Imagining 2019: The New World of Work and Personal Effectiveness

Being a paper presented

by

Justin Mgbechi O. Gabriel, PhD, MNIM, MTAMN, MICMC,

Senior Lecturer
Department of Management
Faculty of Management Sciences
Rivers State University
Port Harcourt
E:mail: gabriel.justin@ust.edu.ng or m.justbriel@gmail.com

During the 2019 “Management Day” on the 19th of November, 2019 organisaed by the Omoku Chapter of the Nigerian Institute of
Management (NIM) at Federal College of Education Technical, Omoku, Rivers State, Nigeria.
 Because though has hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded
thee, saying, thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the
days of thy life. 19- in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground, for out of it
wast thou taken: for dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou return Genesis 3: 17 and 19.

Introduction
The world of work is as dynamic as ever, with dramatic changes underway that will affect employees, managers, and consumers for years
to come. Whether publicly traded or privately held, large or small, domestic or global, the world of work is changing dramatically
(Cascio, 2009). Accordingly, social, political, economic and demographic change is transforming global commerce, organizational
structures and individual freedoms; prompting Hamel (2000) to aver that we have entered a new age – the age of revolutions in business
concepts. Today, the nature of change has changed. No longer is it additive; no longer does it move in a straight line but the 21st century
change is discontinuous, abrupt, and distinctly non-linear.

Tremendous forces are radically reshaping the world of work and economic shifts are redistributing power, wealth, competition and
opportunity around the globe; whereas disruptive innovations, radical thinking, new business models and resource scarcity are impacting
every sector. Businesses across the world are beginning to understand that they need a clear and meaningful purpose, and mandate for the
decade ahead if they are to attract and retain employees, customers and partners that will affect their businesses positively.

As Peter Drucker explained in his 1999 book Management Challenges for the 21st Century, “It is certain that the emergence of the
knowledge worker and of the knowledge worker’s productivity as key questions will, within a very few decades, bring about fundamental
changes in the structure and nature of THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM. The capitals are his – the information age and the knowledge
workforce, Drucker was saying, isn’t just about companies changing. It’s about everything changing.

These avalanches of changes that rage across the surface of the globe have affected the nature of work in no small measures and the
effect is ubiquitous to the extent that no business or organization is insulated. More so, the changes have also altered the skills and
competences expected of today’s workman; hence the challenge of personal effectiveness in today’s workplace is a front burner issue.
This is so because, the effectiveness of individuals sums to the effectiveness of the organization when all things are equal. In this paper,
we are poised to attempt the following:
1. Discuss the meaning and nature of work
2. Perspectives of work orientation
3. Consider the forces shaping the future of work
4. The concept of personal effectiveness
5. Ways to be personally effective at work.

Meaning and Nature of work

Defining work is somewhat difficult (Genis – Wallis, 2005; based on Brief – Nord, 1990a), as the boundaries of work are not clearly
delimited. Certain activities may be seen as work in some cases, but the same may be seen as leisure time activities in other instances
(Brief – Nord, 1990a; Noon – Blyton, 1997). In this light, it is not the activity itself which is the most significant, but rather the
conditions and the consequences of the activity (Genis – Wallis, 2005). Among the perspectives work have been considered, the most
widespread definition of work is based on an economic approach: “what people do for financial compensation in order to earn a living”
(Brief – Nord, 1990a:2).

This economic approach is somewhat inadequate and narrows down the definition of work in several ways; including that it does not, for
one, take into consideration activities which the individual does not in exchange for remuneration – either because (1) it is a part of the
gray economy, (2) it is household work or (3) it is volunteer work (Brief – Nord, 1990a; Noon – Blyton, 1997; Genis – Wallis, 2005).
Furthermore, a purely economic minded definition of work is also problematic because, – according to the generally accepted definition
provided by Ryan and Deci (2000:71) “the performance of an activity in order to attain some separable outcome,”– it narrows down the
concept of work to that of an activity performed for extrinsic motivations.

Furthermore, it ignores work performed for intrinsic motivation, “doing an activity for the inherent satisfaction of the activity itself”
(Ryan – Deci, 2000:71). According to several large-sample surveys conducted in developed countries, 65-95% of respondents said they
would continue their work even if they had enough money to live well without having to work (Morse – Weiss, 1955; Vecchio, 1980;
MOW International Research Team, 1987); lending credence to the view that work is not necessarily an activity performed in exchange
for extrinsic advantages as canvassed by the economic champions.

