the digital transformation introduce radical changes among
organizations.Insuchcontext,thediffusionofICTs(informationandcommunica-
tiontechnologies)playsarelevantroleinturningthetraditionalworksettingupside
down. Moreover, the rise of unexpected events such as the COVID-19 pandemic
requiredanimportanttransitionformanyorganizationalentities.Thus,notonlythe
digitaleraenhancesmanychallengesfororganizations.
Insuchscenario,anincreasingnumberofquestionsemergedinthebrightdebate
both among illustrious scholars as well as acclaimed practitioners. Some decisive
questionsare:WhichistheroleoftheIndustry4.0andofthedigitaltransformation
in creating a new work setting within organizations? Are technologies relevant
drivers for this change? What does a new work setting mean for an organization?
Doesithelporganizationstobesmarterthaninthepastandtobereadytothecurrent
digitalrevolution?
Therefore,today,therulesofseveralorganizationshavechanged.Manyassump-
tionsofthepre-digitalperioderaarenolongerreasonableandappropriate.Interest-
ingly, this does not mean that organizations are extinct; however, they have to
transform.
Nowadays,transformationhasawiderconnotation.Intheorganizationalresearch
field, it shows the necessity to rethink, without frustration but with a healthy
common sense, about many elements such as the organizational structure, the
organizationalculture,theimpactofexternalenvironment,etc.
A mission that seems impossible; however, the good news is that it is feasible.
Mostly,itisneededtohelporganizationstoadaptandthriveinadigitalworldoften
threatenedbyuniqueandunexpectedevents.Therefore,pre-digitaleraorganizations
are not anymore potentially successful as pre-COVID-19 organizations. In fact,
todaymorethanever,anunexpectedeventsuchastheCOVID-19pandemiccrisis
isrevolutionizingarelevantaspectoftheorganization:theworksetting.
The work transformation is a challenging phenomenon having an immense
importance for organizations, in general, as well as for employees, in particular.
vii
viii Foreword
Goingtowardasmarterworkapproachisnotafutureperspective,itisapurereality.
Itispartofourlivesasindividualanditispartofourorganizationaldevelopment.
In other words, organizations have to transform themselves to prosper in the
currentdigitalizationperiod,exploringtheimplementationofsmartworkingwithout
pre-set,andsometimeobsolete,boundariesandconstrictions.
Inpursuingtheunderstandingofthischallengingphenomenon,investigatingon
itsstateoftheartusingtheorganizationallensisaninspiringandcaptivatingtask.
In line with this aim, the present book provides a significant and remarkable
contribution drawing, based on the valuable literature, the actual picture of many
concepts and features beloved in the organization field. Thus, this work covers a
relevant lack identifying the main insights regarding the smart working approach
implementation and the related topics and issues presenting an important scientific
literaturereview.
In covering this emergent gap, the literature and the empirical side should pay
more attention in capturing new insights to propel the discussion about the future
path of our organizations. Concepts such as Industry 4.0, digital transformation,
workplace transition, smart working approach should be clear and always in the
mindofthosewhocareaboutthefutureoftheorganizations.
A holistic view is needed and a look to organizations as entities in evolution is
fundamental, instead than stable entities. Organizations learnt from a shock event
suchastheCOVID-19pandemic;someofthemweremoreabletohandlethecrisis
while others less. However, the extinction was avoided but the change has been
inevitable.
Anewworkframeworkquicklycame outrequiring thescientificcommunityto
discussabouttraditionalandnewfeaturesinatransformationsetting,withthemain
goalsofcreatingbenefitsbothatorganizationalandindividuallevels.Specifically,a
sectorshouldbethestartingpointandtheendingpointofeachscientificreflection.
Thus,onecentralpointofthisbookistodefinesmartworkinglookingatasectorto
betterinvestigateitsmeanings.
In the today’s complex organizational environment, the academic world has to
contribute much more to the overall understanding of the nature of the work
transformation,especiallyinthisuniquecrisiscontext.
