Social Aspects in a New Work Age

Abstract

The chapter deals with social aspects in a new work age. It describes perceptions for a new era society that will affect the labour market and all organisations on the markets. There are actually soft systems. Managers often do not know to collaborate with them. This leads to a deterioration of the working environment, an increase in sickness, and an increase in the number of nonconformities. At the same time, we are already an information society. Of course, morals are disappearing. Employees of organisations are ageing. The consequences of economic, technical, and political changes worsen the social sphere. Classical management methods are not so effective at solving them and they have been associated with a functional approach. Organisations within the management system should have an established process approach. Therefore, there is a need to change the characteristics of the system and to adapt the managerial approach to the soft aspects.

1. Introduction

To succeed in the market, an organisation must activate resources. But with the changing essential environment, it will no longer work with classic methods, as managers were used to. It is not so much about technical equipment as it is about the care and management of employees and in next step also control of production. The following text tries to explain the issue.

2. Labour market

The labour market is defined as: “… the summary total of all offers and demands for labour …” according to the book ([1], p. 1230).

The work is then understood as: “… a conscious activity aimed at the realisation of a certain task…”, according to the book ([2], p. 1376). The work is also understood as: “… a quantity expressing the path effect of a force…”, according to the book ([3], p. 58). Neither a biological nor an economic concept is sufficiently telling in this regard.

The work is tied to a specific social order in each country. The work is tied to the employee, workplace, subject of work, work tools (machines and tools), material. The current labour market states that employees and organisations are equal legislatively and formally, for example, according to the book ([2], p. 1377).

Organisations are managed by managers and work is performed by employees. Managers classically seek to increase working hours and reduce wages as a reward for work done. They can reduce the supply of work aids and a protective equipment. Employees have historically used solutions to these issues in the form of strikes, sabotage, or work unions. The effort of both parties should be an agreement. Children’s work in general, heavy work by women and night work, which reverses a person’s sleep pattern, are regarded as downright harmful. The basic feature of work is a work productivity. It is also necessary to consider the education of the employee, his or her physical, psychological, and social condition. Work discipline and work order must be observed in order to avoid safety incidents.

3. State of the labour market

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new labour market has been taking shape, which many publications have explored from different perspectives. There are some examples.

Article [4] deals with the perception of employees as a result of the emotional impact of artificial intelligence. The study [5] brings an investigation of the impact of physical activity on the health of employees and also on the productivity of organisations. Study [6] examines the impact of the digital workplace on organisational performance as a result of the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The relationship between belief and performance in the workplace, in this case social services, is addressed by study [7]. Research on the humiliation of employees in a company in relation to a work productivity is provided by the article [8]. The study [9] describes research on the relationship of incivility in the workplace in relation to the implemented changes in the organisation.

The document [10] examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the state of workplaces. The article [11] describes the relationship between stress and productivity due to changes caused by COVID-19. The contribution [12] informs about the state of workplaces from the point of view of organisation and the mental and physical health of employees in the post-COVID-19 period. The relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on the integration of work and family life of employees is described in the text [13]. Bullying at the workplace in the healthcare sector is described in the article [14].

Employees spend approximately 60% of their time at work each day, and for this, they need an appropriate working environment. The potential is in reducing of absence of employees and in other positive effects as the text [5] writes. The balance of the employee’s work and personal life is created, his performance and the performance of the organisation improve. Management should create a suitable culture of the organisation for accepting changes and developing cooperation and should trust its employees more as in the text [6]. It should correspond with the organisation’s strategy and its values. In this spirit, employees should be educated and well compensated. They also need a platform to share experiences from this work as in the article [7].

On the other hand, there are negative manifestations in relation to employees. It involves mental, physical, and sexual humiliation, which leads to a feeling of fear. For managers, this situation means cheaper labour for higher work performance as in the text [8]. The change has an effect on diligence. Processes must be properly planned and managed. Incivility in the workplace is associated with incivility, inactivity, and stress. Managers should inform about the necessary changes in a timely manner and involve employees already in their planning as the study [9].

The experience of employees with remote work due to the pandemic is essential in this period according to publications [10] and [11]. It affects the spatial structure of workplaces, again family connection and health security, which should result in flexibility. This subsequently affects employee satisfaction, mental well-being and is linked to organisation’s goals. The way work is implemented and applied by employees in post-COVID-19 organisations leads to deficiencies, dissatisfaction, and low productivity. The holistic seems to be a better approach for these needs [12]. The text [13] understands the impact of the pandemic on organisational changes as a fundamental stressor. Workplace bullying is common and affects subsequent client care, turnover, and performance according to the article [14].

