Only when work has meaning can growth be equitable

The economic dimension of ongoing transformations in the labor market must not conflict with the social dimension. “We must ensure that growth is equitable, both for companies and workers," said Rossella Cappetta, Associate Dean for Open Programs at SDA Bocconi School of Management, during the latest session of Idee per la Crescita (Ideas for Growth), an initiative by Repubblica and SDA Bocconi School of Management.

“We must avoid antagonistic or degrowth temptations that, by theorizing an idyllic escape from work, absolve those who make no effort to improve poor-quality jobs or to design better ones.”

Prompted by Repubblica Deputy Editor Walter Galbiati, Professor Cappetta discussed the transformation of work with Marco Perrone, Partner at KPMG, and Francesco Quattrone, Director of Labor and Industrial Relations at Federdistribuzione, the Italian trade association of modern distribution.

“Improvement in jobs must happen within companies and be driven by management,” said Cappetta, a scholar in organizational design. “Companies are the place where work is upgraded. Quality jobs are those that generate meaning and are characterized by task variety, autonomy in achieving results, and physical and psychological safety. They must also meet the human need for social connection, even when performed remotely—a mode particularly prone to trivialization.”

The disruptive effects of technology and the necessity for widespread, continuous learning were common ground among participants.

Perrone, presenting survey findings, described a world where a third of CEOs are concerned about labor market changes, 80% agree on the need for continuous learning, and 83% predict a full-time return to office work within the next three years. “Technology is a positive factor,” he stated, “if it improves people's work, not if it replaces them.”

Quattrone examined the impact of transformations in the distribution sector, which employs 450,000 people in Italy and has a relatively low turnover, leading to an aging workforce. Currently, 24% of employees are over 50, which may indicate some resistance to technological change. The sector has responded by increasing training by 10% in the post-Covid period. “Young people are increasingly asking about training opportunities during job interviews, so training can become a retention tool,” he said.

Cappetta concluded with an optimistic yet responsibility-driven message: “The impact of artificial intelligence will resemble that of other technological revolutions, like coal in the 19th century: it will destroy jobs but also create new and different ones. In the interim, however, we must implement policies and systems for widespread, large-scale learning to develop the skills required for the new environment—skills that didn’t exist before.”

Click here to watch the debate 

SDA Bocconi School of Management