Reflections on Working from Home - While Working from Home
Bhaskar Chakravorti
Dean of Global Business, The Fletcher School, Tufts Univ, former McKinsey partner & Harvard Business School faculty, Op-Ed Columnist for Multiple Publications
Why India can’t work from home
India came last out of 42 countries in a recent study of remote-working readiness. Bhaskar Chakravorti, Dean of Global Business for The Fletcher School at Tufts University, explains what his research means for the 1.3 billion people living in India, and what the future holds for the second largest internet market in the world.
Listen to the show, here.
Remote Working Can't Last Forever
Op-ed: Barron's
After months of sheltering in place, companies are deciding whether and how to let employees back into their offices. For many, however, working from home may be permanent. Tech companies—where work is done almost all digitally—have signaled that the industry is de-emphasizing shiny offices and going remote. Half of Facebook’s 45,000 employees could be working remotely in the next five to 10 years, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Remote working could last forever for many at Twitter. Square, Shopify, Box, Slack are all planning permanent work-from-home policies. If this bandwagon picks up speed, the pandemic habit could radically transform the geography of technology work.
There are, however, significant stumbling blocks on the road to workplace independence, including a lack of broadband access, remote workspaces, and essential online public services. The standout examples of cities and countries that are truly built for dispersed work are harder to find than you might think.
Read the rest of the article here.
Does Working from Home Actually Work?
Lessons from a Pandemic: Video Commentary
Some states in the U.S. make it easier to work from home. They have better, more inclusive and more affordable access to digital infrastructure, their economies are more reliant on knowledge work, and they may have more conducive living environments so people can work at home and continue to remain productive.
Watch the commentary here.
Dispatches from the Digital Planet
2020 is proving to be an eventful year around the globe—and on our digital planet. COVID-19 changed the nature of work, home life, and commerce. It brought to the fore pre-existing inequalities and inequities, underscored the need for more digitally connected communities, and prompted policymakers to turn pronouncements and promises into action. We touch upon all these issues in this Dispatch - from a look into the Social Distance Readiness of 42 countries, to an exploration of the uneven state of the United States. We consider the leapfrog potential of 6 African countries and examine the paradox of India’s digital progress. We are also delighted to announce IDEA 2030: Imagining a Digital Economy for All, a new research initiative with support from the Mastercard Impact Fund, which brings together two increasingly important issues of our time: the need for inclusive growth and recovery, and the pervasiveness of digital technology. Finally, we hope you will check out the newest addition to our website: “Off the Charts,” a new data visualization series showcasing our latest work. COVID-19 is serving as an accelerating force for many trends; what do you think are the most overlooked realities of the emerging new normal?
Read the rest of the dispatch, here.