Page 80 - AC/E's Digital Culture Annual Report 2015

Cultural business models on the Internet80which seems to indicate that lack of critical judgement does not decrease over time. Further- more, without efficient and explicit training, it is highly likely that many people who trusted the confusing, inaccurate or uncertain information they gleaned from the Internet as students will continue to do so to some extent later on in their professional lives. Above all this is because it is becoming simpler and simpler to access digital information compared to other sources and because this information, far from being systemised or reduced, is growing and is not classified according to veracity as the main criterion.It is important for organisations to give thought to these matters because the trend will continue over the coming generations. Indeed, a study by Pew Research Center (Purcell, K. et al., 2012) revealed that 87% of teachers claim that technology is creating a generation with a short attention span who are easily distracted. The report also reveals that students do not have the ability to reflect critically on or synthesise the information they find.In short, owing to the unstoppable advance in the generation of information, much of which is not strictly reliable or of sufficient quality, it is becoming increasingly necessary to be able to select and organise relevant information.Collaborative work in different environmentsIn a global and multicultural world where professionals are hyperconnected, organisations must encourage the ability to work morecollaboratively, especially through distributed networks. This entails not only mastering the technology required for cooperative work online, but also, among other skills, the ability to locate important networks or communities, acceptance and appreciation of diversity, flexibility and adaptation to different digital communication cultures, willingness to share and collaborate, and the ability to negotiate and manage tasks through digital communications (Ala-Mutka, K., 2011).Organisations must encourage collaborative work through online networks and with digital communities.A significant consequence of collaborative work is the manner in which digital technology is altering physical places where professionals inter- act. In view of the need to promote innovation and speed up decision making, spaces where casual interaction and project teamwork are val- ued are highly considered, and therefore spaces that promote a type of work that is focused on the creative aspect but also on the process are favoured (Knoll, 2013). Digital progress has likewise blurred the boundary between work technology and personal technology and has spurred the emergence of a trend for workersto use their personal devices as part of their workflow (O’Neill, M., 2013). Whereas the challenge companies face is to adapt their spaces and technology to these trends, these changes require professionals to develop the ability tobe part of these new collaborative spaces where breaking away from the traditional office model and technological diversity are the norm.The digital competencies of organisations: the challenge of digitally transforming talent