Sometimes when you have big questions about work, science can't help you. When the questions concern one's understanding of self, of what is 'good' and 'right', and what we ought to do - well, you need to talk to a philosopher.

In this episode, I speak with Professor Elizabeth Anderson - John Dewey Distinguished University Professor of Philosophy and Women's & Gender Studies.

We talk about the evolution of the work ethic in this Part One. We discuss having a calling, the conflation of money-making and goodness, and the original promoters of Meaningful work.

In an upcoming Part Two, we'll talk about care work, billionaires as 'land' owners, and how the Puritanical past might inform a Future of Work!

Prof Anderson's book: Hijacked

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Does remote work really make us lonely?

Is the Right to Disconnect enough as a written policy in the face of power imbalances?

How can organisations shape the implementation of remote work so that it actually... works?

Dr Eva Rimbau Gilabert talks to me in this episode about all of the above, and so much more!

Find Eva's research here.

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Citations from the episode:

Emanuel, N., Harrington, E., & Pallais, A. (2026). Home alone: Remote work, isolation, and mental health. Science, 392(6802), eaec7671. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aec7671

Gajendran, R. S., Ponnapalli, A. R., Wang, C., & Javalagi, A. A. (2024). A dual pathway model of remote work intensity: A meta‐analysis of its simultaneous positive and negative effects. Personnel Psychology, 77(4), 1351–1386. https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12641

He, T., Wei, L., Goodman, M. S., Pagán, J. A., Cuevas, A. G., & Bather, J. R. (2025). Remote work and loneliness: Evidence from a nationally representative sample of employed U.S. adults. Journal of Affective Disorders, 393(Pt B), 120456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.120456

Shandell, M. S., Elliott, C. E., & Grant, A. M. (2026). Worship me at the office altar: Why narcissistic leaders resist remote work. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 195, 104496. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2026.104496

What does it mean when people say an organisation is "Queer friendly"?

What is the tension between a place of work and one's pursuit of emancipation?

Can Queer alternatives improve public discourse about the Future of Work?

In this episode, Dr. Olimpia Burchiellaro and I engage in dialogue on these topics and more!

Find her substack here and her book here.

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Works Cited:

Ahmed, S. (2012). On being included. https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822395324

MacLeavy, J., & Pitts, F. H. (2024). The Handbook for the Future of Work. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003327561

Milian, R. P., & Wijesingha, R. (2023). Why do EDI policies fail? An inhabited institutions perspective. Equality Diversity and Inclusion an International Journal, 42(3), 449–464. https://doi.org/10.1108/edi-02-2022-0048

Paul Gilroy

Sometimes our bodies experience events that are complicated and difficult - and not necessarily compatible with how we, our organisation, and even society desires a certain neatness in relation to work.

This episode I speak with Dr Heidi Reed from Audencia Business School. Her research looks at Vulnerability and often draws on Ethics of Care. We talk about her research on and lived experience of pregnancy loss while employed.

We discuss how bodies that menstruate, get pregnant, become not pregnant, go through menopause, etc. can come to be perceived as too messy, too tricky, and too taboo to deal with in a work space. We reflect on what consequences that may have for the person experiencing loss, as well as those around them. We also discuss the potential for doing things differently, particularly in the face of a rapidly changing Future of Work.

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References

Reed, H. (2025). I can('t) talk about it at work: Stigma entanglement and the Epistemic vulnerability paradox. Gender Work and Organization, 33(2), 367–378. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.70044

If you don't have Wiley access, request access to the paper here

Pregnancy Loss Research Group (HR toolkit and other resources)

Short interview with Joan Tronto explaining the Ethics of Care.

Scheibmayr, Isabella. 2024. “Organizing Vulnerability Exploring Judith Butler's Conceptualization of Vulnerability to Study Organizations.”Gender, Work & Organization31(4): 1385–1408. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.13103.

The discourse surrounding the Future of Work still needs a lot of improvement. With far too much power handed over to that which does not have society’s best interest at heart, we may be in danger of forgetting a few important things. We have agency. The future has not happened. There is hope.

In this episode, I talk to Dr Nicky Dries of the Future of Work Lab, KU Leuven. We discuss what is still missing from the conversation around jobs, AI, and the future - and what needs to change in the conversation and in our actions.

Listen in for a necessary discussion that centers human quality, critiques predictive analysis, and provides alternative imaginaries for possible futures informed by radical hope.

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References

Dries, N., Luyckx, J., & Rogiers, P. (2023). Imagining the (Distant) future of work. Academy of Management Discoveries, 10(3), 319–350. https://doi.org/10.5465/amd.2022.0130

Dries, N., Luyckx, J., & Rogiers, P. (2024). What 570 Experts Predict the Future of Work Will Look Like. Harvard Business Review.

