An academic symposium on the future of work brought together faculty from Bentley, Stanford University, Harvard Business School and MIT and provided a lively discussion for students, faculty and staff in Bentley’s Koumantzelis Auditorium. The symposium, which explored how human sustainability and artificial intelligence are impacting the workplace and careers, was part of a week-long celebration marking the inauguration of Alison Davis-Blake as the eighth president of Bentley.
“An academically-focused event like this on technology and how that’s changing what ‘work’ means at the center of Inauguration Week sets the perfect tone for our students and the university,” said Associate Professor of Natural and Applied Sciences David Symanski, who attended the symposium. “To have them see our new president in the conversation, with the cutting-edge work our faculty members do, is the right message for the next generation of business leaders."
The symposium’s keynote speaker was Jeffrey Pfeffer, Thomas D. Dee II Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and author of “Dying for a Paycheck: How Modern Management Harms Employee Health and Company Performance – and What We Can Do About It.”
In his remarks, Pfeffer asserted that the level of stress in today’s workplace is toxic to employees and contributes to the country’s overall health crisis. His research shows that workplace stress is as harmful to our health as second-hand smoke and has led to 120,000 excess deaths, making the workplace the fifth leading cause of death in the United States.
“We ought to be building in our organizations a culture of wellness,” said Pfeffer. “Organizations should be evaluated on the health of their employees, not just their profitability.”
Two panel discussions featuring faculty from Bentley, MIT and Harvard Business School followed Pfeffer’s talk:
In the first panel on “Human Sustainability and the Future of Work,” moderated by Associate Provost Patrick Scholten, panelist Rani Hoitash, John E. Rhodes Professor of Accountancy, discussed trust in the workplace. Sandeep Purao, Professor of Information and Process Management, presented on the topic of how workers fare in the gig economy, and Effie Stavrulaki, Associate Professor of Management, discussed the connection between organizational operations and employee well-being.
Watch the Video of Jeffrey Pfeffer's Remarks and the First Panel of Experts
In the second panel on “Human Sustainability and the Future of Work,” moderated by Dean of Arts and Sciences Rick Oches, panelist Tamara Babaian, Associate Professor of Computer Information Systems, discussed human-computer collaboration. Jason Jackson, Assistant Professor of Political Economy and Urban Planning at MIT, presented on the topic of how technology changes the power relationships between managers and employees. Prithwiraj “Raj” Choudhury, Assistant Professor of Technology and Operations at Harvard Business School, discussed the need for parity between artificial intelligence and human capital.
Watch the Video of the Second Panel of Experts
“We are at a pivotal point in a time of consequential change in the workplace,” said Aaron Jackson, Chair of the Economics Department. “The wide-ranging and provocative discussions at the symposium provided an informed and engaging snapshot of what the workplace looks like today, but perhaps more importantly, what the workplace likely will and should look like in the future.”
Learn More About Bentley's Inauguration Week Events