4. Problems

Employees are exposed to a psychological harm from AI that violates their privacy and enforces their work expectations according to the article [4]. There has literally been a transformation of workplaces. Attention is not paid to the bystanders of bullying in the workplace, the division into defenders, outsiders, and assistants, whilst they can influence its course [14]. According to the publication [7], it is difficult to obtain data on the relationship between belief and employee performance. Such research must be long term. The state of humiliation of employees according to the article [8] is also more difficult to determine.

The study [5] addresses organisational performance, barriers to the development of physical activity programs, incentives against sedentary work, wellness, physical activities in the workplace, as a few organisations run these activities.

Organisations providing public services are reluctant to share data for research, as in the case of the text [9], and do not have a built-in organisational culture for implementing change.

The problems according to the publication [6] concern the protection of data, interests, and procedures, as well as trade secrets and intellectual property. It is about securing them when working remotely. It is also about ensuring the connection of the organisation with the region. Also, the organisation must be able to find and make changes to ensure that remote digital work is properly implemented. There is a lack of studies focused on the regional consequences of the pandemic on organisations. The established features appear to be insufficient due to ongoing changes in organisations due to the pandemic [10].

The area of small and medium-sized organisations and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on them is little explored according to the article [11]. It is not clear whether workplace isolation during the pandemic is related to work-family conflict according to the text [13].

5. Future topics

Employees should have an individual right to emotional privacy, and this must be protected in some way in the workplace, for example, according to the article [4]. It is necessary to capture more organisations to support the combination of work and physical activity according to the text [5]. Considering the study [6], it is necessary to establish the conditions for increasing the performance of the organisation. The context of changes in the organisation should also be considered. A possible model according to studies [6] and [7] should be created differently and other boundary conditions should be considered, and relevant factors should be investigated.

According to the study [9], it is necessary to examine the reactions of employees to the implemented changes in organisations. It will be necessary to determine the consequences of the pandemic on the working environment of organisations and to re-determine characteristics of processes. It is also necessary to determine corresponding features of processes in connection with consequences of the pandemic and to examine psychological and social relationship of person to the changing spatial structure due to the pandemic according to the article [10].

Long-term studies of impact of the pandemic on small and medium-sized enterprises and their employees, especially minorities, need to be carried out further, as the text [11] says. Again, the connection between the spatial arrangement of workplaces and human aspects is at play to achieve the success of the organisation according to the text [12]. It is still necessary to investigate the relationship between work and family life of employees and the effect on organisational performance with the aim of reducing employee stress [13]. Current measures to improve the role of bystanders in workplace bullying for the benefit of the affected employee are insufficient and need to be readjusted according to the article [14].

6. Characteristics of the new society

First, it is necessary to describe the context of the changes, and then it is possible to assign other aspects of the organisation that may affect performance. Since the author has been dealing with quality management and maintenance management for a long time, these areas are the starting point for further research. Nonconformities in them can significantly limit the performance of every organisation.

The author describes the transformation of the society, and it is based on the Holistic analysis and by using the Affinity Diagram.

Changes came quickly. People are generally not able to accept rapid changes in a short period of time. It creates an internal imbalance in the employee’s organism. He or she is then under stress and reacts inadequately. A reasonable solution seems to be not to overburden employees unnecessarily and to create a calm and friendly environment.

The COVID-19 pandemic, war conflicts, and a climate change are definitely leading to changes in society. The consequences of economic, technical, and political changes worsen the social sphere. This is reflected in the tense security situation and the radicalisation of a part of society on the one hand, and in the declining performance of organisations on the other hand.

A shift away from the trend towards greater care for the environment is already evident. Further connection with the nature will be realised through legislative regulation only. The amount of legislation and changes in society is increasing. Organisations are faced with limited sources of raw materials and worse customer-supplier relationships. Technical industries are developing rapidly. The transport network is denser. Devices are becoming increasingly complex functionally and in terms of the number of components. However, the knowledge base of employees remains limited, despite the increasing digitisation. An innovation is hard to come by. However, costs of organisations are increasing. Many employees suffer from post-covid syndrome, which affects their mental and physical abilities. In particular, the psychological pressure on rank-and-file employees is increasing. In addition, the population in the Central Europe is ageing. The education of youth and employees is taking place, but it is not compatible with needs of new needs of the labour market. Employees are now demanding a balance of work and privacy from their organisations.

