CAREER: Computational work design: How networked, intelligent technologies are changing organizational design and worker experience

Stanford University, Stanford CA

Investigators

Abstract

As organizations develop and adopt new technologies for doing work, they also fundamentally change the way work is organized. Future work is likely to make greater use of computational work -- work that combines human and computer capabilities to perform tasks that neither could do alone. New internet and data analytic technologies are transforming the design of computational work. This project will use longitudinal observational field research to develop new theory and fundamental understanding of computational work designs that are currently used in real-world organizations. The project will emphasize how computational work can eliminate some types of jobs and tasks, create others, and transform many jobs that remain. Furthermore, this project will examine how computational work might affect worker experiences and empowerment. Results could advance understanding on the impact of machine-intelligent technologies on human and societal well-being. The research agenda also includes development and dissemination of an educational curriculum for students and civic leaders to better understand computational work design and its effects on organizational structure and worker experience. Newly developed work systems now include dynamic capabilities for future work. Specifically, machine-intelligent technologies are reshaping work by: 1) collecting data on what everyone is doing; 2) algorithmically combining human efforts or facilitating direct human integration; 3) analyzing patterns in work division and integration activities; and 4) recommending or intervening to create new ways of dividing and integrating work. New work systems that include such activities can be understood as being engaged in computational work design. This project will develop fundamental understanding about computational work designs used in real-world organizations, with the aim of supporting improvements to their design and operation, and to the relevant societal infrastructure. Longitudinal, observational studies of three organizations with advanced deployments of computational work design will be conducted to develop new theory about computational work design and worker empowerment, as well as to advance qualitative research methodology. Furthermore, this project will create and disseminate an educational curriculum to policymakers and management science students. Results should advance our understanding of the future of work at the human-technology frontier and its impact on human and societal well-being. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.