As digitalisation accelerates, many organisations wish to maintain their human-centric essence amidst the rising tide of algorithms and automation. A new book offers organisations a guide to thriving in this age of algorithms without losing their humanity.

In his new book, RE-HUMANIZE: How to Build Human-Centric Organizations in the Age of Algorithms, INSEAD Professor of Strategy Phanish Puranam offers a roadmap to designing organisations that harmonise digital efficiency with human-centric values, ensuring that both productivity and meaningful work coexist.

Drawing on extensive research and real-world examples, Puranam provides actionable frameworks to help business leaders, policymakers, and academics navigate the evolving landscape of digital work.

The book explores topics such as:

• The paradox of digitalisation: how it can both enhance and erode human-centricity.
• Strategies for a digital division of labour that respects human dignity.
• The potential for digital tools to democratise organisation design.
• Digital algorithms could reinforce or dismantle hierarchies: what do we want?
• Practical frameworks for integrating algorithms into organisational life without compromising on humanity.

“Organisations are more than just systems for achieving goals—they are communities where people find meaning, connection, and purpose,” says Puranam. “In the rush toward digital efficiency, companies that fail to preserve these human elements risk disengagement, high turnover, and ultimately, poor performance.”

Through Puranam’s expert lens, readers will discover how thoughtful design can prevent the dehumanisation of the workplace, and instead, unlock a future where digital tools serve to amplify human potential, rather than replace it.

Puranam is the Roland Berger Chaired Professor of Strategy & Organisation Design at INSEAD and the Academic Director of the INSEAD-Wharton Alliance. A globally recognised expert on corporate strategy and organisation design, Puranam has published extensively in leading academic journals and has received multiple international research awards. His current work focuses on how organisations are being shaped by algorithmic technologies.

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