The situation on the labour market in the Czech Republic is more specific. Despite the increase in digitisation and artificial intelligence, their application in domestic organisations is gradual and only at the beginning. Phenomena such as indecency, humiliation, but also the relationship to faith are not addressed much in the country. The solution lies in the assertiveness of the given employee. Employees do not even want physical activity as motivational incentives. Their motivation is now a sufficient financial reward. At the same time, they think more about their health, especially their mental health, and a part of the population develops a kind of laziness.

7. Role of the process approach

A process is a set of activities, the output of which is a product with added value for the customer [15]. An organisation consists of several process units. An approach based on this principle is called the process approach.

Its specifics are according to the book ([16], p. 47), as follows. The organisational structure should be heterarchical. Communication is not hindered by levels of management in the organisational structure. Emphasis is placed on efficiency and measurement in all areas, taking into account specified features. Waste and administration are reduced. The personality of employees is highlighted. Independence, foresight, and initiative are promoted. Education takes place according to the current need. The regulatory element is employee’s self-discipline. Cooperation is applied within the process and the organisation. Coaching is a form of management. Most jobs are not that specialised. Variant product solutions are preferred. A knowledge base is naturally formed. The organisation’s management system is stable inside and outside in the context. Of course, social and environmental issues are also considered. Risks in the system are identified and addressed. In connection with all of this, possible changes in the management system are naturally also addressed. The indisputable advantage of this concept is a freedom, which motivates higher performance and reduces the number and severity of nonconformities. It brings a peace of mind to the workspace as the employee has control over an available time for all his or her roles.

8. Characteristics of soft systems

A soft system is a complex system in terms of elements and links and relationships between them, according to the text [17]. The factors entering the relationships in the system are mainly of a qualitative nature. There are often risks and uncertainties [18].

A person with his or her own individuality and his or her own knowledge base is present in decision-making. When making a decision, a person often does not act according to the exact procedure, but there is a noticeable dose of mood and relationship to the given object, which affects the result of his actions. On the other hand, decision-making based on a precise procedure is carried out by a machine. Hard systems control methods include this and are therefore de facto simple. Management methods of soft systems cannot be the same because management methods of hard systems do not capture the whole reality of the system (both contexts) [15].

The soft system thus follows on from the solution of poorly structured problem tasks, which correspond more closely to reality. This guarantees the capture of changes in internal and external context of the system, to which the organisation should respond flexibly. It is the health aspects and psychological health of employees that must be examined from this point of view.

9. Managerial work in the new era of society

Managerial work is still based on so-called managerial functions. The very first setting of them was made by H. Fayol [19]. These were: planning, organising, commanding, controlling, and coordinating. This concept is due to the functional approach for original management systems. It does not suit the current situation as described above. Over time, management functions were divided into sequential and parallel depending on the course, but even that was not enough.

Key role of the manager is to increase the productivity of work in his organisation. It can do this in several ways. There is no need to install fear in employees or make constant changes to achieve this. Employees can also be motivated positively. A procedural approach contributes to this. Verbal motivation or the employee’s inner good feeling are usually no longer enough. Employees now want to be financially motivated. They want to choose the “reward” according to their own needs. Physical activity beyond the scope of work duties, the so-called exercise for reward, is no longer acceptable for most employees.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the way work is perceived, and especially working conditions. Above all, mental calm is required. This too falls into the context of changes that surround organisations. Most employees resent any changes. Only later do some admit that the given change led to an improvement in their work situation. The second role of the manager is to maintain employee satisfaction. This is made up of a whole group of factors that are not necessarily related to the situation in the organisation. They can be affected, for example, by illness or relationships in the family and so on. Nevertheless, the manager should be work more sensitively with this knowledge so as not to psychologically injure the employee.

The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic include pain and fatigue, a sharper perception of the home and work environment, greater sensitivity to various stimuli, indiscipline of family members towards the organisation, different spatial arrangements with safety features, the possibility of working with smaller groups of employees due to health risks, and the like. People began to think differently about life in general, not just about a job title. The pressure of technical changes is also strong (the Industry 4.0, artificial intelligence, complex equipment, innovative technologies such as 3D and so on). Problems in organisations are increasing for this reason. This means changing the way of approaching people and other objects. In other words: set up management differently. The manager should have these qualities.

