How Does Informatization Transform Our Work?

In the past decades informatization has become a phenomenon of our everyday lives. The ubiquitous use of ICT is influencing our way of life, our social interactions and communications. In my presentation, I focus on working contexts. What I am particularly curious about is the work of 'digicom-workers'. These are people who deal with and communicate intensively with digital media in their work environment, e.g. software designers, communication consultants, entrepreneurs or even scientists. The smartphone, iPad and notebook are their virtual offices and their attendants throughout the day. Without digital media their work would often be bereft of purpose.

My paper is based on the preliminary results of my current empirical study titled 'Work in the Dynamics of Media, Time and Space'. The methodological source of my investigation lies in 20 qualitative interviews with digicom-workers in different working contexts as well as visualizations, carried out and then verbally commented by the workers after each interview.

In my paper I will first give an overview of the actual situation at work referring to concepts of virtual and informatized work. Then the term 'digicom-workers' will be explained, also by introducing some examples from my study. The main part deals with the socio-cultural implications of informatized work. The preliminary results of my study show that the use of ICT at work is transforming not only our working conditions and structures, it also influences our communications, our relationships and the relation between private and business spheres. These developments can be classified into three main categories: acceleration, flexibility and subjectification. Each of them have both positive and negative effects. In my paper I will explain these categories by using some examples from my study.
(By: Dr. Caroline Elisabeth Roth-Ebner: Assistant Professor, Department of Media and Communication Studies, Alpen-Adria University Klagenfurt)