Sustainability Seminar - Digital Transformation and Stress in Modern Work Life

August 22nd, 2018; 15:00 – 17:00h
Copenhagen Business School, Dalgas Have DH 2Ø.071 (The 2nd floor, east wing of the building)

The digital transformation is one of the main challenges of this century. But how can we use the new technologies in order to shape a more sustainable future? Can they reduce the use of resources to decrease environmental impacts or does the informed consumer challenge organizations’ status quo? Another aspect of the digitalization is connected to our work life. Organizational structures and cultures are heavily influenced by the new technologies and thus, effect the relationship of employer and employee. Guided by Torkil Clemmensen (Professor, Dep. of Digitalization CBS) and Pernille Steen Pedersen (Postdoc, Dep. of Management, Politics and Philosophy, CBS), this session will address the advantages of new technologies used to implement sustainable business practices as well as new stressors in the modern work life within organizations. 

•    In the age of digitalization, the advancements of technology proceed further and further. However, as technology operates on a global scale, there is a challenge to take people into account when designing new applications. What does the human computer interaction mean for our everyday life, and in particular within business practices? How can we use technology to shape a more sustainable future? Torkil Clemmensen will discuss how we can combine computer science and organizational understanding in order to use the digital revolution to make our work-life more efficient and thereby sustainable. By drawing on business examples, he will elaborate on sociomateriality – the intersection of the organization, work and technology – and the focus on user-involvement. As we gain access to almost endless mobile applications, they can help organizations to work more precisely and, as such, enhance resource efficiency.

•    Today, we put our heart and soul into our work. However, it can be difficult for a person to cope with the demands to work faster and in new ways because of the feeling that it affects their professionalism. Encouraging employees to be robust and leave their feelings at home is easy, but is it realistic? No, says Ph.D. Pernille Steen Pedersen. She talks about her new research, where she focuses on the feeling of shame and different patterns of reactions as central factors connecting to stress. Hear more about the research which points to new, joint solutions to the stress problem.

Sign-Up
Please sign up before the 20th of August 2018 by sending an email to Jakob Winkler, jw.msc@cbs.dk