The Waiting Game

Back to the workplace homepage

Conceptual Overview

Timeline Developments

• Europe moves along as it is currently is as there are no changes in the labour laws and mobility and flexibility of the workforce deteriorates.
• Spending on infrastructure projects is decreased. Public transporation projects fall apart and the environment is negetively affected.
• EU finds it harder to compete against the west and especially Asia as no significant econmic growth is observed and labour regulation reform is at a standstill.
• Health indicators, quality of life and life expectancy plumet as the environment deteriorates.
• Mentallity of the workforce remains unchaged to the idea of adapting to new working realities and requirements, thus Europe becomes less competative.
• Europe becomes insignificant in world affairs as the economy just barely tags along.
• Russia refuses to join the EU and signs multiple trade agreements with China.

Arjan

• technology developments in the field of mobile transmission, handsets, voip, etc are on a rollercoaster ride enhanced by technological developments in asia
• the usa finally manages to standardise it's mobile technology through all of its states to improve it's communication infrastrcture, which urges mobile manufactures and telcos worldwide to do the same
• economic growth of the eu comes under pressure due to high competition in the far east.
• socialist forces like those observed in the france student protests in 2006 prevent any labour liberalisation vital for europe's flexibility and competitiveness
• uprising and rebellion in several russian provinces including czenchna and dagestan, military struggles within georgia and between armenia and azerbeidjan, the continuous reign of force by the belarus dictatorship, and the reelection of the ukraine right-wing president who was forced to leave office after the orange revolution cause headaches for the european and form a heavy burden on its funds
• attention is shifted away from the environment as economic hardship is foreseen, causing deterioriating environment, ultimately leading to abandoning of the kyoto protocol and european emission standards
• traffic congestion increases, negatively contributing to the mobility of workforce

Jasper

• European companies struggle as their American and Asian competitors bring management and performing business to the next level. Their professionals are real mobile workforces which seem to be everywhere, all the time.
• As the environment deteriorates more and more, people become more hesistant to travel. Mobility of society decreases.
• The slack state of the labor laws creates differences between the Eastern and Western members of the EU.

ron

• Workspaces allow mobility of work and mobility of the workplace (virtual organisations) rather that mobility of people. This creates no need for a high mobility of the workforce in terms of moving physically from a to b.
• Businesses that reinventing themselves with respect to all technological innovations that support doing business anytime, anywhere, anyplace will move to places where they can find the right people. It is not a matter of competing against new economic powers as China, Russia, Brazil and India it is a matter of creating a global supply chain. From time memorial, Europe’s competencies and capabilities is dealing with cultural differences as the world is globalising more and more different nationalities and cultures can be find at the top positions in corporations. If Europe can vitalise its core capabilities and competences again they can manage and steer these global supply chains. Corporations will move people around where they are needed, therefore the workplace is more affected on how corporations will develop as on ow Europe will struggle its way in the 21st century.

Sander

• The state of technology is safe enough to have mobile workspaces. Major cities are creating public places which have all the facilities for people to be able to work their.

The Waiting Game

There is a crisis. After twenty years, the international agreement to reduce the emission of green house gases has expired. Interim studies have shown that no positive and significant environmental effects were achieved by the Kyoto protocol. The European Union has spent over one hundred billion euros and was the most outspoken proponent of this initiative. Studies released by NASA show the steadily increasing temperature of the sun is the primary reason for the melting of the ice caps and the global warming phenomenon. With hard data in hand, scientists around the world concede the ineffectiveness of the protocol. The European Space Agency launches BrightStarI satellite towards the sun to obtain more conclusive results. Europe is once again playing catch up.

The protocol did have positive aspects. The billions spent were on green parks, eco friendly buildings, sound transportation infrastructure, and a public trained in energy conservation. In 2009, Europe faces the most critical challenge. A collapsing ice cap near Greenland produces an underwater wave comparable to a tsunami. The New Waterway barrier in the Netherlands is breached when the four meter high waves strike. The western part of Holland along the North Sea is underwater. Millions are displaced.

Public workspaces are supported by technological convergence of mobile operators around the world. Vodaphone acquires Verizon Wireless in the United States. UMTS II standard is rolled out in Europe as a safer alternative to the current UMTS. With no significant costs for the changes, the thirty billion investment is saved. Nokia and Sony Ericcson release handsets, which rival the capabilities of laptop computers. The abundant network bandwidth allows for video phone conversations to be the norm. Teleco operators slash prices to gain customers in a stagnant European market.

The European Union fails to arrive at an agreement for a unified workforce. Individual member governments set their own laws governing the employment of cheaper eastern workers. With pressure from the public, no new labor legislation limiting worker rights is passed. European businesses become very uncompetitive as their ability to quickly adapt to market changes is negatively affected by labor laws. Major companies set a employment freeze. Contract based employment becomes the norm.

Businesses push for labor market reform. European parliament is too busy dealing with issues of unity and the labor situation remains the same. Companies introduce new business models. The technology is ready for complete virtual organizations to exist. The headquarters of a company is only a mailbox. Software as a service allows for virtual organizations to operate without any infrastructure. Meetings take place virtually.

With all of the technology ready, Europeans are not able to adjust to the changing demands of business. The current lifestyle interferes with the realities of virtual organizations. However, the younger generation is the driver for change. English language education is rolled out starting in kinder garden in all European member states. The Dutch embrace the virtual workspace model from the onset. Faced with a catastrophic disaster, the government operates very efficiently to restore the economy and improve the quality of life. Will it take a disaster in all of Europe for changes to take place?