Organisation, technological change and skill use over time

 

2021 – In the onlinelibrary-Wiley.com, New Technology, Work and Employment the authors discuss skill use and technological change.

Abstract

The impact of technological change on the content of jobs and accompanying skills is a central topic across disciplines. To date, ample research has directly linked the technological change to shifts in skills use; however, organisational change is rarely considered as an influencing factor. Based on a panel survey, this paper uses a Luhmannian approach to understand the relationship between technological change and organisational context. This theory is tested quantitatively and shows the importance of considering the working environment’s nature when studying skills changes. The results show small effects by the technological change on changing skills use but larger effects by changes in the working environment. Recommendations for future research and practical implications are discussed. One important conclusion is: The impact of technology should be understood from the wider organisational context. This means that we cannot expect a direct impact of technology on skills.

Reference

Steven Dhondt, Karolus Kraan, Michiel Bal. ‘Organisation, technological change and skill use over time. A longitudinal study on linked employee surveys’. New technology Work and Employment. Onlinelibrary-Wiley.com. First published: 31 December 2021.

Download the article via:

https://doi.org/10.1111/ntwe.12227

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And download a new related report by Cedefop and Eurofound: http://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2801/425052