Digitalization and the world of work
This two-day course will explore the multifaceted ways that digitalization affects the world of work and examine diverse theoretical perspectives on how digitalization is perceived in the workplace. It will also provide insights into various methodological approaches employed to study this phenomenon.
When: October 24-25, 2024
Where: OsloMet and Institute for Social Research, Oslo
Registration (deadline October 1): https://nettskjema.no/a/432674
Language: English
ECTS: Students who complete the course will receive a diploma, which can be used to apply for credit approval at their home institution. You may attend the course without completing the course assignment if you do not require the diploma.
Who is it for? Members of DIGIT research school and PhD students from Digital Futures at Work Research Centre (UK). DIGIT partners are also invited to attend.
Content
Digitalization fundamentally changes the world of work, disrupting industries and labour markets while creating new ones, transforming labour market relations and power structures, as well as workers’ experiences. This course will explore the multifaceted ways that digitalization affects the world of work and will also provide training on a variety of relevant new and established methods in the social sciences.
Throughout the course, we will explore diverse theoretical perspectives on how digitalization is perceived in the world of work and will provide insights into various methodological approaches that can be employed to study this phenomenon.
The course will also incorporate insights from the central umbrella organisation of trade unions in Norway (Landsorganisasjonen LO) and the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV), who are key stakeholders in the debate about how digitalization affects employment, wages and working conditions. It will provide a platform for PhD students, experienced researchers, and civil society actors to share their ideas, methodologies, and research findings, and where PhD students can present and discuss their own research. It will also include a session on career opportunities for PhD graduates at universities, in research institutes and public sector organizations.
Program
Download the full program here: PDF (updated October 7).
Day 1: State of the art on Digitalisation and the World of Work
Thursday, October 24, Institute for Social Research, Munthes gate 31, Oslo
9:00 - 9:15 Registration and welcome
9:15 -10:15 Keynote lecture: Microwork: The invisible human labor behind artificial intelligence.
Professor Claartje ter Hoeven, Erasmus University of Rotterdam.
10:15-10:30 Coffee break
10:30 -12:00 Research fronts on digitalization and the world of work
AI at work, but for who? Digitalization and discrimination in work contexts. Roger A. Søraa, Professor, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Automation and the workplace. Ines Wagner, Research Professor, University of Oslo
Digitalization and the older workforce. Erling Barth, Research Professor, Institute for Social Research
12:00 - 13:00 Lunch
13:00 – 13:45 Public sector and civil society perspectives
Digitalisation and employee participation. Julie Lødrup, LO Norge
Digitalisation and welfare bureaucracy. Perspectives from NAV. Heidi Braaen, NAV
13:45 – 14:00 Coffee break
14:30 – 15:30 Student discussion, questions related to their thesis (World Café)
Opportunity for PhD students to discuss their work with presenters and other students
16:30 – 20:00 Course Dinner: Hitchhiker Restaurant, Sentralen, Øvre Slottsgate 3, 0157 Oslo
Day 2. Theoretical and empirical approaches to studying digitalisation and the world of work
Friday, October 25, OsloMet, Pilestredet 48, Eva Balkes hus: P469
9:00 – 10:15 Theoretical approaches to understanding digitalisation and the world of work
Different theoretical lenses to analyze work, organizations and digitalisation. Claartje ter Hoeven, Erasmus University Rotterdam
Panel discussion: How do different disciplines theorise digitalisation in the world of work. Theories from sociology, anthropology, organisational studies, and economics.
Participants: Claartje ter Hoeven, Ines Wagner, Roger Andre Søraa, Kari Steen-Johnsen, Janis Umblijs
10:15 – 10:30 Coffee break
10:30 -12:00 Methods for investigating digitalisation and the world of work
Studying lived experiences of digitalisation through in-depth interviews.
Ines Wagner, Arena Centre for European Studies, University of Oslo
In-depth observational interviews and shadowing.
Roger Andre Søraa, Professor, Norwegian University of Science and Technology NTNU
Integrating mixed methods data analysis using NVivo.
Helena Seibicke, Department of Political Science, University of Oslo
12:00 -13:00 Lunch
13:00 – 14:00 Methods for investigating digitalisation and the world of work continued
Using digital trace data for research: Potentials and pitfalls.
Øyvind Bugge Solheim & Kari Steen-Johnsen, Institute for Social Research.
Identifying digitalisation and automation in existing datasets.
Janis Umblijs, Institute for Social Research.
14:00 -14:15 Coffee break
14:15 – 15:15 Life after a PhD: universities, research institutes and the public sector as potential employers
What does it take to get an academic position at a university?
Ines Wagner, UiO, Roger Andre Søraa, NTNU, Claartje ter Hoeven, Erasmus University Rotterdam
Opportunities for academics in the institute sector.
Janis Umblijs & Kari Steen-Johnsen, Institute for Social Research
Value of having a PhD in the public sector.
Julie Lødrup, LO Norge, Heidi Braaen, NAV
15:15-15:30 Concluding Remarks
Learning outcomes and competence
The course is designed to equip students with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, enabling them to engage in advanced research and critical analysis in the evolving field of digitalization and the world of work. The following are the key learning outcomes:
Methodological Expertise: Students will gain proficiency in a range of research methods, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method approaches, enabling them to design and conduct rigorous research on digitalization and work.
Critical Analysis: Participants will enhance their ability to critically assess existing research and literature in the field, identifying gaps, limitations, and emerging trends.
Interdisciplinary Insights: The course will expose participants to interdisciplinary perspectives, fostering a holistic understanding of digitalization's implications on labour markets from various academic disciplines.
Collaborative Skills: Participants will have opportunities to engage in peer discussions, group projects, and panel discussions, enhancing their collaborative and communication skills. Through guest lectures, participants will gain insights into the practical implications of digitalization on labour markets from civil society actors working with the topic
Assessment methods and criteria
To receive a course diploma, participants will be required to attend both days of the course and complete an essay assigned by the course organisers. You can use this diploma to apply for credit approval at your own institution. Please note that it is your own institution that will determine whether and how many study credits you will be awarded. A minimum of 80% attendance is required.
We will reccommend 2 ECTS for students who submit and pass the work requirement.
Financial support
For DIGIT participants residing outside Oslo, we will cover travel expenses. You are responsible for booking your own flight/train tickets in accordance with your university's guidelines and the Personnel Handbook for State Employees. DIGIT covers expenses up to a maximum of 2000 NOK in total. DIGIT can also cover hotel costs.
Organizers
Course leader:
Janis Umblijs, Research Director, NOVA, OsloMet
Co-Organizers:
Kari Steen-Johnsen, Research professor, Institute for Social Research
Ines Wagner, Research Professor, ARENA, University of Oslo
Helena Seibicke, Assistant professor, Department of Political Science, University of Oslo
Roger Andre Søraa, Associate Professor, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU
Course leader - Janis Umblijs
Janis Umblijs is a Research Director at the NOVA research institute at OsloMet.
Umblijs has a background as a labour economist whose research interests include the integration of migrants, the effect of technological change on the labour market and the role of housing on individual welfare. He has a PhD from Trinity College Dublin.
Before starting at NOVA, Umblijs was a senior research fellow at the Institute for Social Research. He has also worked as a Senior Economist at the consultancy Oslo Economics where he worked on labour market evaluation projects for the Norwegian labour ministry, Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation and the Norwegian Labour and Welfare administration.
Please feel free to contact the DIGIT coordinator should you have any practical questions.
For questions related to the course content, please contact Janis Umblijs.