Frey, Carl Benedikt & Osborne, Michael A., 2017. "⁠The future of employment: How susceptible are jobs to computerisation?,⁠" Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 254-280.

Mollick, Ethan, (2023). Detecting the Secret Cyborgs: The AI Trap for Organizations, One Useful Thing.

Véliz, C. (2026). Prophecy: Prediction, Power, and the Fight for the Future, from Ancient Oracles to AI. Doubleday.

Women are frequently told that they ought to be more confident at work. Confidence is often offered as a silver bullet for every challenge women encounter in their careers.

But do women actually 'lack confidence' at work - or is it simply a convenient way to ignore structural issues? Is it an individual barrier that must be overcome - or are there more useful actions available?

This episode, Lara Pecis talks about her recent paper, co-authored with Elisabeth Kelan, "Fix Thyself: Un/Doing Confidence in Women's Entrepreneurship". In it, confidence as an individualized women's issue is analyzed and evidence-based solutions are recommended. We discuss discourse on confidence, what it means and how it shapes exclusions and potentials. We talk about individualization are its outcomes, and actions for real change - such as collective care practices.

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References

Pecis, L. (2022) Case Study. Inclusive innovation: Sustaining productivity and socio-economic inclusion through innovation centres, hubs and districts. Available at: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/media/lancaster-university/content-assets/documents/lums/research/Case-Study-Inclusive-Innovation.pdf   

Pecis, L. and Banerjee, A. (2020). Inclusive innovation: sustaining productivity and socio-economic inclusion through innovation centre, hubs and districts. Report for ESRC Productivity Insight Network. Available at: https://productivityinsightsnetwork.co.uk/app/uploads/2020/02/PecisBanerjee_InclusiveInnovation_February2020.pdf 

Policy Impact: work cited in ‘Female entrepreneurship’, Women and Equality Committee (WEC), UK Government, Published on 22 October 2025, available at: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cmselect/cmwomeq/711/report.html   

Written evidence for the Women and Equalities Committee, UK Parliament, published on 25/03/2025, Available at: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/139229/pdf/

Do you have a career calling? What does it mean and where does it come from? How is it shaped by our work environments? Is it always positive, or is there also a dark side?

This episode, I talk with Sophie Gerdel about the concept of a career calling. We discuss what it means, how it can be of use, and its potentials in the Future of Work.

Follow Sophie and her work on her LinkedIn. Also, consider taking her short assessment on Calling to reflect on your current role!

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Further Reading

LSE Business Review article: The Many Ways to Make a Meaningful Career Out of a Calling

Gerdel, S., Bergner, S., & Vianello, M. (2025). Fostering calling in the leader–member exchange: individual and team-level effects. Career Development International, 30(3), 309–325. https://doi.org/10.1108/cdi-12-2023-0446

Zhou, S., Aitken, J. A., & Kuykendall, L. (2023). Callings can take different shapes: Scope, proximity and duration as new complexifications of calling. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 97(1), 27–46. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12459

Are humanoids the future of work?

Will humans be replaced by robots in the next decade?

Is AI something that ought to be thought of as a colleague?

These are some of the questions for my guest today as we discuss the future of robots at work!

I talk to Professor Tiziana C. Callari from the University of Turin who pursues these themes in her research.

We attempt to separate hype from reality while discussing what the Future of Robots at Work actually looks like based on her years of research and insights. Themes include: Industry 5.0, human-robot integration, meaningful work, re-skilling, craftsmanship, and so much more!

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References

Callari, T. C., & Lohse, N. (2025). The Future of Smart Human-Robot Collaborative Working Environments: Towards Meaningful Work for All. A White Paper. doi:10.48352/uobxeps.0001

Callari T.C., Puppione L. (2025), "Meaningful work as shaped by employee work practices in human-AI collaborative environments: a qualitative exploration through ideal types". European Journal of Innovation Management, Vol. 28 No. 10 pp. 5001–5027, doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-11-2024-1339

In season five, I'll talk to women who are scholars and experts carrying out research on the world of work.

Tune in to hear what evidence-based recommendations they have on topics like resilience, leadership, wellbeing, ageism, AI, dignity, and much much more!

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Thank you for listening to this season of But I'm a Professional!

I'm pleased to have researched, written, recorded, edited, and produced each and every episode.

I'm currently working on two other projects:

1. A new podcast called The Problem With Work, with my creative partner Benedetta Castrioto.

2. My personal website Professional Development Designs. There you can find my blog, upcoming group learning sessions, and the option for individual coaching.

Good luck out there, Professionals! See you again soon.