Changing Nature and the Future of Work (SIG CNOW)

The nature of work and organizations is evolving as digital technologies become more deeply embedded in the workplace. New technologies have transformed how businesses create, access, and communicate information, altering work itself and challenging core organizational aspects like employee connectedness, engagement, and the formation of meaning and identity in daily activities. These changes have reshaped the nature of work and the demand for an evolving “new workforce.” These profound changes give rise to new forms of organizing. Digital workplace platforms and ecosystems enable more dynamic and fluid work arrangements within and across organizations, offering greater flexibility in terms of when, where, and how we work. As human-AI collaboration becomes increasingly central in these digital environments, it also introduces new dynamics in decision-making, creativity, and problem-solving, often blurring the lines between human agency and algorithmic influence. This new landscape presents enormous opportunities to enhance workers’ lives and foster more sustainable, resilient organizations, with broader societal benefits. However, the mere availability of new technologies and existing labor resources does not ensure enhancements in operational strategizing and corresponding efficiencies and innovation. The interactions of workers and technologies introduce vast complexities that involve obstacles that must be identified, understood, and managed. Technological innovations should be integrated with advances in learning, workforce training, social, behavioral, and economic science perspectives, i.e., intellectual capital. This changing nature and future of work also raises many concerns and unintended consequences. The track aims to solicit contributions from diverse perspectives to extend our understanding of the changing nature and future of work and digital transformations’ role in the human, societal, and technological dimensions of work. This track also invites submissions demonstrating a multi-disciplinary approach that addresses the human and societal dimensions as well as technological innovation and its impact on the changing nature and future of work.

Track Chairs:
- Alexander Richter, Victoria University of Wellington
- Jerry Fjermestad, NJIT
- Liana Razmerita, Copenhagen Business School
- David Eisenberg, Montclair University
- Nataliya Berbyuk Lindström, Department of Applied IT