For Better or Worse: Designing Jobs During Technological Change

Increased global competition in recent decades has unleashed a new wave of technological advancement, and a new wave of predictions of technological displacement and job loss. But job destruction is not a foregone conclusion of technological advancement; in complex systems outcomes are hard to predict. Technology can replace workers or make work less fulfilling, but it can also be used to complement workers’ skills and improve wages, safety, and employee engagement. Choices about developing and deploying technology and designing new jobs all make a difference. Employers, workers, government, philanthropy and others can play an active role in shaping how technology is used, how jobs are designed, and what the future of work will be. How does technology affect job design? What can employers and businesses do to invest in technology and their workforce to improve business performance and increase employee retention and engagement? How can workers be engaged to help shape operations and how technology is developed and used? What can we learn from human-centered design? This event features a panel discussion with Ben Armstrong (Work of the Future Initiative, MIT), Lisa Dewey-Mattia (Port Authority of New York & New Jersey), Becky Lee (IDEO San Francisco), and moderator Danielle Abril (The Washington Post). Learn more about this event by visiting: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/events/for-better-or-worse-designing-jobs-during-technological-change/

This is the first conversation in our three-part series, The Job Quality Choice: Opportunities and Challenges in Job Design: https://jobdesign.splashthat.com/

Opportunity in America, an event series hosted by the Economic Opportunities Program, considers the changing landscape of economic opportunity in the US and implications for individuals, families, and communities across the country. The series highlights the ways in which issues of race, gender, and place exacerbate our economic divides, and ideas and innovations with potential to address these challenges and broaden access to quality opportunity. Learn more and register for upcoming events: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/series/opportunity-in-america/

The Economic Opportunities Program advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy. Learn more about our work: https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/economic-opportunities-program/