scholarly journals Control on the ‘Boundary-Work’ in Work-Life Articulation for Flexible Knowledge Workers. Insights into Gender Asymmetries

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 107
Author(s):  
Anna Carreri
Keyword(s):  
Service Sector ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Knowledge Workers ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Subjective Experiences ◽  
Interdisciplinary Field ◽  
Job Flexibility ◽  
Temporal Dimensions ◽  
Analytical Tools ◽  
Reproductive Processes

In the sociological literature, several studies have shown that the economic and organizational changes of the last decade, including the growth of the service sector and the diffusion of new technologies, have altered the productive and reproductive processes as well as their spatial and temporal dimensions typical of Fordism. In order to shed light on how knowledge workers facing job flexibility and insecurity position themselves with respect to the practices of (de)constructing the boundaries between productive and reproductive domains, specific analytical tools were applied, originating from the interdisciplinary field of boundary-studies, within a perspective focused on gender differences and the subjective experiences of time. With this approach, a discourse analysis was conducted on 37 qualitative interviews with knowledge workers who handle job flexibility and insecurity and who have care responsibilities to uphold at home. The results show that the permeability and flexibility of new (re)productive practices, often presented in neoliberal economy as new opportunities for knowledge workers, especially if they are female, are experienced differently by men and women: for men they represent a new control source, whereas for women they constitute a fictitious, if not constricting, process.

scholarly journals Pleasure and time in senior dance: bringing temporality into focus in the field of ageing

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Clary Krekula
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Leisure Activity ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Embodied Experience ◽  
Subjective Experiences ◽  
Temporal Aspects ◽  
Physical Elements ◽  
Temporal Dimensions ◽  
Shed Light

Abstract Population ageing and discourses on healthy ageing have led to a growing interest in social dancing for seniors. While senior dance has been described as both common and contributing to good health, the fundamental connection between bodily and temporal dimensions has been fairly neglected. As a result, there is a risk of portraying dance among older adults as a general practice, while at the same time the senior dance's potential to shed light on relations between temporality and ageing is not utilised. Based on qualitative interviews with 25 women and eight men, aged 52–81, in Sweden, whose main leisure activity was dancing, this article sheds light on this knowledge gap by illustrating the pleasurable experiences of senior dance. The results illustrate that the pleasurable experiences of dancing can be understood as three different experiences of temporality: embodied experience of extended present, an interaction with synchronised transcending subjectivities and age identities with unbroken temporality. The results also highlight the central role that temporal aspects play in processes around subjectivities in later life, as well as the close connection between ageing embodiment and temporality. They also illustrate the ability of dance to create wellbeing, not only through its physical elements, but also through the sociality that constitutes the core of dancing. In light of these results, the article argues that the temporal processes relate to individuals’ diverse relationship with the world and that they therefore play a central role in subjective experiences of ageing.

When Knowledge Work and Analytical Technologies Collide: The Practices and Consequences of Black Boxing Algorithmic Technologies

2021 ◽  
pp. 000183922110167
Author(s):  
Callen Anthony
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Workers ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Knowledge Work ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Process Data ◽  
Investment Bank ◽  
Career Trajectories ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Analytical Tools

Analytical technologies that structure and process data hold great promise for organizations but also may pose fundamental challenges for how knowledge workers accomplish tasks. Knowledge workers are generally considered experts who develop deep understanding of their tools, but recent observations suggest that in some situations, they may black box their analytical technologies, meaning they trust their tools without understanding how they work. I conducted a two-year inductive ethnographic study of the use of analytical technologies across four groups in an investment bank and found two distinct paths that these groups used to validate financial analyses through what I call “validating practices”: actions that confirm whether a produced analysis is trustworthy. Surprisingly, engaging in these practices does not necessarily equate to understanding the calculations performed by the technologies. In one path, validating practices are partitioned across junior and senior roles: junior bankers engage in assembling tasks and use the analytical tools to perform analysis, while only senior bankers interpret the analysis. In the other path, junior and senior members engage in co-construction: junior bankers do both assembling and interpreting tasks, and senior bankers engage in interpreting and provide feedback on junior bankers’ reasoning and choices. Both junior and senior bankers in the partitioning groups routinely black boxed the algorithms embedded in their technologies, taking them for granted without understanding them. By contrast, bankers in the co-construction groups were conscious of the algorithms and understood their potential impact. I found that black boxing influenced the knowledge outputs of these bankers and constrained the development of junior members’ expertise, with consequences for their career trajectories.

