Augmenting autonomy: ‘New Collar’ labor and the future of tech work

Author(s):  
Christopher M Cox

This essay maps IBM’s attempts to construct a typology of high-tech ‘New Collar’ work and leverage policymaking outcomes to underwrite IBM corporate ventures capable of materializing this work. Through a discursive analysis of IBM corporate texts, webpages, and the 2017 New Collar Jobs Act, I argue for New Collar work to be understood through the lens of autonomy, as IBM recasts notions of ‘autonomous’ technology onto humans by downplaying dystopic associations of technological autonomy and transferring notions of autonomy to human workers. In doing so, I account for IBM’s use of ‘augmentation’ to situate human intelligence as the cognitive force uplifted by work performed with artificial intelligence. By pairing human augmentation with posthumanist conceptions of ‘distributed cognition’, IBM centers human intelligence through a redistributed cognition that reverses posthumanism’s decentering of human supremacy. Following from this, I unpack ‘New Collar’ as a reinvention of ‘white’ and ‘blue’ collar dichotomies and New Collar work as the grounds for tech workers to reinvent themselves. In this way, by minimizing the necessity of 4-year college degrees as pathways to economic and professional mobility, IBM constructs ‘New Collar’ with embedded notions of enlarged self-determination for applied worker intellect, vocational training, and employability. Under the aegis of creating, training, and employing New Collar workers, IBM pursues policy outcomes to underwrite corporate ventures related to New Collar work and bolster its institutional autonomy amidst marketplaces of cognitive capitalism. By outlining how tax relief provisions of the New Collar Jobs Act correlate with neoliberal ideologies of legislators and IBM investments in public–private vocational models and cybersecurity platforms, I account for IBM’s elongated ‘economy of learning’ that enables the company to more thoroughly capture, underwrite, and commodify New Collar cognition from training to market outputs.

Author(s):  
Min Xu ◽  
Suk Kim ◽  
Jeanne David

There have been three major tax cuts in the modern US history: 1) the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017; 2) the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001; and 3) the Economic Recovery Act of 1981. Each of the first two major tax cuts had increased the federal debt. Just about everybody agrees that US federal debt is on an unsustainable path. Can we afford another major tax cut without trigging a major economic disaster such as the Great Recession of 2007-2009? This article discusses an overview of this new law, the impact of the first two major tax cuts on the federal debt, the impact of the Tax Cuts and Job Acts on the US government debt, and its consequences.


Author(s):  
José Rafael Marques da Silva ◽  
Manuela Correia

This topic presents the macro-design of SPA that will surely appear in the coming years and also the future technological trends in SPA applied to viticulture and arable crops. A vision of the future of SPA is presented in three layers: i) human intelligence (related to soil, plants, climate, pests, diseases, environment, food production, fibre and energy) on top; ii) artificial intelligence (related to hardware, communications, data) in the middle; iii) and again human intelligence on the bottom (consumers, business models, transparency, food traceability). “Big Data” challenges are discussed regarding the specific needs of agriculture. The technological groups identified in a Foresight Analysis report are discussed and the future technological trends on arable crops and vineyards are presented. In this topic, materials include a slide presentation, a document text and the Foresight Analysis report.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gang Chen ◽  
Luke L. Mao ◽  
Nathan David Pifer ◽  
James J. Zhang

PurposeThis study investigated the effectiveness and applicability of China’s innovation-driven policies on encouraging sports firms to invest in research and development (R&D) activities.Design/methodology/approachThrough a series of multiple linear regression models, this study examined the direct and interaction effects of innovation-driven polices and firm characteristics on R&D investment for sport firms listed on the New Third Board in China.FindingsResults showed that financing constraints and certification as a high-tech enterprise were not themselves significant predictors of R&D investment; instead, the number of R&D staff and a firm's total assets were identified as key internal factors predicting the level of a firm's R&D investment. Other effective policy tools for stimulating Chinese sport firms' R&D investments included pre-tax deductions of R&D expenses, government R&D subsidies and income tax relief for high-tech enterprises, although their effects were heterogeneous.Research limitations/implicationsThis study observes a new theoretical discovery that when the financing constraints do not limit R&D investment, innovation-driven strategies remain effective tools to stimulate the R&D investment of sports firms.Practical implicationsThe findings provided practical guidance for both government–industry policymakers and sport business managers to prioritize the identified areas of significance when promoting R&D.Originality/valueFirst, this study focused on sport firms, which constitute a quickly growing industrial sector in China. The findings offered important insights for the government as well as corporate management with regard to promoting new industries and new enterprises. Second, this paper analyzed the effects of three special innovation-driven policies on R&D investment and explored enterprise innovation development in more detail. Third, this paper discussed not only the effects of innovation-driven policies on R&D investment but also the heterogeneity of their effects. The related conclusions could help improve the development, implementation and assessment of innovation-driven policies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 735-755 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gang Chen ◽  
John Breedlove

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the effect of innovation-driven polices on innovation efficiency of sport firms listed on the new Third Board in China.Design/methodology/approachFirm innovation efficiency, including comprehensive innovation efficiency, pure technical efficiency and scale innovation efficiency were calculated by using data envelopment analysis (DEA) models. The input variables and output variable in the DEA model were selected through correlation analysis. The effects of several innovation-driven policies on the innovation efficiency of sport firms were analyzed by a series of multiple regression analyses.FindingsRegarding the innovation efficiency evaluation of sport firms, total research and development (R&D) investment and total R&D staff are two suitable input variables, and total profit, sales revenue and new effective patent are three suitable output variables. Income tax relief for high-tech enterprise has a positive effect on comprehensive innovation efficiency and pure technical efficiency, and governmental subsidies have a negative effect on comprehensive innovation efficiency and pure technical efficiency. However, pretax deduction of R&D expenses does not have a significant effect on comprehensive innovation efficiency, pure technical efficiency and scale innovation efficiency, and income tax relief for high-tech enterprise and pretax deduction of R&D expenses also have no effect on scale innovation efficiency. For a large-scale sport firm, the negative effect of “governmental subsidies” and the positive effect of “income tax relief for high-tech enterprise” on its pure technical efficiency are more significant. For a sport firm with more R&D staff, governmental subsides and “income tax relief for high-tech enterprise” have more positive effect on its innovation efficiency.Practical implicationsThe study findings could potentially provide practical guidance to both managers and government-industry policymakers in the sports industry.Originality/valueFirstly, this paper focused on Chinese sport firms from a rising industry in a developing country (China). The related conclusions are conducive to the governmental management of new industries and the innovation management of new enterprises. Second, this paper analyzed the effect of three special innovation-driven policies on three types of innovation efficiency and explored enterprise innovation development in more detail. Third, this paper not only discusses the effect of innovation-driven policies on innovation efficiency, but also the heterogeneity of their effects.


2003 ◽  
Vol 29 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 269-299
Author(s):  
Janna C. Merrick

Main Street in Sarasota, Florida. A high-tech medical arts building rises from the east end, the county's historic three-story courthouse is two blocks to the west and sandwiched in between is the First Church of Christ, Scientist. A verse inscribed on the wall behind the pulpit of the church reads: “Divine Love Always Has Met and Always Will Meet Every Human Need.” This is the church where William and Christine Hermanson worshipped. It is just a few steps away from the courthouse where they were convicted of child abuse and third-degree murder for failing to provide conventional medical care for their seven-year-old daughter.This Article is about the intersection of “divine love” and “the best interests of the child.” It is about a pluralistic society where the dominant culture reveres medical science, but where a religious minority shuns and perhaps fears that same medical science. It is also about the struggle among different religious interests to define the legal rights of the citizenry.


2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 693-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Holyfield ◽  
Sydney Brooks ◽  
Allison Schluterman

Purpose Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is an intervention approach that can promote communication and language in children with multiple disabilities who are beginning communicators. While a wide range of AAC technologies are available, little is known about the comparative effects of specific technology options. Given that engagement can be low for beginning communicators with multiple disabilities, the current study provides initial information about the comparative effects of 2 AAC technology options—high-tech visual scene displays (VSDs) and low-tech isolated picture symbols—on engagement. Method Three elementary-age beginning communicators with multiple disabilities participated. The study used a single-subject, alternating treatment design with each technology serving as a condition. Participants interacted with their school speech-language pathologists using each of the 2 technologies across 5 sessions in a block randomized order. Results According to visual analysis and nonoverlap of all pairs calculations, all 3 participants demonstrated more engagement with the high-tech VSDs than the low-tech isolated picture symbols as measured by their seconds of gaze toward each technology option. Despite the difference in engagement observed, there was no clear difference across the 2 conditions in engagement toward the communication partner or use of the AAC. Conclusions Clinicians can consider measuring engagement when evaluating AAC technology options for children with multiple disabilities and should consider evaluating high-tech VSDs as 1 technology option for them. Future research must explore the extent to which differences in engagement to particular AAC technologies result in differences in communication and language learning over time as might be expected.


2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 106-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen N. Calculator

Purpose To provide an overview of communication characteristics exhibited by individuals with Angelman Syndrome (AS) and special considerations associated with the design and implementation of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) programs. Method Results of recent studies exploring individuals' uses of AAC are reviewed, with particular emphasis on factors related to individuals' acceptance and successful uses of AAC systems. Results Not applicable Conclusion Despite their inconsistent access to practices previously found to foster individuals' acceptance of AAC systems, individuals with AS demonstrate the ability to use AAC systems, including high-tech AAC devices, successfully.


2010 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-28
Author(s):  
Kathryn Wishart

Abstract Speech-language pathologists, working in a multicultural, community-based environment for young children with special needs in Vancouver, Canada, collected information on 84 clients using AAC from a chart review. The speech-language pathologists collected additional usage information and attended a group interview to discuss barriers and facilitators of AAC. Thirty-one percent of the children were using AAC. Children aged between 16 and 72 months typically relied on multiple modes of communication, including sign, communication boards and binders, and low- and high-tech communication devices. All of the children used at least one type of unaided mode. Fifty-five percent used pictures or communication boards/displays, and 29% used technology with speech output. Similarities in usage of AAC were noted in home and child-care settings with increased use of unaided in homes and a slightly increased use of aided communication in child care settings. Speech-language pathologists reported that the time needed for AAC intervention as well as limited funding for high-tech devices continue to be major barriers. Additional research is needed to describe current AAC practices with young children particularly from minority linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Stakeholder input is needed to explore perceptions of children's usage of AAC in daily life with familiar and unfamiliar communication partners.


2011 ◽  
Vol 44 (8) ◽  
pp. 62
Author(s):  
KERRI WACHTER
Keyword(s):  

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