MIT Sloan Management Review Article on WORKFORCE ECOSYSTEMS A New Strategic Approach to the Future of Work

Ask managers today how they define their workforce, and a common answer is, “That’s a very good question.” It’s a good question, managers tell us, because they feel often squeezed between two realities. One reality is that their workforce increasingly depends on external workers. The other reality is that their management practices, systems, and processes are designed for internal employees. The struggle to reconcile these two realities is an ongoing challenge, with significant implications for strategy, leadership, organizational culture, and workforce management practices.

Our research makes clear that most managers today consider employees and other workers who create value for the enterprise — including contractors, service providers, gig workers, and even software bots — to be part of their workforce. Our recent global executive survey affirms that the vast majority — about 87% — of respondents include some external workers when considering their workforce composition.

About the Author

Elizabeth J. Altman (@lizaltman) is an assistant professor of management at the Manning School of Business at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and guest editor for the MIT Sloan Management Review Future of the Workforce Big Ideas research initiative. Altman has been a visiting scholar at the Harvard Business School and visiting professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Her research focuses on business ecosystems, platform businesses, strategy, innovation, and organizational change.

Jeff Schwartz (@jl_schwartz), a principal with Deloitte Consulting LLP, is the U.S. leader for the Future of Work and author of Work Disrupted (Wiley, 2021). Schwartz is an adviser to senior business leaders at global companies focusing on workforce and business transformation. He is the global editor of the Deloitte “Global Human Capital Trends” report, which he started in 2011.

David Kiron is editorial director of MIT Sloan Management Review and leads the publication’s Big Ideas program, a content platform examining macro-trends that are transforming the practice of management. He has coedited two books on economics and coauthored more than 30 journal articles and research reports on AI, strategic measurement, performance management, analytics, leadership, digitalization, and sustainability.

Robin Jones is a principal at Deloitte Consulting LLP with more than 20 years of organization and workforce transformation consulting experience. At Deloitte, Jones leads markets and services for Workforce Transformation, where she advises senior executives on strategy and execution of large-scale future-of-work initiatives.

Diana Kearns-Manolatos (@dianakearns) is a senior manager in the Deloitte Center for Integrated Research, where she analyzes market shifts and emerging trends across industries. Her research focuses on cloud and the future of the workforce. Additionally, Kearns-Manolatos draws on almost 15 years of award-winning marketing communications experience to align insights with business strategy.