300023 Digitalization and the work-life interface (S) (WiSe 2018/2019)

Changes in workplaces and families are making it increasingly difficult to balance work and family life, with employees facing continuous change, insecurity, work intensification, and flexibility requirements and changes in families involving greater female labour market participation and living conditions that are becoming ever more heterogeneous and dynamic.

New developments in digital technology, such as mobile communication devices, digital networks, and data clouds, which allow for data access from any Internet-enabled device as well as new forms of work organization facilitated by digital technology, such as crowdworking, have been addressed as both a resource and a demand diminishing or fostering conflicts between work and family life. For example, on the one hand side possibilities for digital social contacts via the Internet or mobile phones have been argued to offer greater flexibility in time and space for reacting to work and family demands and allow advanced coordination within and between the two life domains. On the other hand side, digital social contacts may also increase the permeability between life domains because one is accessible for work at home and vice versa; consequently, expectations to be “always on” develop.

In the seminar the theoretical and empirical state of the art on the implications of the use of information and communication technologies, of telework, and of crowdwork for workers work-life interface will be discussed. Moreover, the context dependency of the implications will be highlighted.