In a similar perspective, Elchier (2015), presented five distinct conceptions of work that emerged from the 11 groups he studied. They are
not mutually exclusive definitions, instead, they represent conceptions of work that draw the boundaries differently in each case, thus
including and excluding different sets of activities and utilizing different rationales:
The conventional definition (activities that are paid are work)
 The extended conventional definition (activities are work if they either could be paid or are directly related to paid work, even
though unpaid)
The goal achievement definition (purposeful activities that are oriented towards achieving some goal without being enjoyable at
the moment)
The social coercion definition (activities that are unpleasant, would not be done by choice, but must be done)
The energy expenditure definition (any activity that requires energy and effort is work) each of the definitions draws a boundary
of what counts as work and what does not. Going by this view, all activities including the domestic chores mostly done by women
in the African context, efforts applied in religious and community projects can be described as work. Sharing a similar opinion,
Johnnie and Nwasike (2002) described work as an aftermath of human departure from “paradise”; a perspective that considers
work as a punishment. This position can be linked to the pronouncement credited to God as documented in the Judio Christian
Book-The Holy Bible in Genesis 3: 17-19:

Perspectives of work orientation

Three-way categorization of work orientation (Bellah et al., 1985; Baumeister, 1991; Wrzesniewski et al., 1997; Wrzesniewski, 1999,
Rosso et al., 2010) is most common. Let us look at each one at a time
 Work as a job: An individual with an orientation primarily of a “job” performs their work primarily to attain financial gains – they
do not seek or receive other motivators. Money may denote economic success, security and anything else that may be obtained for
a payment. In their case, work itself is not a purpose, but the means to achieve resources to be able to enjoy the time spent not
working. This individual’s primary interest or ambition is not present in their job. Essentially, the main purpose of job-oriented
 individuals is to earn their salary (Wrzesniewski, 1999). At the same time, a stable job may be a source of self-worth for the
individual, and this self-worth is oftentimes tied not just to the job, but also to the amount of the salary (Baumeister, 1991).
 Work as a career: Individuals viewing their work through the “career” orientation tends to put more personal effort or investment
into their work, which is indicated by their progress in the organizational or professional structure, in addition to financial
motivators. The individual considers the advantages provided by their work, and their commitment is a function of this. This
individual’s comprehensive purpose is increasing their revenue, prestige, social status, power and competence through their
advancement in the profession. In the case of individuals professing a career orientation, competition, performance and comparison
to others, victory and avoiding failures are also present.

All of these serve to increase self-esteem. The comprehensive purpose of individuals with career orientations is maximizing their
income, social status, power and prestige in their profession (Wrzesniewski, 1999). Individuals with a career orientation focus on
themselves: they obtain feedback during their work, and work thus becomes a tool toward creating, expressing, validating and
recognizing themselves (Baumeister, 1991). Individuals with a career orientation are willing to sacrifice their free time, social
relationships and family commitments to get ahead in their careers. The individual is driven by a spirit of competition, in an effort
to achieve success, prestige and status. Baumeister (1991) lists workaholics in the group of career oriented individuals, for whom
work essentially is the meaning of life.
 Work as a calling: Individuals viewing their work as a “calling” have a difficult time separating their work from other facets of
their lives. Work, fulfillment achieved through work and pleasure are seen as their purposes. Thus, work in itself appears as a
purpose. It is often linked with the belief that they make the world a better place through their work. This is where calling
orientation differs from career- and job orientation, because the latter two are primarily personal in nature. An individual with a
 calling orientation is committed to a profession, so that they may become a good representative of the profession; they thus join the
professional community and those that they serve (Bellah et al., 1985).

Figure 1: Perspectives of work orientation

Source: Szıts-Kováts (2013) The Meaning of Work and the Individual’s Sensemaking – From the Perspective of Human Resource
Managers
Forces shaping the future of work
The shape that the workforce of the future takes will be the result of complex, changing and competing forces. Some of these forces are
certain, but the speed at which they unfold can be hard to predict. Regulations and laws, the governments that impose them, broad trends
in consumer, citizen and worker sentiment will all influence the transition toward an automated workplace. The outcome of this battle
will determine the future of work.
.

