Arbeitsklima/
Working Climate
How does the climate scene influence future working cultures? Climate activists, a young, well-educated, and predominantly female demographic, offer a glimpse into the values and work styles of future generations. Through their work, climate activists are not only shaping the conversation on climate action but also redefining what a desirable workplace means for their demographic. By understanding the motivations and approaches of these young activists, employers can shape their strategies to attract and retain future talent. The project resulted in a trend report offering employers insights, examples, strategies and visions of a new generation of employees.
Competencies
Research
Analysis
Scientific Writing
Conceptual Design
Foresight
Strategy
Editorial Design
Illustration
Research Approach
The study focuses on the working culture developed by young climate activists in Switzerland, specifically within the »Klimastreik« movement. Since 2019, the climate activists have mobilized and organized themselves to demand climate action from their government. By observing their day-to-day operations and interactions, the research provides a qualitative glimpse into their values, strategies, aspirations, and emotional experiences.
Methods
Immersive Fieldwork
Meetings, assemblies, and demonstrations were documented through detailed field notes, audio recordings, and photographs, capturing the lived experience of the movement.
In-depth interviews
Ten face-to-face and digital interviews (via WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS) provided personal insights from climate activists. The interview guide, informed by protest posters, ensured focused discussions.
Netnography
Group chats, 296 articles from the internal »Klimastreik-Wiki«, and global climate youth's Instagram presence were analyzed, offering a broader view of the movement's online life and communication.
Trend research
Inspired by »How to research Trends« by Els Dragt, I looked at how future work and sustainability intersect with Klimastreik's vision.
Grounded Theory
To delve into the collected data collected, I adopted a Grounded Theory approach. This allowed for an inductive exploration of the activists' working culture, uncovering their underlying strategies, values, stances, and emotional experiences. Using a dynamic blend of digital and analog tools, I engaged in iterative coding and clustering, continually refining their understanding of the movement's core components.
Analysis In the middle of the pandemic prior to Miro
Design Transfer
Through the research I identified nine key categories of the climate activist work culture, which formed the basis for the design transfer. To share the knowledge, I created an interactive trend report concept. The report features nine thematic chapters, each with six dedicated modules.
9 Key Categories
The Speculation Framework
Trendreport
Modul 1: FRAME
»FRAME« briefly summarizes the core concepts of each thematic chapter.
Module 2: EXPLORE
»EXPLORE« presents interview excerpts, visual materials, and short texts to showcase the working and living environment of the young activists.
Module 3: IMPULSE
»IMPULSE« provides strategies for employers who aim to attract climate activists as employees.
Module 4: SPECULATE
»SPECULATE« introduces a framework based on the identified categories to facilitate the generation of potential future scenarios and innovative ideas.
Provides examples of such scenarios within each chapter.
Module 5: ADAPT
»ADAPT« showcases concrete examples of existing »climatesocial« concepts that have already been implemented.
Module 6: ANSWER
»ANSWER« provides an avenue for open communication and further discussion through a designated social media channel.
Coached by
Professor Bitten Stetter
Dr. phil. Francis Müller