About this IRC® + IRC4HR® Project
Is there such a thing as “good automation”?
Right now, we have just two assumptions about automation’s impact. Automation will either completely displace labor, or require labor to be retrained or upskilled to work with automation.
We need something more granular, more nuanced.
We need models which explore how choices about design, development and deployment come together to produce different outcomes. Such approaches would also allow us to better examine who is benefitting from new technology and in what ways.
This project focuses on six patterns of job quality changes related to automation:
- Job Creation
- Job Displacement
- Telepresence
- Job Matching
- Intensity of Work
- Augmentation
Researchers will leverage a large-scale survey of UK workers to uncover how different demographic and occupational groups experience the patterns of job quality changes with the introduction of automation.
This project will provide valuable insights to help businesses, unions, policymakers, and regulators develop targeted strategies that ensure technology adoption leads to good work for all. By understanding which groups are most at risk of negative impacts, we can inform better regulatory frameworks and organizational practices that promote equity and good work.
Researchers
Dr. Magdalena Soffia
Dr. Magdalena Soffia is the Head of Social Research at IFOW. Magda focuses on job quality, capabilities, working age, and wellbeing research. She holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Cambridge.
Dr. Abigail Gilbert
Dr. Abigail Gilbert is the Co-Director of IFOW. Abby focuses on ensuring that IFOW research programmes and architectures inform and deliver their strategic impact objectives. She has been an academic, worked in policy, and is on the Board of the Work and Equalities Institute. Abby holds a PhD in Public Policy Analysis from the University of Manchester.
IRC® + IRC4HR® Project Publications and Learning Materials
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IRC® + IRC4HR® Upcoming Webinars and Studies
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