Above the Clouds
A Guide to Trends Changing the Way we Work
A Project Inspired by EFQM with commentary from the worlds of business, the not-for-profit sector and academia
10% discount on this titleMarch 2006 256 pp 234 x 156 mm
hardback ISBN 978-1-874719-94-6 £24.95
Everyone is affected to some degree by issues such as stress and work–life balance, teleworking, offshoring, stakeholder democracy, globalisation — the list goes on. But, as things continue to change at an ever-faster rate, what can we expect work to look like in the next five, ten or twenty years?
Some of us work to live. Some of us live to work. Some of us, by design or default, don't work at all. Whatever your position, as a stakeholder in today's society, there is no avoiding the complex web that is the world of work. Everyone is affected to some degree by issues such as stress and work-life balance, teleworking, offshoring, stakeholder democracy, globalisation — the list goes on. But, as things continue to change at an ever-faster rate, what can we expect work to look like in the next five, ten, or twenty years?
Above the Clouds is the result of a future studies project carried out by the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), a not-for profit foundation that promotes excellence in European business. The project aimed to identify trends that will have an impact on the world of work over the coming decade. Work here is defined in terms of methods, organisation and future challenges. It took two years to create the full picture, which is now available in this book. 'Trendspotting' sessions were organised across Europe as a means of gathering ideas on where work was heading in the future. The experience and insights of people from a diverse range of backgrounds were included in the project. Working with raw material from these sessions, researchers investigated each of the trends and their possible ramifications on the world of work. The resulting articles were posted for comment online. People from all around Europe responded and some of these views are quoted in this book. In addition, academics and leading CEOs and executives were asked for their reactions to these trends.
Each of the 15 chapters of Above
the Clouds analyses a trend in detail and includes perspectives from business, academia and comments from the European public. There are disagreements, but also a surprising amount of convergence on issues such as leadership, outsourcing, global risk, women, age, spirituality, stress and technology.
Rather than trying to offer certainty, the book aims to equip people and organisations with the awareness and adaptability they will need to meet tomorrow's challenges to the way we work. It is fascinating reading for anyone interested in how the big issues of work are likely to impact on us all.
The book … seeks to raise awareness of the many facets of work and the
workplace which, if properly considered and incorporated into our output
planning, could generate positive improvements in life and the environment we
live in. This book is ideal for the lateral thinker who is looking for
stimulating ideas and trains of thought.
Eagle Bulletin Vol.
17 No. 1 (July 2006)
Respect is a two-way street
A word from business: Eugenia Lianou and Paris Nikou, Maxi Coco-Mat
Big ego leadership may be out, but leaders still need solid egos
Thoughts from academia: Jean-François Manzoni, IMD International
‘Macho CEOs realise they need to soften style’
Selected comments from the public
Today’s CEO is alive and kicking
A word from business: John Condron, Yell
An increasingly tough job, but someone’s got to do it
Thoughts from academia: Phyl Johnson, University of Strathclyde Graduate School of Business
‘Leave them to get on with the ribbon-cutting jobs’
Selected comments from the public
3. Give Us More Shareholder Democracy
By Josephine Woolley
Read abstract
This item available in PDF format for free download 
This item available in PDF format for free download An ethical business democracy
A word from business: Jesús Catania, Mondragón Corporación Cooperativa
This item available in PDF format for free download
This item available in PDF format for free download Towards responsible corporate governance
Thoughts from academia: Lutgart Van den Berghe, Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School, and Céline Louche, Vlerick Impulse Centre for Business in Society
This item available in PDF format for free download
This item available in PDF format for free download ‘Transparency can easily be manipulated’
Selected comments from the public
Eurozone must adapt to survive
A word from business: Rijkman Groenink, ABN AMRO
Outsourcing: different trends and different implications