A good approach seems to be to help balance the employee’s work and personal life. Personal life begins with a partner, children, grandparents, friends, and pets.

Previously, technical characters were used, mainly productivity, for measuring of the performance of organisation. Now, it is necessary to consider social aspects that lead to qualitative characters. Such characters are for example: the degree of momentary satisfaction of the employee, the current need to learn, and the number of nonconformities per hour.

The characteristics of the process based on the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic are influenced by the great need for safety in all areas, the greater need for substitutability, the greater need for a concise description of work progress, new hygiene legislation, and so on and other communication habits of employees. However, basic parts of process characteristics are still in accordance with the ISO 9001 standard [15], on which the quality management system is implemented in many domestic organisations.

The manager’s work must be based on innovative managerial tasks. Based on a comparative analysis of Fayol’s original concept and concepts of his followers up to J. Veber from the document [19] and from the document [20], the following can be concluded. The gross structure remains the same. The internal content of tasks is changing.

It is necessary to consider the link to the process approach of organisation’s management system. It is also necessary to consider the increased influence of soft aspects in the organisation. With regard to the author’s own experience from other surveys of organisations and according to the author [21], it is possible to assign following sequential tasks: organisational structure, management style, and organisational culture.

The organisational structure includes not only the placement of employee in the organisation and the form of heterarchical organisational structure, but also material and information flows. Management style should be process-oriented, i.e. coaching or leadership, form of action to achieve performance, division of tasks, responsibilities, powers, and allocation of resources. Culture includes the type of motivation, the type of communication, care for the knowledge, and skills of employees, competence, care for other objects of the organisation, and safety aspects—health, environmental, and informational.

Parallel tasks are made up of parts of the PDCA method because it is possible to control all objects of the organisation (employees, equipment, and software). Parallel tasks are planning (including decision-making), implementation of the planned, self-control (possibly based on control plans), settlement (primarily prevention of nonconformities).

10. Production planning and control method

Thus, a new method of production planning and control for management (any organisational activities) crystallises. Considering findings above and characteristics of production planning and control methods (PPS) on p. 17 of the book [22], the following matters can be stated. A comparative analysis of PPS methods, namely MRP II, KANBAN, BOA, OPT and JIT methods, was performed.

These PPS methods are common in organisations in the Czech Republic and in neighbouring countries. The most commonly used method of PPS MRP II is complex in terms of planning, but it relies on pressure, endless resources, and non-cooperation of workshops and workplaces in general. This method cannot be accepted in the new working conditions.

The BOA method is also a pressure type. It does not solve the production plan and the schedule and also does not allow the collaboration of workplaces.

The JIT method is a tempting. It is generally limited to the pre-production and post-production stages of the production process. It is used in mass production only.

Detailed analysis of these PPS methods in the context of new needs of organisations shows that KANBAN and OPT methods are closest to needs of organisations today. Even these PPS methods are not perfect. For the needs of conditions presented here above, some aspects are lacking in organisational practice.

However, additional matters are needed beyond the scope of these PPS methods, such as: production plans, workshop cooperation, balancing of bottlenecks, and deadline planning. A new PPS method must enable data collection and processing as well as monitoring of the production process. The concept in this method is a move. It is intended for piece production, but due to the current situation in supplier-customer relations, it accepts necessary stocks. Resources are taken as limited and finite. They must be flexibly redistributed. In this method, it is the product flow. The optimal production batch is one piece. At the same time, this PPS method corresponds to needs of the process approach.

11. Conclusion

This chapter provides insights into management and social aspects in a new work age. It is based on the author’s experience from many organisations and projects.

The support of the market perspective from the position of the organisation is tied to changes in managerial roles and the use of an appropriate PPS method in accordance with the process approach. The promotion of the perspective of markets from the position of employees is linked to the culture of the country and family also and it is supported by internal rules of the organisation. The moral basis is made up of social rules by G. Jarkovský and by ten principles based on the values of Central Europe.

Peace of mind for work and rest creates the basis for the quality work of the employee and for higher productivity of every organisation.

New managerial tasks are specified here, and new characteristics of the PPS method are proposed, which are viewed from the perspective of soft systems. The mentioned proposals can be applied in large, but also in small and medium-sized organisations, regardless of the type of production. Measuring these soft systems will likely soon be a requirement for organisations of all types.

It is necessary to continue verifying the proposals presented here for organisational practice.

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Institutional support for long-term strategic development of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic.