Algorithmic Decision-Making in Service Work

Gina Glock

doi:10.5771/9783748946663

Summary

Far-reaching transformations in the world of work are being discussed vividly under the term ‘artificial intelligence’. Questions are arising about the changing role of humans in work processes and their freedom to determine work content and conditions. This book explores these potential areas of conflict and examines how algorithmic decision-making systems influence the job autonomy of service workers. Using case studies from outpatient care and banking services, this book shows under which organisational conditions positive experiences of autonomy are enabled. Dr Gina Glock is a work sociologist, who researches the interplay of work and digitalisation.

Keywords

Search publication

Bibliographic data

Copyright year: 2024
ISBN-Print: 978-3-7560-1013-4
ISBN-Online: 978-3-7489-4666-3
Publisher: Nomos, Baden-Baden
Series: Arbeit, Digitalisierung und Organisation
Volume: 3
Language: English
Pages: 401
Product type: Book Titles

Titelei/InhaltsverzeichnisPages 1 - 16 Download chapter (PDF)
Download chapter (PDF)
1. 1.1. The necessity of a sociological lens on AI
2. 1.2. Avoiding confusion: workers' autonomy and machine automation
3. 1.3. Framing job autonomy in the organization of work
4. 1. 1. Relation to job motivation
    2. Relation to personal and organizational outcomes
5. 1. 1. Employment situation
    2. Who is (not) working autonomously?
2. Research objective and structurePages 48 - 52 Download chapter (PDF)
Download chapter (PDF)
1. 1. 3.1. From AI to algorithmic decision-making
  2. 3.2. Differentiating affected tasks
  3. 1. 1. Augmenting-Complementing ADM
      2. Automating-Substituting ADM
  4. 3.4. Excursus: Digitalization, ADM, and AI in figures
2. 1. 4.1. Call for conceptual renewal
  2. 1. 1. Definition
      2. In context
    2. 1. Definition
      2. In context
    3. 1. Definition
      2. In context
    4. 1. Definition
      2. In context
    5. 1. Definition
      2. In context
    6. 1. Definition
      2. In context
    7. 1. Definition
      2. In context
3. 1. 5.1. Rationalization at its core: minimizing job autonomy and direct control
  2. 5.2. Exploiting the subject: granting job autonomy and indirect control
  3. 5.3. Digital Taylorism: Just old wine in new bottles?
  4. 5.4. Corporate strategies as drivers between technology and job autonomy
  5. 5.5. Expectations of ADM in service work and missing pieces
Download chapter (PDF)
1. 6. Objective
2. 1. 7.1. A question of operationalization
  2. 1. 1. Method Autonomy
      2. Criteria Autonomy
      3. Scheduling Autonomy
      4. Working Time Autonomy
      5. Locational Autonomy
      6. Interactional Autonomy
  3. 7.3. Calculation, sample, and variable description
3. 1. 8.1. By service branch and task type
  2. 8.2. By selected socio-economic aspects
  3. 8.3. By selected ADM aspects
  4. 8.4. Changes between 2012 and 2018
4. 9. Limitations
5. 10. Summary: solidified polarizations, less intensity for some
Download chapter (PDF)
1. 11. Objective
2. 1. 12.1. What is a case?
  2. 12.2. Data collection
  3. 12.3. Interview initiation and conduction
  4. 12.4. Data preparation and analysis
3. 1. 1. 13.2.1. Retrospective: What do we know so far?
    2. 13.2.2. Employment, content & work demands
    3. 13.2.3. Job autonomy in (outpatient) care & technology use
  2. 13.2. Case summary
  3. 13.3. On company and employees
  4. 1. 13.4.1. Basic functional spectrum
    2. 13.4.2. Elements of learning ADM
  5. 1. 13.5.1. Overall evaluation
    2. 1. Task Autonomy
      2. Information access and standardization (+)
      3. Lower work quantity (+)
      4. Method Autonomy
      5. Execution of care work unaffected (+)
      6. Deviation from system instructions (+)
      7. Reminder feature (+)
      8. Criteria Autonomy
      9. Higher sense of security (+)
      10. Better results in tour planning (+)
      11. Reliance on planning and information (–)
      12. Nuances of performance measurement (–)
      13. Scheduling Autonomy
      14. Time gains (+)
      15. Sequence of tasks unaffected (+)
      16. Work speed unaffected (+)
      17. Higher predictability of the tour (+)
      18. Breaks unaffected (+)
      19. Sequence of clients given (–)
      20. Working Time Autonomy
      21. Gains in time off work (+)
      22. Higher predictability of work schedule (+)
      23. Risk of delimitation (–)
      24. Locational Autonomy
      25. Information at PoC (+)
      26. Location-independent administrative tasks (+)
      27. New meaning of office (+)
      28. Home as place, start and end of work (+)
      29. Interactional Autonomy
      30. Higher quality of information and communication (+)
      31. Administrative tasks away from client (+)
      32. Support from colleagues (+)
  6. 1. 1. Patchy synchronization
      2. Missing functions
      3. Usability issues
      4. Manual corrections
      5. System coverage
  7. 13.7. Impact and conditions of changed job autonomy
4. 1. 1. 14.2.1. Retrospective: What do we know so far?
    2. 14.2.2. Employment, work organization & perpetual structural change
    3. 14.2.3. Job autonomy in banking services & technology use
  2. 14.2. Case summary
  3. 14.3. On company and employees
  4. 1. 14.4.1. Basic functional spectrum
    2. 14.4.2. Elements of learning ADM
  5. 1. 14.5.1. Overall evaluation
    2. 1. Task Autonomy
      2. Supplementation of task variability (+)
      3. Holism of advisory service increased (+)
      4. Less workload in client selection (+)
      5. Non-transparency and missing information (–)
      6. Higher workload with passive/new clients (–)
      7. Higher workload for advisors, not seniors (–)
      8. Method Autonomy
      9. Options for action expanded by recommendation (+)
      10. Execution of advisory work unaffected (+)
      11. Semi-prescriptive following of system instructions (–)
      12. Criteria Autonomy
      13. Support for target achievement (+)
      14. Replacement of campaign system (+)
      15. Work through an infinite to-do list (–)
      16. The question of control (–)
      17. Scheduling Autonomy
      18. Time gains (+)
      19. More independent prioritization, mid-term (+)
      20. Work speed and breaks unaffected (+)
      21. Sticking to the right timing, short-term (–)
      22. Parallelism of tasks (–)
      23. Dealing with unpredictability (–)
      24. Working Time Autonomy
      25. Flexibility demands (–)
      26. Locational Autonomy
      27. Remote work optional (+)
      28. Decisive client demand (–)
      29. Competition with online branch (–)
      30. Interactional Autonomy
      31. More individualized advisory services (+)
      32. Facilitated teamwork (+)
      33. Emotional demand with new clients (–)
  6. 1. 1. Risk of non-acceptance
  7. 14.7. Impact and conditions of changed job autonomy
5. 15. Experts' views: pending issues and power imbalance
6. 16. Limitations
7. 1. 1. 1. Impact on seven dimensions of job autonomy
      2. Effects and conditions of autonomy-enhancing technology use
      3. Interplay of technology use and interaction work
Download chapter (PDF)
1. 1. 18.1. Less and highly autonomous services: distinct yet converging
  2. 18.2. Assisting, augmenting, automating … liberating?
  3. 18.3. The distinctive features of learning ADM
2. 19. Corporate strategies becoming tangible
3. 20. Outlook and reflections
4. Appendix - Introduction - Part I
5. Appendix - Part II
6. Appendix - Part III
7. References