Participation at LABOR.A® 2024: Discussion on Job Crafting in the Era of Algorithmic Management

On September 19, 2024, the LABOR.A® conference organized by the Hans Böckler Foundation took place under the motto "fill_the_gap". The event addressed the various gaps that accompany the transformation of our society—be it in political discourse or social issues. The goal of LABOR.A® 2024 was to identify these shortcomings and collectively find ways to fill them, counteracting regression and building a progressive, opportunity-rich future.

In this context, Isabell Lippert from the Chair of Business Information Systems, especially Business Engineering at TU Dresden, participated as a speaker in the session "Job Crafting in the Era of Algorithmic Management: Worker-Driven Improvements Towards Meaningful Work within Q-Commerce". Together with the panelists Inga Sabanova, Blaz Gyoha, and Dr. Robert Peters, they discussed the impacts of algorithmic management (AM) on work processes and how employees can meaningfully shape their work through job crafting.

Algorithmic management fundamentally changes the execution of work, responsibilities, and decision-making processes and is particularly present in the quick commerce sector. Platforms like Just Eat Takeaway (Lieferando) enable deliveries in under an hour through the use of AM technologies, which often leads to a "technical corset" for employees.

Job crafting offers an approach whereby employees can proactively and autonomously influence their work to better meet the demands of algorithmic management. The session illuminated the relationship between AM, job crafting, and the role of trade unions in supporting employees.

The constructive discussion with the panelists significantly contributed to gaining deeper insights into this important topic. The insights gained are now being incorporated into the research work at the Chair and promote the ongoing dialogue on this forward-looking subject.