Introduction
The world has changed drastically in recent years, and with these changes have come changes in the way the workforce operates on nearly every level. In Canada and many other developed nations, these changes have meant that many features of the workplace have been shaken: things are no longer what they once were, and these changes can mean that employers and employees alike must begin to operate within a new working space paradigm. This discussion will focus on a number of key issues in the Canadian environment, investigating how each of these issues contributes directly to the current environment in Canada as a whole—and how the future of Canadian employment will look if these trends continue. Drawing on the work of a number of great thinkers, this investigation will look at workplace inequalities, labor unions, globalization, the environment, and organizational hierarchies to analyze the current Canadian workspace in general.
The Globalization of Work
Globalization has been a particularly difficult issue for many individual companies and countries around the world (Spilerman, 2009). Globalization is sometimes used as a catch-all term, but in reality, the idea of globalization refers to the fact that many nations—including Canada—are now interconnected financially with other countries (Spilerman, 2009). Globalization is sometimes framed in a positive way, and is sometimes framed in negative way; however, the problem with framing globalization as positive or negative in the Canadian context is that globalization is largely unavoidable (Spilerman, 2009). Canada would not survive financially without interdependence on other nations, so there must instead be some strategy used to maximize globalization while minimizing the negative effects of the process (Spilerman, 2009).
Marx would argue that globalization leads to an increased stratification of labor, and would suggest that globalization will eventually cause a rift and revolution. However, the globalization process has been in the works for more than a few decades, and there has been little to demonstrate that workers—whether they are in Canada or abroad—are interested in rebelling or starting a revolution. There is no doubt that globalization is having a real effect on certain sectors—blue-collar jobs and easily automated jobs are the most commonly affected—but it also seems unlikely that this process can be slowed or stopped. It will fall to society to prepare students for a globalized workforce (Spilerman, 2009; Krahn, Hughes, & Lowe, 2010). The country as a whole must also develop a more thorough understanding of the potential problems associated with globalization, in an effort to ensure that companies do not transfer too much power away from Canada into developing nations.
Organization of Work and the Question of “Post industrialism”
Much of the current research suggests that within developed nations, there is a kind of “flattening” effect happening: hierarchical structures between employees and employers are not disappearing, but there are certainly greater concerns for democracy and participation within the workspace in many parts of the Canadian economy (Nightingale, 2015). Research shows that many employers have discovered that strict hierarchical structures are less effective than structures that allow for some flow and shared development; while Marx would suggest that any hierarchical structure between the working class and the ruling class is the grounds for revolutionary action, the movement away from industrialism in the post-industrial era has demonstrated that there are alternative ways of thinking about employment and conceptualizing hierarchies (Nightingale, 2015). Weber, alternatively, would suggest that the flattening of hierarchies within different industries would almost erase the need for and existence of the bureaucracy in business; considering that he thought of the increasing bureaucratization of society in the negative, these developments would be positive for him.
In the United States—which is not a perfect analogue to Canada by any means, but still provides good insight—there have been a number of companies that have been extremely successful through strategic “flattening” of the hierarchical structures within their organizations. Google is an excellent example of this: although Google still has a hierarchy, it values workers independently as thinkers and producers: they are encouraged to engage fully with management at all levels and to pursue their intellectual interests (Nightingale, 2015). Nightingale (2015) attributes much of their success in the “intellectual economy” to this flattening effect.
The Impact of Unions on Work and Workers
It is interesting that there is little unionization in intellectual marketplaces today—after all, unions were, at the turn of the 20th century, thought to be one of the most important changes that might have come about in the workplace. And in many places, unions were immensely important—in the United States, for instance, unions and labor organization became foundational to the development of labor laws and protections for workers (Briskin, 2014). However, labor unions have much less power today than they had in the past, and part of the dilution of power is due to globalization and the effects of globalization (Briskin, 2014; Landsbergis, Grzywacz, & LaMontagne, 2014; Appelbaum, 2013). Weber would suggest that the hierarchical nature of these unions might actually be more negative than positive for society as a whole, however. Today, unionization of labor is seen as something that is largely optional; the development of labor laws has positively affected the Canadian labor market in such a way that people no longer necessarily feel they need to be part of a union to receive fair pay. In fact, there are laws that are designed to protect workers against unfair pay practices (Law Commission of Canada, 2004; Howard & Gereluk, 2001).
