Houte, Arthur van (2025) Digital Control and Labor Flexibility: Are Firms Taking the Low Road? Bachelor thesis, Sociology.
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Abstract
Historically, technological innovation has gone hand in hand with changes in the nature of work. During the industrial revolution the technology of mass production led to professions being reduced to assembly line work done by expendable workers. It is possible that present day digitalization is bringing about similar changes. This research focusses on the aspect of work tempo monitoring technology and whether usage of it by firms leads to more flexible labor relations. Differences of this effect between sectors are also examined. Building on theoretical concepts like lean management and the flexible firm this study argues that the use of this technology and the use of flexible contracts are compatible strategies. Drawing on data from the 2019 European Company Survey (ECS) this study analyses the strategies of firms in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany by means of logistical regression. The results indicate no significant relationship between the degree of digital tempo monitoring and the proportion of flexible contracts, nor any statistically strong variation across sectors. However, firms in the construction sector show a slight positive trend, suggesting possible sector-specific effects that merit further investigation. These findings suggest that work tempo monitoring technology are not systematically linked to labor flexibilization. However, it is possible that this may be the case in the future, as few firms have yet adopted said technology. It is recommended that future research should focus on specific sectors or strictly on firms where technology which monitors work tempo is applied. As digital technologies continue to spread and evolve, ongoing research is necessary to monitor their long-term impact on employment relation and job quality across sectors.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Bachelor) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Been, W.M. and Siwa, J.A. |
| Degree programme: | Sociology |
| Differentiation route: | None [Bachelor Sociology] |
| Date Deposited: | 02 Jul 2025 07:49 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Jul 2025 07:49 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/5206 |
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