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Updated: Dec 14, 2023

How do you bid on digital ads in milliseconds and make YouTube funnier? The Answer: Technology, where future work is happening today.



by MK Ward

 

There’s a big debate amongst scholars and futurists right now. One view is that the extent of digitalization has become so advanced that there will be huge job losses in the future, some predict as many as 40% of jobs[1] . But others argue this situation is an overstatement and new jobs will emerge, resulting in little overall job loss.

 

We don’t know which view will be right. But there is no doubt that new technology creates new jobs. Here are two interesting ones.

 

Imagine an advertising job with a difference. This job pushes the boundaries to use data from users to allow personal and precise advertising. Specifically, by analysing the individual’s via browsing habits, and by using product information from partner client sites, personal advertisements try to entice the user to go back to the site to purchase.

 

Matt, founder and manager of a digital company, describes an “interesting” further development in which companies engage in real time bidding for ad space on a website. The bidders are the demand-side platforms that are set up by companies who have created a bunch of campaigns. The bidders and campaigns may want to target a particular person who’s visited one of our e-commerce sites. When they come into that eco-system, which can be that the person is on news.com.au reading a news article, they might be a slot of space next to the article. That is the ad space that’s bid on. The highest offer (e.g. $5) from the bidders wins. The bidding space uses second price option where the highest offer wins but pays the loser’s offer or one cent higher. All of this happens within the time limit of 40ms from when the targeted person arrives to the webpage.


This is a current, local example of the types of jobs emerging in the advertising and media sectors.

 

A second example of work that you wouldn’t find 10 years ago, is Rajeev’s full-time job of watching YouTube and Facebook videos to find ones that are entertaining, but that “could be funnier” with different commentary.

 

Yes, you read that correctly… Rajeev works in the entertainment industry. His boss is an entertainer. Ranjeev’s job is to find videos online and then - once he has permission from the video’s owner – to create a different sound-over for a YouTube to increase its comedic value. Sometimes the fans do some of the work for Rajeev, finding cool videos and then sending them to Ranjeev, without payment.

 

“We get permission by contacting the owner of the video, via databases of new videos that come from YouTube. Then (we) pay a licensing fee to the licensing company. It’s pretty pricey, around $200 per platform or use.”

 

Revenue– hopefully - flows from the online views of the YouTube. But Ranjeev observes:

 

“When posting, it can be difficult to keep posts popular. Sometimes what you expect to get lots of likes and comments is not so well received….”

 

Ranjeev has been doing the job about a year and loves it. He likes that it is low stress. The hours, working remotely with one person (his boss and the only other person in the company), and the autonomy to watch videos when and how he decides, are all important positives for him.

 

The only technologically-driven changes he foresees for the job are likely to come from the platforms used to collect and release their online content.

 

Ranjeev doesn’t see much chance his job will be replaced anytime soon. Finding things that are funny might indeed be a rather uniquely human capability.

 

Reference

[1] Frey, C. B., & Osborne, M. A. (2017). The future of employment: How susceptible are jobs to computerisation? Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 114, 254–280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2016.08.019

Updated: Dec 14, 2023

"Like tipping weed-killer on a garden": How Centralisation & homogenisation Destroy innovation 


Francis scored his job as 5/10



Francis is a senior lecturer in one of Australia’s higher education institutions, a job that traditionally he has thrived in:  “I love working with ideas, to have them expressed and shared, and influence other people… ideas are important and valuable.”

 

But, as Francis explains, many organisations don’t know how to cultivate idea production. “When it comes to managing ideas, there’s a bit of a paradox….  Research and ideas by definition are about uncertainty and unknowns, but most of management is about reducing uncertainty through control… Organisations need to allow people to take risks instead of controlling everything”.

 

To Francis’s frustration, following a trend in the sector, the university has recently restructured in the opposite direction, introducing ever more controlling systems and structures. Such organizational-level changes usually have significant trickle-down consequences for employees’ work design, and that is the case here[].

 

The first change was centralization, or moving decision-making away from local units to the small senior group in the institution. Although the change was intended to save costs and increase efficiency, the result (common with change of this type) has been to slow decision-making down, often to a stand-point, and to stifle local innovation[1]. In Francis’s words, “centralization is theoretically more efficient, but, when it comes to ideas, it’s like tipping weedkiller on a garden”.  

 

Francis refers to a second change occurring in the organization as “homogenization” or “wanting every task and metric to be the same across diverse units”. As one example, Francis described how the previously specialist support staff that helped to recruit students for a niche academic program were considered “too expensive” and so were replaced by staff with generalist knowledge. Targeted recruiting techniques, suitable for the specific type of students, were abandoned in favour of one-size-fits-all approaches. The net effect was fewer students recruited, and a lost opportunity for growth. As Francis claimed, “It’s like saying we don’t train surgeons anymore ‘because there is only 50 of them, and we don’t have the adaptability to tailor training to a smaller niche group’ – it just doesn’t make sense as a strategy”.

