Work

Reflections on Sociotechnical Change: New Directions for and Continuities in Research on New Technology, Work, and Employment

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT This reflective article identifies three interconnected themes for advancing scholarship on new technology, work and employment. First, it calls for stronger theorisation of technology and deeper engagement with the political economy of Big Tech and AI. Attending to the material and political dimensions of technological systems is vital for challenging dominant narratives that present technologically driven change as inevitable. Second, the article argues for widening the empirical scope of research beyond the “new, new technologies,” while overlooking less visible sectors and the differing experiences of adopters and non‐adopters within the same industries. Broadening the empirical field and methodological repertoire would illuminate the uneven and variegated nature of digitalisation. Third, the article emphasises the importance of historical contextualisation. Situating contemporary developments within longer trajectories of workplace transformation is essential for understanding ongoing challenges and informing research on work futures.

Source: New Technology Work and Employment

DOI: 10.1111/ntwe.70049

Authors: Debra Howcroft, Miguel Martinez Lucio, Phil Taylor

Institutions: University of Manchester, University of Strathclyde

Language: English

Topic: Digital Economy and Work Transformation

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,980