However, research demonstrates that many people—particularly those who are considered to be in positions of less power, like women or ethnic minorities—actually fare better as part of a labor union (Briskin, 2014; Choudry & Thomas, 2013; Laschinger et al., 2014). While there is a growing disinterest in labor unions and unionization in many parts of the Canadian workforce—perhaps because of the shrinking blue-collar workforce—the perception of labor unionization does not necessarily match the reality of the situation (Nightingale, 2015; Njoya, 2015).
Inequality, Insecurity, and the Health Impact of Work
The health impact of work is linked quite closely to the idea of labor rights in the workplace. While every workplace has a different set of rules governing employer behavior and so on, there is also a set of “minimum requirements” that an organization must meet, so to speak, laid out by the government in Canada (Law Commission of Canada, 2004; Howard & Gereluk, 2001). These minimum requirements are designed to protect workers against the worst abuses of employers; however, their implementation has also been quite effective in establishing new norms for the country as a whole. The more insecure an individual is in his or her workplace, the less likely he or she is to be productive in the long run; in fact, decreased productivity and decreased health is linked closely with stress and insecurity in the workplace (Law Commission of Canada, 2004; Howard & Gereluk, 2001; Landsbergis, Grzywacz, & LaMontagne, 2014; Laschinger et al., 2014). Smith might attribute these positive changes in society to the metaphorical invisible hand—the positive impacts of competition—but Marx, alternatively, would suggest that workers banding together is indicative of class struggle.
Today there are more legal protections than ever for the worker in Canada. Workers are protected in case of injury on the job, and many are protected against all manner of potential problems. In the future, it is likely that Canada will move towards greater employee protection; the workplaces in Canada might move towards greater protection independently, especially because so much literature has demonstrated the efficacy of protecting the workforce and ensuring that the workforce is happy and healthy (Laschinger et al., 2014; Landsbergis, Grzywacz, & LaMontagne, 2014; Nightingale, 2015).
Work and the Environment: “Going Green” in the Workplace
Environmental concern has come into the limelight more and more in recent years, particularly because human beings seem completely bent on destroying the planet as quickly as possible. There are many concerns with certain powerful industries—particularly the oil industry—regarding the appropriate way to maximize income while minimizing environmental impact (Stroup, Kujawa, & Ayres, 2015). Unfortunately, profits seem to win out more often than not; however, more and more companies are recognizing that the consumer is not only interested in the organization’s environmental footprint, but they are demanding that the organization minimize this footprint (Stroup, Kujawa, & Ayres, 2015). While it is not necessarily the high-minded reason that one would hope companies move towards environmentalism, any move towards a “greener” industry is a potential boon to the people of Canada as a whole. Environmental protections also tend to benefit employees, as a company that is concerned about the environment tends to be more concerned about the wellbeing of its employees as well—although this is a generalization rather than a rule, as there are still many companies that try to cut costs in any way possible (Stroup, Kujawa, & Ayres, 2015).
Discussion and Conclusions
There is no doubt that the future of work looks quite different than it might have before technology developed. The current political struggles that are occurring within the country and the social changes that will undoubtedly occur as the large numbers of Syrian immigrants settle into the country are also likely to have an impact on the nature of work in many parts of Canada. However, these changes are not—and do not have to be—negative changes by any means; they can be positive, powerful changes for the current Canadian work environment, given the appropriate treatment from the government and from those in power. Seeing these changes as potential opportunities for the Canadian workforce requires innovation and creativity, but it is those who can see opportunity in these changes who will succeed in the long run. Every country is currently trying to develop a reaction to this new workplace paradigm; Canada must respond in the most appropriate way given her unique circumstances.
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