Technology, work organisation and job quality in the service sector: an introduction

Abstract

This special issue volume is concerned with how technology is changing the nature of work and working conditions while generating new products and new forms of service delivery. The five articles included in this volume cover service work, from the routine and clerical through to highly credentialed and professional work. Although some of the established challenges concerning the impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on work and workplaces are evident in the articles, it is also clear that new service delivery processes demand new skills and training to some extent. Overall findings indicate that while ICT competencies are important, they need to be supplemented by the soft skills that are crucial for effective customer interactions and more open work systems with greater autonomy and participation whereby flexible work teams can have a positive impact on job quality outcomes. This introductory article examines technology and the changing nature of work through three strands of interpretation, prior to introducing the five articles in this special issue.

Keywords:

• job quality
• technology
• work organisation
• service sector

Acknowledgements

The special issue editors would like to thank the editors of the journal for their support and encouragement, the referees of the articles for their constructive reviews and Glenda Winsen for her editorial support.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Julia Connell

Dr Julia Connell is Director of Researcher Development and Training, University of Technology, Sydney. She has published widely on the topics of change, employment and workplace related issues. Current research includes a focus on vulnerable workers and precarious jobs, the quality of work and industry clusters, knowledge sharing and competitive advantage.

Richard Gough

Dr Richard Gough is a senior lecturer at the College of Business, Victoria University in Melbourne, Victoria. His research interests are in the areas of the sociology of labour markets, contemporary employment models, life transitions of employees and the welfare state, sustainable workplace change, quality of work and innovative work systems in the health sector, the future of unionism and workplace bargaining.

Anthony McDonnell

Dr Anthony McDonnell is a Reader in Management at Queen’s University Management School in Belfast, Northern Ireland. His primary research interest is on the HRM and employment relations practices of multinational companies across different host contexts. Within this area, he is particularly interested in how multinational companies manage their global talent.

John Burgess

Dr John Burgess is a Professor of HRM, School of Management, Curtin Business School, Curtin University, Western Australia. His research interests include the HR practices of multinational enterprises, workplace partnerships and workplace participation and job quality development programmes.