ETUI-ETUC conference 2016 Panel 8 Evangelia Demerouti

1. Human performance management group
Psychosocial risks
of future forms of work
Prof. Dr. Evangelia Demerouti

2. Outline
• Psycholosocial factors, wellbeing and optimal
functioning
• The context of digitalization and robotization
• Historical view and future outlook
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3. Unique work environment

4. Job demands
Work pressure
Emotional demands
Working times
Work-family
Role conflict

5. Job resources
Autonomy
Social support
Coaching
Developmental
possibilities
Skill variety

6. Workload
Emotional
Demands
Mental Demands
Physical
Demands
Autonomy
Social Support
Coaching
Feedback
Several Demands and Resources
Etc. Etc.

7. Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model
Job
Resources
Job
Demands
Diminished
Energy/
Health
Outcomes
Motivation
+
+
-
+
Demerouti, Bakker, Nachreiner & Schaufeli (2000, 2001)
Demerouti & Bakker (2011); Bakker & Demerouti (2014, 2016)

8. Optimal working conditions
BURNOUT
WORK
ENGAGEMENT
APATHY BOREDOM
LOW
HIGH
LOW
HIGH
JOB RESOURCES
JOBDEMANDS
Optimal
functioning
Innovation

9. Context of digitalization
& robotization

10. Changes due to
robotization
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(Brechemier et al., 2016)
Job Demands
Job Resources
+
+
-
+

11. Impact of robotization and digitalization
• Difficult to predict and differs per job and innovation.
• Different scenarios possible:
• business as usual (no changes)
• negative scenario (replacement of humans, alienation)
• positive scenario (paid free time)
• Critical is whether robots/ICT/data will be used as a
demand or a resource for the professionals
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12. Amigo and Sergio: demand or resource for a health
care professional?
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• active control or monitoring is responsibility/task of a
human operator
• scarce time of the professional can be used for contact
with patient
• professional can take over control over robot
• better decision-making based on information

13. Changes for employees over the years
• More flexible
• Ability to fulfill multiple roles
• Take care of their own education/training
• High on adaptivity
• Able to negotiate own employment conditions and job function
• Available around the clock
• Blurred work-private life
These changes will continue and expand
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14. Outlook to future

15. Changes in Job Demands and Job Resources
Higher job demands
• cognitive/mental demands
• workload
• role conflicts
• mismatch task-work design
• intrusions in private life
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16. Changes in Job Demands and Job Resources
• Higher job resources
• opportunities for development and learning
• (working time, location) flexibility (employee- or employer-led?)
• Lower job resources
• social support by supervisor, peers and organization
• Autonomy, feedback, skill variety, task significance/identity????
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17. What makes a job susceptible to automation?
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18. Suggestions for organizations
• Redesign the whole system (task, knowledge, organizational
structure, decision-making processes)
• Take experiences and requirements of users into
consideration in the design process
• Provide appropriate resources for the new demands
• Facilitate job crafting i.e. employee initiated adjustments in
job characteristics and technology to make them fit their
preferences and more meaningful
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19. Suggestions for policy makers and authorities
• safe working environment
• safe working hours (against overload and exploitation)
• sufficient income
• ensure further training
• ensure privacy
• protection of flexible/self-employment
• protect employee-led next to employer-led flexibility
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20. Conclusion
• Digitalization and robotization can contribute to stimulating
and ‘healthy’ jobs, if:
• they are designed to support work of humans
• humans are in control and can craft their use
• job resources are maximized and job demands are affordable
• the economic growth is shared among stakeholders, including
employees
• authorities protect employees and employment
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21. Contact: e.demerouti@tue.nl
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