Smart Working

The Smart Working Observatory was founded in 2012, becoming part of a broad Research context that focused on studying for over ten years the evolution in ways of working. Smart Working is intended as: “A management approach based on giving back to people the flexibility and autonomy of choosing spaces, schedules, and tools to use in return for greater result accountability”. In today’s context of great uncertainty and increasing tension in the labor market, many organizations are readjusting their Smart Working model, trying to achieve the right balance between remote and office-based work. While in too many cases Smart Working is still considered only as a tool for responding to emergency situations or work-life balance necessities, many organizations are consolidating their initiatives with growing interest in new flexibility models, including initiatives to reshape working hours. Among them, organizations that are able to adopt mature Smart Working models building on the various levers (policies, spaces, technologies, behaviors and leadership styles), notice better performance and positive effects on people’s well-being and engagement. In this context the Observatory aims to be the point of reference for developing the business organization innovation culture.  The approach to analyzing the condition is multidisciplinary and aims to support decision makers (IT Managers /CIOs, Heads of Human Resources /HR, Facility Managers) in adopting Smart Working within public and private organizations and policy makers.

Smart Working Observatory Research

As part of Research the Smart Working Observatory will:

• monitor the spread of Smart Working in Italy in terms of the number of smart workers and initiatives developed by organizations (large companies, SMEs and PS), identifying best practices within the international scenario and monitoring the evolution at international level;
• monitor the spread of the main digital technologies (e.g., social collaboration, security, smart office technologies) that support Smart Working, the initiatives that promote their proper use within teams (adoption) and the effect on people’s digital soft skills;
• analyze the possible effects of the use of Artificial Intelligence applications on the way work is organized;
• monitor the characteristics of work spaces within the office, the use of other external spaces as workplaces (e.g., coworking, business centers), and the evolution of office models;
• monitor the spread and impact of short work week initiatives, International Smart Working and new flexibility models;
• investigate workers’ views on the evolution of Smart Working initiatives and new flexibility models, analyzing the perceptions and usage patterns of different generations of workers and the impact on well-being and engagement;
• learn more about required evolutions in management skills, leadership styles, and the possible impact on employees;
• identify the impact of Smart Working on sustainability (environmental and social) and possible effects on territories

Each year, Research is based on an empirical analysis that through surveys and case studies involves over 200 large Italian companies, 500 SMEs, and over 400 Public Sector bodies.