Featuring scholarly and practitioner insights from HR and people leaders, industry experts, and researchers.

In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Justin Jones-Fosu about his book, I Respectfully Disagree: How to Have Difficult Conversations in a Divided World. Justin Jones-Fosu is the embodiment of energy, both at home as a dedicated father to two spirited children and atop the world's highest peaks, having recently conquered one of the famed 7 Summits. But Justin's passion for elevation doesn't end with trekking, it's mirrored in his professional ascent as a captivating business speaker, innovative social entrepreneur, and insightful workplace researcher. At the helm of Work. Meaningful., Justin is the driving force and CEO behind a movement that empowers organizations across the globe, delivering over 50 keynote addresses a year on the pivotal topics of meaningful work and inclusion. His mission is to ignite a transformation in corporate culture, guiding organizations and individuals to ascend to their peak potential through mastery of mindset, purpose, and performance. Justin is not only a pathfinder in the wilderness but also in the literary world, authoring essential reads such as "Your WHY Matters NOW," "The Inclusive Mindset," and his latest thought-provoker, “I Respectfully Disagree: How to have Difficult Conversations in a Divided World.” His work is a compass for those seeking direction on creating connections in an often-fragmented society. With a flair for infusing humor into his well-researched content, Justin doesn't just give a speech; he crafts an experience, leaving his audience not just informed but transformed. His approach is not merely to inform but to inspire, not just to direct but to make a difference. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this HCI Webinar, I talk with Carol Zizzo about the new executive skill set required for 2026 and beyond. Carol is the CEO of Henley Leadership Group and has been in the field of training and development for since 1991. As an executive coach and trainer, she has a bold, straightforward and passionate approach that produces high-performance results. She is dedicated to professional leadership development that emphasizes living a fulfilled life as a means to create extraordinary fiscal results. Carol is adept at identifying system dynamics and their implications on the task at hand. With a whole systems approach to her work, she supports the leader’s development and partners with him/her to develop the organization. She holds a B.A. in Business and Organization Development and received her executive coaching certification from the Coach Training Institute. By bringing levity, fun and partnership, clients experience ease and relief when tackling big challenges with Carol.

This research examines the AI automation paradox, where businesses engage in an aggressive "arms race" to replace employees with technology despite the collective damage this causes to the economy. Although individual firms save on labor costs, their actions simultaneously erode the consumer base necessary to sustain long-term revenue, creating a market failure where private gains lead to social and economic waste. The research evaluates various solutions, noting that popular ideas like Universal Basic Income or worker equity may help individuals but do not stop the underlying competitive drive to automate excessively. Instead, the research highlights a Pigouvian automation tax as the most effective tool to align corporate incentives with public welfare by charging firms for the external demand loss they generate. Ultimately, the research argues that structural policy interventions and robust retraining programs are essential to prevent the technological displacement of workers from triggering a self-destructive economic cliff. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Carol Zizzo about the new executive skill set required for 2026 and beyond. Carol is the CEO of Henley Leadership Group and has been in the field of training and development for since 1991. As an executive coach and trainer, she has a bold, straightforward and passionate approach that produces high-performance results. She is dedicated to professional leadership development that emphasizes living a fulfilled life as a means to create extraordinary fiscal results. Carol is adept at identifying system dynamics and their implications on the task at hand. With a whole systems approach to her work, she supports the leader’s development and partners with him/her to develop the organization. She holds a B.A. in Business and Organization Development and received her executive coaching certification from the Coach Training Institute. By bringing levity, fun and partnership, clients experience ease and relief when tackling big challenges with Carol. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This research examines the AI automation paradox, where businesses engage in an aggressive "arms race" to replace employees with technology despite the collective damage this causes to the economy. Although individual firms save on labor costs, their actions simultaneously erode the consumer base necessary to sustain long-term revenue, creating a market failure where private gains lead to social and economic waste. The research evaluates various solutions, noting that popular ideas like Universal Basic Income or worker equity may help individuals but do not stop the underlying competitive drive to automate excessively. Instead, the research highlights a Pigouvian automation tax as the most effective tool to align corporate incentives with public welfare by charging firms for the external demand loss they generate. Ultimately, the research argues that structural policy interventions and robust retraining programs are essential to prevent the technological displacement of workers from triggering a self-destructive economic cliff. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Abstract: Organizations deploying artificial intelligence increasingly cite labor cost reduction as a primary driver, with over 100,000 technology workers displaced in 2025 alone. Yet recent theoretical work reveals a structural paradox: even when every firm recognizes that mass automation erodes the consumer demand they collectively depend on, competitive incentives trap them in an acceleration dynamic that harms both workers and shareholders. This article synthesizes emerging research on demand externalities in AI-driven labor displacement with organizational evidence to demonstrate that the automation problem is not merely distributional but constitutes a market failure requiring targeted intervention. Analysis of six policy instruments—upskilling, universal basic income, capital taxation, worker equity participation, voluntary agreements, and automation taxes—reveals that only the last operates on the correct margin to align private incentives with collective welfare. The findings suggest organizations and policymakers must address not only displacement's aftermath but the competitive structures that accelerate it beyond socially optimal levels. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This research examines the AI automation paradox, where businesses engage in an aggressive "arms race" to replace employees with technology despite the collective damage this causes to the economy. Although individual firms save on labor costs, their actions simultaneously erode the consumer base necessary to sustain long-term revenue, creating a market failure where private gains lead to social and economic waste. The research evaluates various solutions, noting that popular ideas like Universal Basic Income or worker equity may help individuals but do not stop the underlying competitive drive to automate excessively. Instead, the research highlights a Pigouvian automation tax as the most effective tool to align corporate incentives with public welfare by charging firms for the external demand loss they generate. Ultimately, the research argues that structural policy interventions and robust retraining programs are essential to prevent the technological displacement of workers from triggering a self-destructive economic cliff. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This research examines the labor market shift triggered by the rise of generative AI, moving past simple fears of total job loss to highlight a bifurcation of demand. Research indicates that while repetitive, automation-vulnerable roles have seen a decline in job postings, there is significant growth in augmentation-prone positions that pair human judgment with algorithmic power. The research emphasizes that organizational success depends on proactive reskilling and the redesign of workflows to foster effective human-AI collaboration rather than just cutting costs. Furthermore, it advocates for adaptive governance frameworks and ethical principles to manage the risks of bias and transparency as these technologies evolve. Ultimately, the research argues that the transformation of work is not technologically predetermined but shaped by strategic leadership and a commitment to continuous organizational learning.