Digital Transformation of the Service Sector

2021 ◽  
pp. 41-54
Author(s):  
D. Shevchenko ◽  
V. Mihaylov
Keyword(s):  
Business Model ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Services Sector ◽  
Remote Maintenance ◽  
New Business ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Cloud Technologies

The article is devoted to the problems of digital transformation of companies in the service sector. The article describes the concepts of "digitization", "digitalization", "digital transformation", "automation". The analysis of the main sectors of the public services sector, the processes of transformation into a new business model of their development is carried out. Specific examples show the role of digital technologies implemented by individual companies, the leaders of their industry: "Internet of Things" (IoT); virtual diagnostics of the service; mobile applications and portals; artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI / ML); remote maintenance; UX design; virtual reality; cloud technologies; online services and others. The authors proceed from understanding the difference between automation and digitalization, the strategic goal of which is to create a new digital business model that creates new value. The result of digital transformation is the reconfiguration of processes that change the business logic of the company and the process of creating value. The article concludes that the rapid development of new technologies leads to the fact that companies face not only a dilemma when choosing the most suitable technologies for investment, but also the problem of staffing and finding an adequate organizational structure to create and maintain a new business model of the company.

scholarly journals THE NEED FOR INFORMATION AND THE ATTITUDE TOWARDS DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES AS FACTORS OF CRITICAL AND UNCRITICAL DISSEMINATION OF PANDEMIC NEWS

2021 ◽  
pp. 170-195
Author(s):  
Elena I. Rasskazova ◽  
Galina V. Soldatova ◽  
Yulia Y. Neyaskina ◽  
Olga S. Shiriaeva
Keyword(s):  
Subjective Experience ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Modern Society ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Subjective Experiences ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Digital World ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Relationship

Relevance. The modern society creates the image of a successful person as actively interacting with different information flows, including an impressive stream of news content. This paper assumes that there is a personal need for tracking and spreading news that develops in the interaction between person and digital world. The individual level of this need could explain the interaction with information (its critical and uncritical dissemination) and the subjective experience of its redundancy and inaccuracy, including those experiences and actions in a pandemic situation. The aim of the study was to reveal the relationship of the subjective need for news with personal values, beliefs about technologies (“technophilia”) and the dissemination of news about the pandemic. Method. 270 people (aged 18 to 61) filled out The short (Schwartz) Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ), Beliefs about New Technologies Questionnaire, Monitoring of Information about Coronavirus Scale as well as items on the subjective need for receiving and disseminating news, readiness for critical and non-critical dissemination of news about pandemics, subjective experiences of redundancy and distrust of pandemic-related information. Results. According to the results, the Need for News Scale allows assessing the subjective importance of receiving news and discussing them with other people and is characterized by sufficient consistency and factor validity. The need for regular news is more pronounced among men, older people, people with higher education, married people, people who have children, while the need to discuss news is not related to sociodemographic factors. For people, who are more prone to technophilia, it is more important to regularly receive and discuss news information with others, which, in turn, mediates the relationship between technophilia and monitoring news about coronavirus. The need for news dissemination mediates the relationship between technophilia and readiness for critical and non-critical dissemination of information about the pandemic.

scholarly journals Gendered Experiences of Appearance-related Perks and Penalties in Finnish Labor Markets

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iida Kukkonen ◽  
Outi Sarpila
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Labor Markets ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Multinomial Regression ◽  
Subjective Experiences ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
The Feminine ◽  
Labor Market Success ◽  
Research Gap ◽  
Nationally Representative

Physical appearance is generally associated with considerable labor-market sanctions, and appearances are thought to be of particular importance in the feminine service sector. However, little is known about workers’ experiences of appearance-based perks and penalties in Nordic labor markets. Drawing on literature on aesthetic capital and labor, this study aims to fill this research gap. The study uses a nationally representative survey (N = 1600) fielded in Finland and multinomial regression to determine whether subjective experiences of appearance-related perks and penalties are gendered, dependent on the field of work or daily work on appearances. Our main finding is that while both men and women experience looks-based perks and penalties, men are more likely to have experienced appearance having a say in salary negotiations. Our results shed light on the gendered logics of aesthetic capital and labor, and question economic understandings of beauty work as a pathway to labor market success for women

scholarly journals Archaeometry’s Role in Cultural Heritage Sustainability and Development

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1972 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ioannis Liritzis ◽  
Elena Korka
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Significant Information ◽  
Academic Field ◽  
The Past ◽  
Interdisciplinary Field ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Archaeological Materials ◽  
Cultural Legacies

