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7/31/2019 Survival of the flexist
1/4
Housed in the midst of Silicon Valley, Stanford students
will have a lot of job options upon graduation. However,
one thing graduates might not be thinking about as theylook for job openings and prepare for job interviews is
that the old way of doing work probably won't resonate
with their goals and values, as Millenials.
Major shifts in economic and demographic trends in the
past few decades have complicated todays employment
equation. Todays workforce is increasingly composed of women, dual-earner couples and seniors. However,
many of todays work structures originated in the industrial era when single-earner households were the
norm. The traditional ways of working that grew out of the assumption that dad was at the office while mom
was at home remain deeply entrenched norms to this day one-size-fits-all formulas with strict scheduling,
linear career paths, centralized workspace, intense availability, face time, and in-person management.
These formulas do not match the changing nature of work itself, nor do they match what todays workers
actually want and need. The increase in working long hours among professional occupations amidst a
decline in the value of real wages, the transition to an information-based economy, and increasing demands
for work-life balance from those with caregiving responsibilities and the Millennial generation have all
fundamentally challenged these traditional norms. Thus, there is a mismatch between the needs of the actual
people in todays workforce and the structure of workplaces.
On the employer side of the equation, workplaces in this new landscape seek to harness the brightest talent
and provide attractive opportunities for all workers. Old formulas for hiring, retention and management need a
facelift for the 21st century workforce.
Graduate students from across the campus engaged in discussing these issues and joined together for a
week-long course,Redesigning Workplaces for 21st Century Women and Men, an offering of Stanford
Graduate Summer Institute (SGSI), a program sponsored by the Office of theVice Provost of Graduate
Survival of the flexist
The evolution of work and why workplaces need to adapt
by Sharon Jank andAlexander W. Watts on Monday, October 31, 2011 - 2:46pm
http://gender.stanford.edu/stanford-graduate-student-institute-classhttp://gender.stanford.edu/stanford-graduate-student-institute-classhttp://gender.stanford.edu/stanford-graduate-student-institute-classhttp://sgsi.stanford.edu/http://sgsi.stanford.edu/http://gender.stanford.edu/news/2011/survival-flexisthttp://gender.stanford.edu/news/2011/survival-flexisthttp://sgsi.stanford.edu/http://gender.stanford.edu/stanford-graduate-student-institute-class7/31/2019 Survival of the flexist
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Education. Co-taught by sociology professor Shelley Correll and organizational behavior professor Sarah
Soule, the course included lectures, guest speakers and in-depth business case studies, and culminated in
networking luncheon with over 20 representatives from industry and government. Hosted by the Clayman
Institute and the Stanford Graduate School of Business, the class brought students from all corners of the
university, including engineering, chemistry and sociology.
In the course, students learned that Silicon Valley entrepreneurs are taking a lead role in redesigning work
and innovating solutions that solve workplace flexibility issues while tapping into a broad pool of highly-skilled
talent. The students heard from two of these entrepreneurs who discussed their experience providing new
work arrangements that benefit both workplaces and employers. These on-demand arrangements solve
employer gaps in the workflow and at the same time, solve structural issues for top-class talent.
Take Mae O'Malley, an intellectual property and technology lawyer. In designing a way to solve her own
work-life balance needs, OMalley became a pioneer in
redesigning the framework of legal counseling. She
foundedParagon Legal, now a multimillion dollar legal firm. Her
niche? Paragon matches highly experienced senior attorneys to
companies in need of legal help on projects, often on a part-time
basis. Employers that do not want to maintain permanent
headcount to manage the ebb and flow of legal work no longer
have to sacrifice quality when hiring contract attorneys from the
outside. While OMalley did not start off trying to change the legal
industry, she has demonstrated that new work structures can
benefit both employers and employees. Despite rejecting the
culture of insane work hours in the legal profession, Paragon
Legal has experienced phenomenal success.
Or take business leader Sally Thornton, who has worked for decades in helping companies find solutions to
winning the talent war. When companies need a specialist to build a social media strategy or execute an
SEO plan, they seek options beyond hiring an agency. Thortons solution? She foundedForshay, a company
that matches highly trained and talented consultants to clients on an on-demand basis. To cultivate top talent,
Thornton is always concerned with creating an environment that allows her employees to do their best and
most creative work. Talent is Forshays currency, said Thornton, So naturally an open mind about what
talent is, how to find it and develop it is what allows this company to grow. Forshays talent provides high-
level work while working schedules that match their lifestyle.
