LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Dear colleague
There is no universal definition for culture, however the general
concept implies some kind of prepared environment favorable
to growth and sustainability. While not something tangible, an
organization’s culture is key to its ability to evolve and grow.
And both qualities are necessary for meeting and exceeding
the revenue expectations of corporations as well as for the
transformational capabilities needed for government renewal.
Teresa Di Cairano
In fact, one can argue that the main purpose of culture is to ensure
an individual’s and organization’s future state.
But culture, like air and water, lives in an ambience that adapts to
learning from its environment. In short, the more we understand,
the more knowledge we have, the more we evolve.
So what are the key enablers of creating smarter work
environments?
cul • ture
Noun
The arts and other
manifestations of human
intellectual achievement
regarded collectively.
Verb
Maintain in conditions suitable
for growth.
Synonyms
cultivation – civilization
cultivate – grow – raise
In this charter issue of Intervista’s innovationcultures magazine,
the feature focus is The Future of Work. We look at what are the
emerging trends in the workplace and why they matter. In the
past decade, how we work and where we work have undergone
dramatic change. We are spending less time in cubicles as
companies seek to unlock creativity and innovation through open
space designs, and rethinking the rationale for being in the office,
at all.
We are less tied to the physical restrictions of working in one place.
Less constrained, for better or worse to a 9-to-5 agenda. But to
bring this change in workplace design and values, we need to look
both at the enabling technologies for enterprise collaboration, and
how to overcome the cultural barriers to a highly networked and
virtual work environment.
Also with a view on design, we look at how Information Architects
can learn from designers in their use of personas and an
understanding of the emotional aspects of design. As part of our
lead column, we will explore why talent branding is shaping how we
make our organizations attractive to the people we need to build
our dream teams.
Teresa Di Cairano
Editorial Director
innovationcultures
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