Economic transformation and the world of work - A literature review.

A systematic literature review identifies and describes firm-level strategies for dealing with transformation processes and their implications for work and employment across five selected industries. The 67 company case studies included focus primarily on digitalization as a driver of transformation; larger firms covered by collective agreements are more likely to be examined. The studies focus on the design of technology and work organization, management and organizational control, training and continuing education, as well as the role of work councils and employee participation. Overall, the literature shows that change is mostly incremental and path-dependent. Whether jobs are upgraded and workers gain more autonomy depends on the extent to which employees and their representatives are involved in shaping the introduction of digital systems, how performance and process data are used, and whether dedicated training time is guaranteed.

DIFIS-Studie 2026/8 (in German)