Now, more than in the past, the work setting scenario is a flourished topic that
demands a detailed and an acute rethinking of a bunch of traditional aspects and
paradigms.Indeed,theworksystemiscomposedbytheinterplayoftasks,technol-
ogies,andpeople(vomBrockeandRosemann2014).
Smartworkingadoptionspreadsasacompulsoryexperimentinmostofthecases
to guarantee safety during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, now, it shines as a
solution.
Smartworkingregeneratesthetraditionalworkmodelseveninthosesectorsthat
were unaware of it such as the public one. Indeed, this book presentsnew insights
regardingsmartworkingdrawingalsoonotherimportantbackgroundtopicsandon
thoseelementsthatdefinetheactualorganizationaltransformation.Itillustratesthe
mostsignificantaspectsthatourorganizationsfaceinthecurrentera.
Foreword ix
However, the crucial development of this entire book refers to smart working
presenting its state of the art from different angles and analysing several relevant
dimensions as a side. In addition, it sheds light on the public organizations in the
ItaliancontextwhichwasacountrydeeplydamagedbytheCOVID-19crisis.
The author dedicates higher emphasis on the public organizations which, given
their peculiarities, are considering the smart working not as a mere model to be
compliant with the legal sphere but as a powerful organizational approach. In
academia, the debate about organizations and organizing as tools, especially to
managetheunexpected,isstronglyacceptedandthisbookprovidesmanyinterest-
inginsights.
Followingthesesubstantialpurposes,thisvolumewiselypresentsthetheoretical
background highlighting through its analyses numerous understandings toward the
smartworkingimplementation.
Moreover, thanks to the attention to the public organizations with a case
approach,itexploresaninterestingexampledealingwiththeUniversityofTurin.
Thisbookprovidestothescientificandtothepractitioners’sphereanoutstanding
analysis as well as inputs and implications which are a precious base for further
reflections.
In conclusion, in a digital transformation era often characterized by unexpected
events and by a volatile context, as suggested by this work, organizations have to
decipherthechaos.Withthisaiminmind,organizationscholarshavetoreorganize
theworksettingwithoutforgettingthehuman–technologyrelationship.
Reference
vom Brocke J, Rosemann M (2014) Business process management. In: Wiley
EncyclopediaofManagement(ed)Managementinformationsystems.VanNostrand
Reinhold,NewYork
Preface
Nowadays, a number of topics and issues are unquestionably influential in the
organizational literature as well as in organizations lives. Among these, digital
transformation and work transformation are getting an increasing attention among
academics and practitioners. Moreover, these themes are interesting, especially
during unexpected events such as the COVID-19 pandemic which underlines
muchmoretheimportanceofmanagingforeffectiveness.
The latter calls into question many features related to the organization manage-
ment both in theoretical and practical terms. In other words, in the current period,
characterizedbyauniqueandunpredictablesituation,someofthemainparadigms
intheorganizationfieldshouldbe(re)thought.Morethaninthepast,organizations
and people have to understand their near future profiling their surroundings
(FlyverbomandGarsten2021).
The point of transforming some conceptualizations is needed given the wind of
changethatstartedmainlywiththeIndustry4.0andwiththedigitaltransformation
phenomenon which requires a more profound scientific reflection. Indeed, in con-
trast to previous visions of the organization, more flexible models are emerging to
improve the organization’s effectiveness and efficiency. In fact, the spread of
innovativetechnologiesfostersneworganizationalconfigurationscreatingdifferent
approachesinthestructureandinthecultureofanentity.
Furthermore, the COVID-19 crisis pushed a worldwide experiment to mainly
guaranteethesafetyofmanyemployeesfromthedangerousviruswhich(re)opens
the discussion about a dormant element in organization field: the work setting
transformation. This matter represents the evolution of work that is a relevant
challengeforsomeorganizations.
The phenomenon of smart working seems apparently simple; however, it is
complex. It includes several aspects such as: the technological development, the
riseofdigitalsolutions,theimportanceofnewskillsandcapabilitiesamongpeople,
the increase of a needed organizational flexibility, the emergence of smart and
sustainable entities, the search for a balance between work and private life, just to
mentionsomeofthemainaspectstohaveinmind.
xi