An international research agency conducted a study titled: the workforce of the future- competing forces shaping 2030 and came up with
the factors discussed below (see PwC’s Global Megatrends http://www.pwc.co.uk/megatrends)
 Technological breakthroughs
Rapid advances in technological innovation

Automation, robotics and AI and other elements of industry 4.0 (see Gabriel, 2018) are advancing quickly, dramatically changing the
nature and number of jobs available. Technology has the power to improve our lives, raising productivity, living standards and average
life span, and free people to focus on personal fulfillment. But it also brings the threat of social unrest and political upheaval if economic
advantages are not shared equitably.

 Demographic shifts
The changing size, distribution and age profile of the world’s population
With the changes in size, distribution and age profiles of the world’s population, business, social institutions and economies are under
pressure. Older workers will need to learn new skills and work for longer hours. ‘Re-tooling’ will become the norm if one must be
effective. The shortage of a human workforce in a number of rapidly-ageing economies will drive the need for automation and
productivity enhancements.

 Rapid urbanization
Significant increase in the world’s population moving to live in cities

By 2030, the UN projects that 4.9 billion people will be urban dwellers and, by 2050, the world’s urban population will have increased by
some 72%1. Already, many of the largest cities have GDPs larger than mid-size countries. In this new world, cities will become
important agents for job creation.

 Shifts in global economic power

Power shifting between developed and developing countries

The rapidly developing nations, particularly those with a large working-age population, that embrace a business ethos, attract investment
and improve their education system will gain the most. Emerging nations face the biggest challenge as technology increases the gulf with
the developed world; unemployment and migration will continue to be rampant without significant, sustained investment. The erosion of
the middle class, wealth disparity and job losses due to large-scale automation will increase the risk of social unrest in several countries.

 Resource scarcity and climate change

Depleted fossil fuels, extreme weather, rising sea levels and water shortages
Demand for energy and water is forecast to increase by as much as 50% and 40% respectively by 2030. New types of jobs in alternative
energy, new engineering processes, product design and waste management and re-use will need to be created to deal with these needs.
Traditional energy industries, and the millions of people employed by them, will see a rapid restructuring. In view of these factors so
considered, it is obvious that future workforce must re-tool for personal effectiveness. This takes us to the discussion on personal
effectiveness.

Personal effectiveness
Personal effectiveness can be described as the degree to which an individual is able to meet set goals to the satisfaction of him/her and
that of other onlookers. Sanyal, Fernandes and Fatima (2016) described it as the extent to which an employee perceives that he or she
has sufficiently met the task requirements of the job, or the extent of his/her individual productivity. It can also be summarized to
represent a state of meeting one’s work or life goals in such a manner that satiates the expectations of relevant stakeholders. Personal
effectiveness contributes to the overall effectiveness of an individual both in social & professional life. However, it has been argued that a
person’s effectiveness has a lot to do with his/her self understanding and of others (Chaudhary and Singh, 2017).

How to be personally effective

Satpathy and Sahoo (2013) have suggested four ways to improve personal effectiveness as follows:

a) Understand what motivates and inspires you

Have a deep understanding of the various positive factors that drive you to succeed. Let it be your driving force on all days. Even on days
that you feel ineffectual, let your driving force or motivating factor propel you forward to your goal. On days when things go by well at
the workplace, harness upon the positivity to carry yourself forward to the next day.
b) Keep learning and improving yourself
The philosophical concept of the Golden Mean explains the desirable middle between two extremes - one of extremes and the other of
deficiency. This implies that it is always better to maintain a sense of balance in every area of life. For example, career achievements
must not be at the cost of one's health or family life. Similarly leisure and entertainment must not be at the cost of hard work and
achievement of objectives. Always remember that –“success is a journey, not a destination”.
c) Get organized
Don't let procrastination slow down the rate of your success. Clear up the unnecessary clutter - physical objects and emotional baggage -
that are time wasters and a source of stress. Getting organized and changing your attitude towards circumstances will lead to positive
changes in the workplace as well as in your personal life. Prioritize your work by using the 80% - 20% rule. Delegate when and where
necessary.
d) Improve your health
Personal effectiveness is one of the first comprehensive steps toward achieving success. In today's techno-commercial setup, individual
health is put under a lot of strain. As much as we would like to ignore the common symptoms of a sedentary work life, ignoring it for
long would result in long term damage to the body. A sound mind and body is required to work effectively and consistently produce good
results. Sleep at least 6-8 hours every day to re-energize and re-vitalize your body. Consuming healthy food that includes lentils, fruit and
vegetables is required.
More so, having the under highlighted abilities is a plus in building personal effectiveness
1. Ability to take initiative
2. Ability to work in teams
3. Ability to influence others
4. Ability to follow well
5. Ability to network
6. Ability to “show” and “tell”
7. Organizational savvy.
8. Emotional intelligence
9. Engage in self development
10. Trust your God.