Thoughts from academia: Marcus Alexander, London Business School
‘The ultimate sufferer is the global workforce’
Selected comments from the public
Rationalising global risk
A word from business: Marie-Christine Lombard, TNT
Offsetting risk with effective supply chain management
Thoughts from academia: Kevin Hendricks, Richard Ivey School of Business, and Vinod Singhal, Georgia Institute of Technology
‘Media inflates spectre of risk to large degree’
Selected comments from the public
Keeping the Y-ers on board
A word from business: Anne Catherine de Decker, Orange
No revolution, but generation Y is pushing in the right direction
Thoughts from academia: Frédérique Alexandre-Bailly, European School of Management (ESCP-EAP), and Béatrice Delay, Paris V University
‘You're a decade behind the times’
Selected comments from the public
Meeting the changing expectations of an older workforce
A word from business: Tara Brady, B&Q
Forward thinking on workforce ageing
Thoughts from academia: Alan Walker, University of Sheffield
‘I may be in my 50s now, but I was 18 yesterday’
Selected comments from the public
Diversity promotes a richer world-view
A word from business: André van Heemstra, Unilever
Feminisation: a major change in the way we live and work
Thoughts from academia: Harriet Bradley, University of Bristol
‘Everything should boil down to results’
Selected comments from the public
Securing staff commitment in a stressed-out, competitive world
A word from business: Anton Lauber, Schurter
Tackling the root causes of stress
Thoughts from academia: Andy Smith, Cardiff University
‘For me, today, work is not more important than my health’
Selected comments from the public
Working better, not harder
A word from business: Peter Brabeck-Lemathe, Nestlé
Setting the standard for work–life balance
Thoughts from academia: Maria Nuria Chinchilla, IESE Business School, University of Navarre
‘Roll on the me-centred world’
Selected comments from the public
Unlocking individual potential
A word from business: Marina Dewitte-Schiettecatte, Cronos
Workplace spirituality: contribution or contradiction?
Thoughts from academia: Emma Bell, Queen Mary, University of London
‘The job is as bad as ever, let's use spirituality as a “sticking plaster” ’
Selected comments from the public
Market-driven emotion
A word from business: Frank M. Rinderknecht, Rinspeed
The real emotional economy: the fury and disappointment of living with poor products and services
Thoughts from academia: Patrick Barwise, London Business School, and Sean Meehan, IMD International
‘Anyone who claims immunity is talking with pride, not honesty’
Selected comments from the public
Professional at all times
A word from business: Geoff Fenlon, Edinburgh International Conference Centre
Customer dissatisfaction, complaint handling and recovery management
Thoughts from academia: Tor Wallin Andreassen, Norwegian School of Management
‘Tearful and angry after a few minutes of abuse’
Selected comments from the public
Micro and macro productivity gains in an accelerated world
A word from business: Juan A. Zufiria Zatarain, IBM
Thinking differently about IT and about productivity
Thoughts from academia: Chris Clegg, Institute of Work Psychology, University of Sheffield
‘Many companies don't understand productivity’
Selected comments from the public
NFPs in the 21st century: breaking out of the charitable paradigm
A word from the not-for-profit sector: Charlie McConnell, Carnegie UK Trust
Social enterprise: too big to be ignored by business
Thoughts from academia: John Vaughan, Liverpool John Moores University
NFPs ‘probably helping the overall business environment’
Selected comments from the public
About EFQM
Hervé leads EFQM’s knowledge development activities. He is constantly
on the lookout for exemplary public and private organisations that can act
as leading lights for businesses throughout Europe and beyond. Working
with such organisations, EFQM is able to spread the word about excellence
and competitiveness. Josephine Woolley and Lorraine
Mallinder
were commissioned by EFQM to write opening articles for each
chapter and to edit the full project. Having completed a degree in English literature and French at Edinburgh
University, Josephine went on to experience the world of work in the UK,
France and Belgium. Following a journalism diploma, she began working for
EFQM on the Above the Clouds project. She is currently in
Australia. Lorraine is a freelance journalist based in Brussels since 2002. A
trained interpreter and translator, she has also worked in Latin America
and the Middle East. While in Brussels, she has written for EFQM and
European Voice, an Economist Group weekly.
Hervé Legenvre initiated and orchestrated
the project on behalf of EFQM.