 

The organisational redesign affected Francis in several stages. First came bewilderment and shock at the direction of the change. Next came an effort to try to wrestle back some control by taking on a management role. And then, when he realised that – even as a manager - he faced the same blocks to getting things done, Francis gave up and stepped down from the role. And now, in the final stage, Francis is looking to leave the organisation altogether, conforming with research that shows that individuals with scarce skills tend to leave an organisation when they become disengaged[].

 

Unfortunately, not everyone can so readily escape into a new garden. Francis worries about the colleagues he will leave behind, especially support staff who he sees as “intensely overloaded” by the inadequacies of the restructure:

 

“The people around me are angry, depressed, upset, but are not able to exit so easily. Also many of them have a belief in a ‘just world’ - they believe their hard work and sacrifice will somehow in the end be recognised and respected. I just don’t think that’s going to happen. And this makes me sad.”

[1] Damanpour, F. (1991). Organizational innovation: A meta-analysis of effects of determinants and moderators. Academy of Management Journal, 34(3), 555-590.


A little more..


What I like about my job.

“To work with ideas, to have them expressed and shared, and influence other people… Ideas are important, valuable”

“Like many academics I don’t think I really like working with students very much… in that they are people, and people are generally draining in some way. It’s not they are not enjoyable, energizing, fun.. But interacting with people is quite effortful. So going from solitary tasks to working with 100s of people is quite demanding...”


Stressors of an academic.

 This isn’t to say it is an easy job. As Francis explained: “The tasks are ill-defined so they can keep going for ever… the research and ideas part of the job especially can’t be contained, so to be successful you have to work pretty much most of the time…”. 

 

Francis’s view concurs with the research evidence [2,3], which shows that long working hours is a key pressure for academics.

 

"As a Deputy Vice Chancellor of research once told me, being a successful researcher these days is similar to being an elite athlete – “it’s incredibly competitive”.

 

[2] Winefield, A.H.; Boyd, C.M.; Saebel, J.; Pignata, S. Job Stress in University Staff: An Australian Research Study; Australian Academic Press: Bowen Hills, Australia, 2008. 

[3] Gillespie, N.A.; Walsh, M.; Winefield, A.H.; Dua, J.; Stough, C. Occupational stress in universities: Staff perceptions of the causes, consequences and moderators of stress. Work & Stress 2001, 15, 53–72.

Louise scores her job 8/10 (ten being the most enjoyable job you can imagine).



by Caroline Knight

 

By 2061, the Australian Bureau of Statistics projects that 22% of the population will be 65 years of age or older, with 5% being 85 years or older. That is almost double the numbers in those age categories today.

 

The ageing population presents a challenge for providing care. It is not just the numbers of people; it's also the complexity of the care. For example, about half of people living in aged care residential units have depression, dementia, or another mental health condition[2]. This complexity puts a strain on current care resources, with too few trained nurses available to help maintain individuals’ comfort, dignity and mobility. Indeed, a nursing workforce shortfall of 123,000 is projected by 2030[3].

 

We took a step inside one residential care unit for older people in Perth, Australia, to find out how aged care workers cope with some of the challenges of this type of work.


Louise[4] is very enthusiastic about her job, rating it ‘8 or 9 out of ten’. She tells us:

 

‘I do love caring for people, especially those in need... I have compassion to share.’. ‘If you don’t care, it’s not good. In this job, you need to care. You need to look after the residents [in the way that] I want for me when I grow old’.

 

The significance of Louise’s job is very important to her. She recounts how the residents she looks after ‘forget’ they are in pain when people are taking notice of them. If she is away, they say to her “oh I missed you, where have you been, are you sick?”. This dynamic interaction with the residents is what makes Louise value her job so much. She loves to make a difference to peoples’ lives, no matter how small.

Good quality academic research suggests that task significance is an important aspect of work that has many positive consequences[5]. In essence, high task significance means you believe your work benefits other people and is valued by them. Care workers who experience task significance are likely to feel more satisfied in their jobs, purposeful, and rewarded for their efforts. The motivational effects drive better performance. Other beneficial effects include decreased turnover, which Louise tells us is true of the particular unit she works in.

 

This positive aspect of a care job, however, can sometimes be eroded by high job demands and poor working conditions, and lead to burnout, sickness absence and turnover[6]. One report suggests that 32% of nurses and midwives are considering leaving the profession, with 71% reporting more work than they can do well due to insufficient staffing, too much administration, and an inappropriate skill mix. The stresses and strains of the job can impact quality of care and dissuade people entering the profession.


Louise uses creative strategies to develop and maintain rapport with the residents whilst efficiently managing her workload. She makes a point of talking as she works, finding out about those she cares for while she’s washing and dressing them. She laughs and jokes with the residents, providing some much needed cheer and respite from the daily routine.