The interdisciplinary field of archaeometry covers a wide range of subject categories and disciplines in relation to science and humanities. It is a well-established academic field of study and accredited part of higher education. Since its inception, the nomenclature designation of archaeometry signifies the appropriate methodology applied to archaeological materials and questions emerging from this field, regarding monuments, artifacts, and the reconstruction and management of landscape bearing cultural assets. The measurements of tangible culture denote significant information, such as chronology, authenticity, technology, characterization, provenance, discovering buried antiquities, ancient-day life activities, and three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions and modelling; furthermore, proxy data collected from environmental dynamic non-liner perturbations, which link local ecosystems with dwellings, are gathered by academia to study the past. The traditional rooting signifies the cultural legacies of people, which define the human desire and the confidence of memory and future trends. Beyond the mere study of the past, archaeometry’s role increasingly proves affinity to prosperity, if properly managed. The major archaeometrical contributions in cultural heritage and archaeology in general are reviewed herein, and we present the policies that could develop archaeometrical data into a sustainable stage of local, regional, and national economic development. Τhe United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) conventions for the documentation and protection of cultural heritage via new technologies and archaeometry are reviewed and connected to development strategies and sustainable development goals.

Big Data and Big Data Analytics

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Sam Goundar ◽  
Akashdeep Bhardwaj ◽  
Shavindar Singh ◽  
Mandeep Singh ◽  
Gururaj H. L.
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Data Analytics ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Big Data Analytics ◽  
Small Island ◽  
Island State ◽  
Diverse Data ◽  
Analytical Tools ◽  
Small Island State

Big data is emerging, and the latest developments in technology have spawned enormous amounts of data. The traditional databases lack the capabilities to handle this diverse data and thus has led to the employment of new technologies, methods, and tools. This research discusses big data, the available big data analytical tools, the need to use big data analytics with its benefits and challenges. Through a research drawing on survey questionnaires, observation of the business processes, interviews and secondary research methods, the organizations, and companies in a small island state are identified to survey which of them use analytical tools to handle big data and the benefits it proposes to these businesses. Organizations and companies that do not use these tools were also surveyed and reasons were outlined as to why these organizations hesitate to utilize such tools.

scholarly journals Mighty Mites

2005 ◽  
Vol 127 (09) ◽  
pp. 34-37
Author(s):  
Don W. Dareing ◽  
Thomas Thundat
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
New Materials ◽  
Performance Predictions ◽  
The 19Th Century ◽  
Analytical Tools ◽  
Reliability And Availability

This article reviews that the future belongs to machines built at molecular scales—if the tools to engineer them. Just as the steam engine sparked the industrial revolution of the 19th century, nanotechnology will likely ignite a new industrial revolution during the 21st century. Nanotechnology has the potential to impact all industries; the health care and computer industries are already capitalizing on it. New materials are being created that will affect everything from aerospace and energy to recreation and entertainment. Science is uncovering new technology almost daily, which will have a great impact on many aspects of society. These technologies are at various stages of development, but in the end, each spin-off product must withstand the test in the marketplace. The evaluation of each product will still be based on the same set of metrics as other products: performance, cost, risk or reliability, and availability. To satisfy these metrics, engineers will need analytical tools to make performance predictions, establish production costs and lifecycle economics, quantify the risk associated with new technologies, and satisfy a dynamic market.

Instilling affective commitment: insights on what makes knowledge workers want to stay

2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 266-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharmila Jayasingam ◽  
Muhiniswari Govindasamy ◽  
Sharan Kaur Garib Singh
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Affective Commitment ◽  
Knowledge Workers ◽  
Knowledge Worker ◽  
Knowledge Retention ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – This study aims to examine factors that may influence affective organizational commitment among knowledge workers. The five final factors considered in this study include knowledge-sharing culture, autonomy, workplace value identity, promotion practices and, finally, management support. Gender was included as the moderator for the aforementioned relationships. Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 522 knowledge workers from manufacturing, retail and service sector anonymously completed a structured questionnaire that included measures of the variables of this study. Hierarchical regression was used to test the hypotheses. Findings – The findings provide evidence on the possible factors that organizations need to focus on and improvise to ensure the “want to remain in the organization” sentiment is enhanced among knowledge workers. Workplace value identity and knowledge-sharing culture were identified as the pertinent factors in influencing affective commitment. Gender was found to moderate the relationship between unfair promotion practice, knowledge-sharing culture and affective commitment. Research limitations/implications – One obvious limitation is that the sample of this study is sourced from a pool of knowledge workers. This limits our ability to conduct a comparative analysis with non-knowledge workers. Hence, future research could expand the model of this study to compare these relationships among knowledge and non-knowledge worker. Practical implications – Understanding the impact of these factors in a knowledge-based context helps firms prioritize and focus on important factors that can improve the level of affective commitment among knowledge workers. Doing so facilitates knowledge retention and prevents loss of knowledge. Originality/value – From a knowledge-based view, this paper identified factors that play an important role in retaining knowledge workers through enhanced affective commitment. With the changing workforce, the findings of this study show how knowledge-sharing culture and achievement orientation dominate affective commitment in a knowledge-based context.

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