New technology and workers’ perceived impact on job quality: Does labor organization matter?
基于25个OECD国家数据，研究发现劳工组织程度越高，工人对技术变革带来的工作不安全感感知越低，但对技术改善工作质量的期望也越低。
There is an emerging literature focusing on the impact of technological change on work quality. This study contributes to the literature by examining (1) workers’ expectations regarding the effect of technological change on perceived job insecurity, as well as physical and psychological job demands, and (2) how these expectations are shaped by the degree of labor organization within countries. The article uses cross-national data for 25 OECD countries. It is found that labor organization decreases perceived levels of job insecurity related to technological change, but also lowers workers’ expectations of technology improving the quality of their work. These findings may indicate that in environments where technological change is less strongly moderated by organized labor, workers put greater emphasis on technology as a driver of (short-term) work changes. Alternatively, these findings may signal a lack of ‘worker power’ of organized labor to enforce technologies that improve the quality of employment.