Work

Swedish unions’ strategies in the digitalised world of work: The importance of institutional context and power resources

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Set in the context of digitalisation of working life, this paper examines how Swedish unions respond to digital automation technologies, including robotics and algorithmic management, and how these developments affect job quality. Drawing on power resource theory, we conceptualise knowledge in terms of technical understanding, access to information, and interpretive capacity, as a cross-cutting epistemic capacity that conditions unions’ ability to activate power resources. Based on interviews with union representatives across sectors, the findings show that unions seek to influence technological change but face challenges from knowledge asymmetries and external actors, underscoring the importance of epistemic capacity in digitalised workplaces.

Source: Economic and Industrial Democracy

DOI: 10.1177/0143831x261481316

Authors: David Öborn Regin, Kristina Palm, Calle Rosengren, Carin Håkansta

Institutions: Karlstad University, Kristianstad University, Karolinska Institutet

Language: English

Topic: Labor Movements and Unions

Subfield: Public Administration

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Decent work and economic growth, Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,650