Topic: “The Decline/Transformation of Knowledge Work”
Thursday, April 17th, 2025 at 10:00 am to 11:30 am Pacific time.
On March 25, 2025, Noam Scheiber of the New York Times asked “Has the Decline of Knowledge Work Begun?” . While his report is a decidedly US focused article, some important concerns are raised.
First, white collar unemployment appears to be rising: the major downsizing efforts of large companies like Amazon and Starbucks have been focused on reducing corporate and management staffing levels.
Second, the Trump administration’s radical cuts in the federal workforce in the US are adding thousands of government white collar workers to the ranks of the unemployed.
Third, as we have already noted in earlier water cooler conversations, Artificial Intelligence is changing what work is and how it is done.
As Scheiber reports, Carl Tannenbaum, chief economist at Northern Trust, says “We’re seeing a meaningful transition in the way work is done in the white-collar world. I tell people a wave is coming.”
This month at the virtual water cooler, let’s talk about the potential ramifications of a decline / transformation of knowledge work and the impact on work and organization design:
∙ What is the effect of massive cuts and lay-offs on white-collar work?
∙ How will this impact work and organization design in the short term and in the future?
∙ Are we seeing similar cuts in the knowledge workforce around the world? If so, what is driving that? If not, why not?
∙ How do we design work and organizations in the face of the employment changes we are seeing?
∙ What experience and expertise as organizational designers do we bring to the table that can make a difference?
Join us and our colleagues at the Virtual Water Cooler for this deliberation. We’ll meet on 17 April 2025 at 10:00am (pacific time) for this deliberation facilitated by Pam Posey and Pete Sorenson.
Best wishes,
Pam Posey and Pete Sorenson (on behalf of the STS Roundtable)