Arrangements that embrace a flexible notion of work are not altogether new. Andrea Davies, a historian and
current director of research at the Clayman Institute, provided a guest-lecture on a historical experiment withredesigning workplace structures. Davies explained that as early as the 1920s food manufacturer Kellogg
offered working conditions that would be considered progressive in todays market. In order to address a
downturn in the economy, Kellogg opted to run its production factories on a six-hour work day, instead of
instituting layoffs. The firm continued to offer vacation with pay, health insurance and retirement funds, among
other benefits. The six-hour workday was considered a success by both the employees and the company,
Davies explained, the employees valued the two additional hours, and the company experienced gains in
roduction due to fewer in uries and sick em lo ees.
http://sgsi.stanford.edu/http://sgsi.stanford.edu/http://www.paragonlegal.com/http://www.paragonlegal.com/http://www.paragonlegal.com/http://forshay.com/http://forshay.com/http://forshay.com/http://forshay.com/http://www.paragonlegal.com/http://sgsi.stanford.edu/7/31/2019 Survival of the flexist
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that flexible work offers, such as fewer commuters and lowered energy consumption, as well as real-
estate savings from limited or multi-use office spaces. Another group pointed out the cost-benefits to a
consulting firm in preventing burn-out in overworked employees. Using an experimental design, the firm
found that flexibility is not limited to part-time work. New work structures such as predictable schedules
and customized not linear - career options, increased the employee's work satisfaction and the
likelihood they would stay at the firm.
Correll and Soule hailed the course a success and attributed the positive outcomes to the students. The
diverse backgrounds and interests of the students brought invaluable perspectives to the course, said
Correll. I was impressed with the creativity and dedication of the students.
Teaching the SGSI course was an exciting opportunity to work with PhD students from different
disciplines, commented Soule. We had especially fruitful conversations about flexible work because the
problems related to this topic really require interdisciplinary solutions. The students in the course were a
huge asset and helped to make it a real success.
The SGSI course concluded with a well-attended symposium where students, corporate leaders, local
government officials, and leading academic experts gathered to brainstorm best practices and discuss
future directions for workplace redesign. After the event, Molly Anderson, Director of Talent for Deloitte
Services LP, commented that the symposium was very well-received by corporate leaders who
attended. The research shared at the event offered insight into the kinds of changes that will be most
effective. She added, It also provided a quantitative fact base to build a case for change. The candid
and open dialog also enabled companies to share lessons learned and insights from a real world setting.
Importantly, the discussion doesnt end here, Correll remarked, The course served as a springboard
for a Clayman-sponsoredworking group this year that will bring together academics and industry leadersfrom around the country to inspire new academic research on how workplaces can be redesigned to
promote more flexibility in terms of how work is done and how workers are evaluated. The Clayman
Institute also plans to follow the working group with a conference during the 2012-13 academic year.
Whether old or new, what Paragon Legal, Forshay, and
Kellogg's experiment with the six-hour workday have in
common is that they have thought differently about
productivity, time, and what it means to manage work and
employees. Combining these anecdotal examples with high-
quality data reveals that what's good for workers can begood for business.
Working in teams, students developed executive summaries
about businesses already practicing innovative workplace
redesigns and presented their findings to the group. One
summary presented the positive environmental dividends
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Founded in 1974, the Clayman Institute for Gender Research
at Stanford University creates knowledge and seeks to
implement change that promotes gender equality at Stanford,
nationally, and internationally.
Copyright 2010 Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University. All rights reserved.
Shelley Correllis a professor of sociology at Stanford University and the Barbara D. Finberg Director,
Michelle R. Clayman Institute for Gender Research.
Sarah A. Souleis the Morgridge Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of
Business, a Professor of Sociology (by courtesy), and a Clayman Institute Faculty Research Fellow,
2010-2011.
Andrea Rees Davies, PhD, is Director of Research at the Michelle R. Clayman Institute for Gender
Research and author ofSurviving San Francisco.
Sharon Jankis a National Science Foundation Fellow, PhD. student in the Department of Sociology at
Stanford and a member of the Clayman InstituteStudent Writing Team.
Alexander W. Watts is a PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology at Stanford.
http://www.stanford.edu/group/gender/index.htmlhttp://gender.stanford.edu/people/shelley-correllhttp://gender.stanford.edu/people/shelley-correllhttp://gender.stanford.edu/people/sarah-soulehttp://gender.stanford.edu/people/sarah-soulehttp://gender.stanford.edu/people/andrea-rees-davieshttp://gender.stanford.edu/people/andrea-rees-davieshttp://www.amazon.com/Saving-San-Francisco-Recovery-Disaster/dp/1439904332/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320251277&sr=8-1http://www.amazon.com/Saving-San-Francisco-Recovery-Disaster/dp/1439904332/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320251277&sr=8-1http://www.amazon.com/Saving-San-Francisco-Recovery-Disaster/dp/1439904332/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320251277&sr=8-1http://gender.stanford.edu/people/sharon-jankhttp://gender.stanford.edu/people/sharon-jankhttp://gender.stanford.edu/people/staff/student-writing-teamhttp://gender.stanford.edu/people/staff/student-writing-teamhttp://gender.stanford.edu/people/staff/student-writing-teamhttp://gender.stanford.edu/people/staff/student-writing-teamhttp://gender.stanford.edu/people/sharon-jankhttp://www.amazon.com/Saving-San-Francisco-Recovery-Disaster/dp/1439904332/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320251277&sr=8-1http://gender.stanford.edu/people/andrea-rees-davieshttp://gender.stanford.edu/people/sarah-soulehttp://gender.stanford.edu/people/shelley-correllhttp://www.stanford.edu/group/gender/index.html