 

Yet the emotional and physical effort Louise puts in does take its toll. She reports how she often returns home ‘exhausted’ and recovers by having a nap. She notes how her exhaustion can affect her family as it can leave her with little patience and resources, telling us:

 

‘Sometimes if you’re tired you’ll be angry, angry to your kids and I don’t want that result. The children are affected also when you go home because you’re very tired’.


Louise tells us how she’s lucky to have a supportive husband, which means she is better able to recover from the work demands before returning back the next day.

 

But how do carers cope if they don’t have such support at home? Or if their proactive strategies to recover sufficiently before the next shift do not succeed, or wear thin over time? These are important questions in such a critical profession that is so important to our society.

 

For Louise, the work load challenges will not be solved by having robots as carers (see below), but rather require more funding. Louise told us how she goes to church to pray that the government will ‘give the funding back’, becoming teary eyed at the crisis she sees looming.

 

We hope that Australia will not go the same way as some residential units in the UK (see “A little more”) and will ensure there are enough carers in each facility to provide care that supports human dignity.



A little more..


A crisis in care?

Without proper resources and planning, Australia could be heading for a crisis in care to rival the infamous 2013 Mid-Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry in the UK[1]. This inquiry highlighted how older people suffered a lack of basic care, compassion, and dignity, being left unwashed, unfed and dehydrated. At the same time, carers of older people reported their jobs to be lacking significance, reward, and purpose due to the tendency towards long-term progressive deterioration of older peoples’ illnesses[2]. A similar situation may well evolve in Australia if the funding is not sufficient and the experiences of other countries are ignored.

 

[1] Francis, R. (February, 2013). Report of the mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust. Public Inquiry chaired by Francis QC, London: The Stationery Office.

[2] Patterson, M., Nolan, M., Rick, J., Brown, J., Adams, R., & Musson, G. (2011). From metrics to meaning: Culture change and quality of acute hospital care for older people. National Institute for Health Research Service Delivery and Organisation Programme. London, UK: HMSO.


Techonology advances

We asked Louise whether she’d noticed the rise of technology in the workplace. She told us that i-pads now exist to record medication given to residents, where before pen-and-paper was used. Indeed, documentation is increasingly computerised, with time allocated for it each shift. The prospect of robots taking over the job fills her with sadness: ‘How can you say your feelings with a robot? How can it feel your feelings? Hopefully it won’t happen’. For some purposes, and in some contexts, however, robots may be useful. Japan is trialling robots for people living with dementia, for safety and therapeutic reasons as well as to decrease social isolation and loneliness[1]. Robots can help transfer people from beds to chairs, assist them with personal hygiene, remind them about medication and mealtimes, and engage them in games and exercise. If used appropriately, robots might help people retain independence and live at home longer.

 

[1] Ries, N, & Sulgihara, T. (2017, February 1). Robot revolution: why technology for older people must be designed with care and respect. The Conversation. Retrieved from: https://theconversation.com/robot-revolution-why-technology-for-older-people-must-be-designed-with-care-and-respect-71082

Refences

[2] Philips, J., Currow, D., Parker, D., & Ries, N. (2017, December 20). Australia’s aged care residents are very sick, yet the government doesn’t prioritise medical care. The Conversation. Retrieved from: https://theconversation.com/australias-aged-care-residents-are-very-sick-yet-the-government-doesnt-prioritise-medical-care-88690

[3] Holland, P., & Tham, T. L. (2016, September 28). Burnt-out and overworked, Australia’s nurses and midwives consider leaving profession. The Conversation. Retrieved from: https://theconversation.com/burnt-out-and-overworked-australias-nurses-and-midwives-consider-leaving-profession-66141

[4] The name has been changed to protect the identity of the Aged Care Worker.

[5] Grant, A. (2008). The significance of task significance: Job performance effects, relational mechanisms, and boundary conditions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(1), 108-124.

[6] Humphrey, S., E., Nahrgang, J. D., & Morgeson, F. P. (2007). Integrating motivational, social and contextual work design features: A meta-analytic summary and theoretical extension of the work design literature. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(5), 1332-1356.


Behind the scenes

by Caroline Knight

The residential unit we visited for older people was located in a pleasant, quiet suburb. Constructed on one floor, it was designed carefully with mobility issues in mind. A large, canteen style dining hall forms the ‘centre’ of the unit with residents’ rooms and other purpose built rooms and facilities encircling it (e.g. a hairdressing room, chapel, offices). A leafy outdoor courtyard with a shaded table and chairs offers some outdoor relief for residents whilst maintaining privacy from neighbouring residential units.

 

Lynne, the sketcher and myself met Louise outside her regular hours, allowing her plenty of time to talk to us, which we were grateful for. Louise greeted us enthusiastically and was very helpful, showing us around and answering all our questions. The sense of teamwork and camaraderie was also apparent by our friendly encounters with other staff members who were intrigued by what we were doing and Lynne’s sketches.

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