This book is the outcome of a project bringing together a group of scholars from different disciplinary backgrounds, who have a common interest in the innovation taking place in the field of employment relations. The project, not yet completed, was developed in the Marco Biagi Foundation, a research institute at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy ), which has been experimenting with multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary studies since it was set up in 2002. These studies encompass mainly labour law, economics and organisational theory with a view to one day involving experts from a broader range of disciplines.
The choice of studying the digital transformation of employment relations arose as a natural consequence of the working environment inhabited by the editors of this book. In fact, the complex, dynamic and increasingly topical nature of this phenomenon requires innovative approaches that go beyond deeply rooted, narrow and often outdated stereotypes, thus opening up an interesting experimental space for multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary studies.
From this perspective, the present volume collects a selection of papers dedicated to the problems of digitalisation of employment relations analysed from various disciplinary points of view in light of their theoretical and practical implications. Such an approach, in the view of the editors, is the best way to tackle this phenomenon in its multifaceted and controversial aspects. At the same time, it represents a unique and original feature of this volume which distinguishes it from the other publications in the field.
Arguably, the mere multidisciplinary approach might be insufficient to address all the complexities of the phenomena of digital transformation. For this reason, a further step allowing a move from a multidisciplinary reflection towards an interdisciplinary one might be instructive for the purpose of creating a sort of a ācommunication channelā between disciplines that do not always communicate in a fluid manner. Such an interdisciplinary exercise requires additional intense joint efforts aimed at developing shared analytical concepts and a more coherent and integrated approach. Ideally, this should make it possible to overcome short-sighted and sometimes egoistic dogmas of individual disciplines which otherwise might not be able to gain insight into the problems inevitably generated by digital transformation.
The analysis of the impact of digitalisation on employment from various disciplinary angles clearly shows its pros and cons. On the one hand, digital technology can be conceived as a means to establish more horizontal and cooperative relationships within organisations and to provide āsmartā and digital workers with greater flexibility in the definition of their working schedules, enhancing self-determination in the performance of work, while providing better opportunities to match their skills with the demand for labour, given the potential decoupling of labour supply from any physical or geographical boundary. Furthermore, it entails significant potential for job creation insofar as it can lead to an increase in productivity and the development of a production system based on innovation, possibly linked to the reshoring of previously outsourced operations and the reconfiguration of business models (āselling light not light bulbsā).
On the other hand, digitalisation gives rise to a challenge for the common theoretical concepts of employment relations as well as the material conditions of workers. From a labour market perspective, it entails the risks of obsolescence of jobs, especially low-skilled ones, and the de-skilling of workers as they are made more and more dependent on the input from highly sophisticated digital platforms and devices (āsmart factories for dumber workersā). The final outcome of those processes may be an increase in unemployment, segregation and inequality. From a management perspective, the use of digital devices requires new patterns of job design and job evaluation , capable of instantiating additional and invisible command-and-control features in working processes, allowing the continuous real-time monitoring and evaluation of worker performance. Another effect may be a trade-off between organisational flexibility and more intensive workloads, in both qualitative (e.g. degree of cognitive effort) and quantitative (working hours) terms. All of the above may lead to a deterioration of worker health and safety along with a heightened risk of work-related stress.
Given the intrinsic weakness of employees in terms of bargaining power in relation to the employer, evidently a set of adjustment measures should be put forward at different levels. In legislative terms, stronger and more fine-tuned employee protections, looking beyond the increasingly obsolete and rigid distinction between subordinate and self-employed workers, should be proposed. Corresponding adjustments are also necessary at the organisation and HR management level. Ideally, they should be in accordance with each other (i.e. fundamental labour law principles based on respect for human rights and dignity with economic efficiency and rationality standing at the core of the economic and organisational theory). In this regard, it seems particularly instructive to analyse existing best practices relating to the adaptation of employment provisions and organisational models to the challenges of digitalisation , tackling them in a broader comparative perspective. They range from judicial responses to cases relating to the employment status of Uber drivers in the US and the UK, to the legal regulation of specific issues prompted by digital work, such as the rethinking of restrictions on the online surveillance of employees and the recent regulation on āsmart workā in Italy , as well as the initiatives promoted by IG Metall in Germany .
In light of the problems outlined above, the crucial question remains how to protect the interests of all the stakeholders operating in the digital economy. Clearly, a set of innovative, integrated and far-sighted policies is needed. Of course, such policies should enhance, among other things, the role of social dialogue which in the sphere of employment relations remains a core instrument to ensure an appropriate balance of interests of the parties involved. In this regard, the key actors of industrial relations, first of all trade unions, should rethink their respective roles in the context of the digital economy in order to be able to mitigate inevitable conflicts and, at the same time, gain additional advantages afforded by Industry 4.0. This requires all the actors involved to become more flexible, more open to innovation and change and āsmarterā.
Against this backdrop, there is an increasing need to establish a more integrated and shared framework of knowledge on work digitalisation , build a taxonomy of the phenomena under investigation, examine their impact, delineate future perspectives and put forward a comprehensive set of original proposals. Given the complexity and rapid evolution of the phenomenon of digitalisation , more research is needed and undoubtedly an interdisciplinary approach should be increasingly privileged in future research projects. This should allow stakeholders to anticipate and react in a timely manner to the impact of digital transformation of various aspects of employment relations.
The papers in this book attempt to take an initial step in the direction of a more comprehensive in-depth understanding of the challenges entailed in the digital transformation of employment relations, whereas the last chapter outlines a scenario for the next stage of interdisciplinary research in this field.
The first part of the book attempts to outline a comprehensive picture of the issues of interest for the three disciplinary fields that are included in the project.
The paper by Edoardo Ales aims at illustrating, from a labour law perspective, the impact that digital transformation and digitalisation are having on the workplace and the work relationship. āDematerialisationā, āprivatisationā, āadjustment ā and āenrichment ā are among the keywords that, in the authorās opinion, best describe the ongoing innovations and the challenges they entail for labour law. Risks and opportunities in the transition from the traditional to the new patterns are examined, and the particular emphasis is on the health and safety of workers and the classification of the work relationship.
The paper by Tommaso Fabbri enriches the picture with a work organisation analysis. The first part provides a number of definitions, starting with the very concept of ādigital workā and a characterisation of the phenomena involved in the process of digitalisation of the employment relationship. In the second part, the author tests the main characteristics of the new employment patterns: the findings lead him to question some assumptions related to work performed in a digital environment, such as its smartness and healthfulness.
Finally, the contribution by Sergio Paba and Giovanni Solinas sheds light on the economic implications of the āFourth Industrial Revolutionā. They start by looking for an appropriate definition of the phenomenon. Then they discuss its impact on employment by reviewing the relevant literature and the industrial policies developed by governments to support the digital revolution. The authors advocate the implementation of new policies, designed for this new era of technological change (such as the provision of adequate protections and benefits for independent contractors, which should not adversely affect their independence and flexibility ), and argue that governments should refrain from reviving forms of protection and regulation designed for the past industrial age.
The second part is focused on the problems arising in the multifaceted and complex field of the gig economy . The contributions included in this part have a common legal background and address the crucial issues of remuneration, performance assessment and qualification of the work relationship.
The paper by Emanuele Menegatti starts from the argument that the application of a minimum wage to workers engaged by digital platforms co...