DIGITAL PRISM AND THE NORDIC MODEL OF WORKPLACE DEMOCRACY UNDER PRESSURE
(DigiWORK)
Project number: 314486
Financed by: The Research Council of Norway
Project duration: 01.04.2021 – 31.03.2024
Project Leader: Eivind Falkum
Project Owner: Work Research Institute, OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University
Collaborating Partners: Universitetet i Oslo, Teesside University, Roskilde universitet
Big data and artificial intelligence are radically transforming the ways in which we work, are hired and fired, managed and led. Datafication is impacting our ability to influence our work conditions. Yet, the consequences of datafication of work for workplace democracy, co-determination, individual autonomy and participation have so far not been fully understood. Workplace monitoring, algorithmic management systems, automated decision-making support systems, performance quantification and similar technologies represent a new form of workplace governance. Algorithmic governance, as a new mode of power, puts the Norwegian model of workplace democracy and the tripartite collaboration between employees and trade unions, employers, and authorities, under pressure. This project investigates the effects of digital transformation of work on the Norwegian model of workplace democracy and tripartite collaboration. We ask: How do digital regimes of governance affect power relations between management, trade union representatives, and employees at the workplaces? How do algorithmic of work organization affect labor management, work environment and labor relation in Norwegian workplaces? How do these changes affect the concepts and attitudes towards work and labor processes? DigiWORK offers unique comparative qualitative and quantitative analysis of the effects of datafication and algorithmization of work on the Norwegian model of workplace democracy in the Norwegian 1) law enforcement, 2) healthcare, 3) higher education, and 4) petroleum industry. This will enable us to understand new constellations of power and governance that emerge, and to provide actionable insights for policymakers, employer associations and trade unions. The project is based at OsloMet / The Work Research Institute, in collaboration with Roskilde University College, Teesside University, and University of Oslo.
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP on Unsplash
Research Team
Project Leader
Inger Marie Hagen, Work Research Institute, OsloMet, Norway
Core Researchers
Christin Thea Wathne, OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway
Anthony Lloyd, Teesside University, UK
Tereza Østbø Kuldova, OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway
Bitten Nordrik, OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway
Ida Drange, OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway
Anders Underthun, OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway
Per Bonde Hansen, OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway
Annette Kamp, Roskilde University, Denmark
Daniel Maul, University of Oslo, Norway
Ingrid M. Tolstad, Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway
Eivind Falkum, Work Research Institute, OsloMet, Norway
The reference group for this project consists of representatives of the Norwegian Police Union (Politiets
Fellesforbund) - Espen Sjeggestad & Unn Alma Skatvold, The Norwegian Medical Association (Legeforeningen)
- Kristin Utne, Fredrik Lorck & Christian Grimsgaard, The Norwegian Association of Researchers
(Forskerforbundet) - Kari Folkenborg, Kristin Dahli, Bjørn T Berg, Hilde Gunn Avløyp, -The Norwegian
Organisation of Managers and Executives (Lederne) - Audun Ingvartsen & Morten Slungaard, The Norwegian
Engineers and Managers Association (Forbundet for Ledelse og Teknikk) - Ulf Madsen & Johan M. Leikvoll, -
Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) - Kjersti Barsok