Preparing for disruptions to work and society: Research into Employment, Empowerment and Futures

The Open University Business School (OUBS) has a new research group that is partnering with The People Space - the first of its kind in the world to focus on the future of empowerment in the age of robotics.

How can the rapid technological advances in computing, robotics and communications that are revolutionising work and life be empowering, rather than dis-empowering, for people and organisations?

This crucial question is just one of the issues the Department for People and Organisations at OUBS will tackle in the new group, which seeks to explore and shape the future direction of empowerment, work and society. The People Space is excited to be partnering with the group to bring the voice of its practitioner members to help shape the discussion.

The Research into Employment, Empowerment and Futures group (REEF) will draw on the department’s scholarly expertise on themes of identity, leadership, power, human relations and learning to empower policy makers, organisational leaders, social practitioners and people from across contexts to work together to co-create innovative solutions for meeting these coming opportunities and challenges.

There has not been a sustained group devoted to co-creating and putting into place concrete proposals, practices and strategies for making empowering futures a reality today. With REEF, we aim to foster the production of inspiring and realistic policies for expanding personal, organisational and societal wellbeing in this rapidly transforming society.
Dr Peter Bloom
Head of Department for People and Organisations and co-founder of REEF at OUBS

We are delighted to be partnering with REEF to bring a practitioner viewpoint to this important issue.

Businesses must engage in a wider discussion that not only helps them prepare for these changes in their own organisations, but also helps their employees and communities to face the challenges in a positive way.
Siân Harrington
co-founder and editorial director, The People Space