The 14th International Conference in Critical Management Studies
Manchester: 18-20 June 2025
Sub-theme :
Humans-in-the-loop: New Ways of Working and their implications for sociomaterial dynamics at work
Stream Convenors:
Michel AJZEN, University of Namur (Belgium)
Gislene FEITEN HAUBRICH, Stockholm School of Economics (Sweden)
Michal IZAK, University of Chester (UK)
'Future of work (FoW)' and 'new ways of working (NWW)' are labels actioned to disentangle the more profound complex changes undergoing the nature of work. The first often entails emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence or blockchain (Rotolo, 2015; Bailey et al., 2019, Eurofound, 2024). The latter tends to focus on mobility and the digitalization of workplaces (Van Meel, 2010; Aroles et al., 2021). Indeed, the nature of work began to change due to the pervasiveness of computational systems and shifts toward managerial, professional, and technical occupational structure (Barley, 2020). In that sense, at least three tensions emerged with regards to how these new technologies are interpreted in the context of work.
First, it is undeniable that the technological sophistication impacts on what we do, but especially how we do it (Barley, 2020; Bailey et al., 2019). If we consider hybrid working as an example, we see the faster dissemination and incremental development of mobile devices and applications underlying organizational decisions on what type of governance to adopt. Simultaneously, employees create alternatives to explore the 'work anywhere, anytime' they were promised. The digital technologies may lure workers to prioritize videochatting, centralize messages and use several devices, all connected through cloud solutions (e.g., OneDrive). While technologies may ease remote collaborative work (Leonardi et al., 2010; Dery & Hafermalz, 2016), it nevertheless questions the sense of belonging to a collective when the physical workspace alone no longer allows it (Ajzen & Taskin, 2021; Pentani & Mengis, 2023). Also, such a work context may promote the emergence of algorithmic management potentially leading to some forms of dispossession (Krzywdzinski et al., 2024) or even de-humanization (see Taskin et al., 2024). Critically exploring a risk of alienation from work in this context is therefore required.
Second, spatiotemporal dynamics are evidenced by interactions increasingly mediated by additional layers of software and hardware (Haubrich et al., 2024). One may even say that most knowledge workers become sort of 'platform workers.' (Steinberg, 2022). The digital application becomes the primary location (where) of our work and the experiences of when are nuanced within teams and organizations. Moreover, the production of digital exhaust in the workplace (Leonardi, 2021) may be used to define schedules, define tasks and further develop algorithmic management leading to a new form of rational control (Kellogg et al., 2020). In turn, the locus of control may equally be shifting away from 'the centre' of the organization towards now self-controlling individuals who may, however, feel 'constrained by their work despite being able to manage it largely outside of direct managerial and peer control' (Putnam et al., 2014, p. 416; Michel, 2011). Far away from disappearing, managerial and peer control is recomposed through a 'virtual panopticon' encouraging constant connectivity (Willems & Hafermalz, 2021; Farivar et al., 2024), with detrimental consequences on well-being at work (Moore, 2020; Hassard & Morris, 2022). In short, certain aspects of adoption of such technologies may endanger broader social sustainability (Ferreira et al., 2023; UN, 2024) instead of promoting it.
Third, changes in the nature of work require new rules and agreements among workers (horizontal), and/or with managers (vertical). For example, while it is known that organizations aim to impose the use of tools to concentrate all message exchanges (e.g., Teams, Slack), parallel applications are also in place (e.g., WhatsApp). Similarly, companies tend to regulate the use of AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) in the workplace, while trends such as BYOD (bring your own device) allow workers more control over the tools they use to work. Norms tend to become less documented, and informal agreements are at the core of organizing. This requires new investigations that critically question not only the spatiality, the temporality and the conditionality of emerging NWW (Spreitzer et al., 2017; Hesselbarth et al., 2024) but also the consequences for social dynamics. Indeed, extensive human-computer interactions might lead to new patterns of identity at and identification with work. While this suggests technologies may shape work(ers), previous research pointed to the interplay between technologies and workers (Orlikowski, 2007; de Vaujany et al., 2018; Hafermalz & Riemer, 2021). Along these socio-material dynamics, new rules of the game emerge (Richardson & McKenna, 2014; Ajzen, 2021) and contribute to shape 'ideal worker' norms. Therefore, workers are expected to embrace in emerging NWW contexts (see a.o., Dumas & Sanchez-Burks, 2015; Sewell & Taskin, 2015; Cameron et al., 2021; Hafermalz, 2021, de Vaujany et al., 2021).
Beyond an appealing vision of the FoW and its promises of work-life balance, enriched tasks or democratic organizing (Eurofound, 2023; Charlwood & Guenole, 2022), numerous issues lurk in the background. In connection with the theme of this conference, it is important to note that as a result systemic injustices may be reinforced (Walsh et al., 2019) and that 'flexible and technology-mediated work (FTW)' contexts may aggravate discrimination (Tambe et al., 2019; Dastin, 2022) providing foundations for less inclusive workplaces (Byrd, 2022; Kelan, 2023). Moreover, little is known about how technologies intertwine with individuals, how emerging technologies foster interactions potentially leading to mutual shaping, but also how the ideal worker norms are designed in the context of the changing nature of work. In the spirit of critically exploring such socio-material dynamics and concrete implications on work and workers, we invite contributions considering, but not limited to the following:
· The implications of FTW for construals of and attitudes towards work
· FTW patterns and practices and their implications for work-life balance and wellbeing
· Subjectification processes that lead to the development of individual sets of norms shaping working hours, work intensity, outputs, etc.
· The implications of FTW for social dynamics and identity at and identification with work
· Collective shaping processes of the ideal worker norms
· Critical discussions of autonomy and/or control in FTW environment
· Spatial, temporal and/or socio-material perspectives on FTW, including (virtual) office design and the development of institutional co-working spaces
We particularly encourage conceptual contributions, empirical research using innovative methodological approaches as well as interdisciplinary work, especially sociological and/or technology and innovation angles.
Submissions will be in the form of extended abstracts of 1000 words (references not included) and will briefly state in 100 words how the submission is suitable for the sub-theme. Extended abstracts should be submitted to michel.ajzen@unamur.be not later than January 30.
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Michel Ajzen
Professor
University of Namur
Namur
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