In our quest for efficiency, are we losing compassion?

Jamie Gruman, Ph.D., professor of organisational behaviour at the University of Guelph in Canada, discusses some of the ways technology is distancing us from other people and how this can harm employees.

Gruman explains why this era of urgency and efficiency, aided by technological advancements, threatens to further dehumanise and objectify workforces and describes ways this is happening in businesses.

He talks about the research he and Alan Saks, Ph.D., professor of organisational behaviour and human resources management at the University of Toronto Scarborough), have done. That research concludes that work cultures focused on care are necessary for good management and satisfied employees. Gruman also highlights one commonly held “naive belief” preventing the development of more compassionate practices in the workplace.

What you’ll learn from this episode:

§ Different ways technology can dehumanise and objectify employees at work.

§ Why creating a caring work environment should be simple.

§ One shared falsehood that stops organisations from implementing caring cultures.

§ The role of leadership in demonstrating and rewarding care.

§ The interplay between work culture and employees’ relationship with technology.

§ How employees are resisting algorithms that threaten their autonomy.