Conclusion
Looking at happening across the globe, it is no longer news that things are changing, what will be news is how those thing are changing.
Industry 4.0 and its related elements are altering the entire globe in no small measures and its aftermath is resultant dramatic changes in
the ways businesses are done and how organizations are managed. These changes are not the type that anyone would feel he or she is not
affected because if it does not touch you today, there is no guarantee it will not reach you tomorrow. This makes it important for
everyone to be up and doing in the search for ways to continue to be relevant in the workplaces and society at large. Achieving this status
would be possible when one has an open mind and a spirit of flexibility to the extent that learning will become a part of one’s life. It is
only by living this way that we can be prepared for the expected future. Truly, imagining 2019 is tantamount to imagining the future. The
world of work is actually transiting from the traditional ways of working to radically automated processes; work has assumed virtual
dimensions that it is no longer about where we go to, but about what we do from anywhere.

References
Baumeister, R. F. (1991): Work, work, work, work. Meanings of Life, New York, The
Guilford Press, pp. 116-144.
Bellah, R. N. – Madsen, R. – Sullivan, W. M. – Swidler, A. – Tipton, S. M. (1985): Habits of the heart, Berkeley, University of
California Press
Brief, A. P. – Nord, W. R. (1990a): Work and meaning: definitions and interpretations. In Brief, A. P. – Nord, W. R. (Eds) (1990):
Meanings of occupational work: A collection of essays. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books
Cascio, W. (2009). The changing nature of work; retrieved 02/11/18 at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286755025
Chaudhary, A., and Singh, R. (2017). Enhancement of personal effectiveness through training online material retrieved 11/11/18 at
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322020841
Gabriel, J.M.O. (2018). Industry 4.0 and societal evolution: the anticipated future, being a paper presented during the induction ceremony
of the Chattered Institute of Human Capital Development held at Somitel Hotels and Resort, Port Harcourt on the 29 th of March,
2018.
Genis, J. – Wallis, T. (2005): Work as a central life interest for legal professionals, Journal of Industrial Psychology, 31 (1), pp. 65-70.
Johnie, P.B. and Nwasike, J.N. (2002). Organizational behavior and advanced management theory( an epistemological analysis), Lagos,
University of Lagos Press
Noon, M. – Blyton, P. (1997): Realities of work. London, Macmillan
Rosso, B. D. – Dekas, K. H. – Wrzesniewski, A. (2010): On the meaning of work: A theoretical integration and review, Research in
Organizational Behaviour, 30, pp. 91-127.
Ryan, R.M. – Deci, E.L. (2000): Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-
being, American Psychologist, 55(1), pp. 68-78.
Sanyal, N, Fernandes, T. Fatima,A. (2016). Personal Effectiveness, Organizational Culture and Work-Related Stress among Teachers
IRA-International Journal of Education & Multidisciplinary Studies, 4(2): 251-270
Szıts-Kováts, K. (2006): Merre tart az emberi erıforrás menedzsment, (What is the direction of Human Resources Management?)
Vezetéstudomány Különszám, 37. December, pp. 46-55
Wrzesniewski, A. – McCauley, C. R. – Rozin, P. – Schwartz, B. (1997): Jobs, careers, and callings: People’s relations to their work,
Journal of Research in Personality, 31, pp. 21-33.
Wrzesniewski, A. (1999): Jobs, careers, and callings: Work orientation and job transitions, Doctoral dissertation, University of Michigan