The future of work today
Team members
(Pictured left to right): Adam Chang, Alex Lee, Maiya Mao, Khanh Vu
Faculty mentor
Prof. Elisabeth Paté-Cornell
Sponsor organization
The Work Innovation Lab by Asana is a think tank by Asana that develops cutting-edge research and studies to help businesses evolve to meet the growing changes and challenges of the future of work.
Project description
"The future of work" is a commonplace buzzword utilized to capture the expected change, adaptation, and evolution in how work will be conducted in the foreseeable future. The scope encompassed within this phrase is extensive—some associate the future of work with the rise of AI, while others see it as an opportunity to diversify answers to questions, "Who does the work?" and "Where is the work being conducted?"
What's fascinating, yet all the more perplexing, is the lack of a singular, accepted narrative for what the future of work looks like today. We're specifically excited to explore the gaps between the perception of the future of work between three main actors: academia, corporate-funded research institutions, and the overall workforce. Our objective is to provide a catalyst for their processes by providing a holistic examination on the perspectives and developments circulating around the future of work.
Techniques and solutions
We based our research on grounded theories and studies within academic journals and business magazines on organizational designs, structures, and designs. From there, we conducted interviews with industry professionals to get a first-hand perspective on their experience in the current workforce. Then, we developed and conducted a survey of 300 working professionals to gauge their perceptions about the future of work.
We then analyzed descriptive statistics and built correlational models using our survey results to deduce some of the main thematic elements of the future of work. Additionally, we tied our research findings to discussions from other institutes researching the future of work.