Call for Papers

Call for short papers (pdf)

Advances in technologies such as (generative) AI, intelligent (humanoid) robots, the metaverse, and neurotechnologies are profoundly reshaping work, organizations, and society (Orlikowski & Scott, 2023). Often described as “exponential technologies” due to their rapid growth along and beyond the lines of Moore’s Law, these digital and data-driven innovations are reconfiguring the practical, analytical, and spatial dimensions of work, moving beyond the traditional conception of exclusively human-centered environments. Will humans collaborate with robots as co-workers in the future? How will humans leverage machines to enhance analytical capabilities or alleviate physical strain? Most critically, how should the future of work be designed in a more-than-human society?
 
This sub-theme on the future of work involves examining how macro-level trends such as digitalization and globalization affect the quality and quantity of jobs (Flemming, 2018) and how these shifts, in turn, influence individuals (Pereira et al., 2023), organizations, and society (Renkema & Tursunbayeva, 2024). It is inherently multilevel, encompassing dimensions at the individual level (e.g., job quality, workplace), the organizational level (e.g., managerial dilemmas), and the societal level (e.g., employment types, social protection). It also reframes three interconnected organizational dimensions: The What, including the tasks employees perform and the degree of autonomy they have in deciding their execution; The Where, including the physical or virtual location of work; The When, including the timing and the pace of work (Minbaeva, 2020).
 
Exponential technologies are the primary drivers of these changes, impacting labor markets, societal values, and the nature of work itself. However, employment laws often lag behind these rapid advancements, leaving many workers, managed or monitored by these (ir)responsible technologies, vulnerable to exploitation and discrimination (Kelly-Lyth & Thomas, 2023). In response to these concerns, various institutional actors at national and international levels have introduced responsible AI or ethical AI guidelines. These normative frameworks aim to guide the development, deployment, and governance of AI to mitigate adverse societal effects (Jobin et al., 2019) and ensure the realization of a human-centered future of work. Given the rapid proliferation of exponential technologies within organizations, the accompanying transformation of work, and the ethical challenges they introduce, there is a pressing need to explore how a human-centered future of work can be realized in today’s more-than-human society (Tursunbayeva, 2024). This aligns with the vision set by the United Nations’ “Sustainable Development Goals” (SDGs) 3, 5, and 8, as well as the International Labour Organization’s international labour standards.
 
We invite multidisciplinary submissions exploring pathways to the human-centered future of work through the responsible use of exponential technologies in organizations. Contributions may include conceptual and empirical studies, reviews, or case studies. We welcome interdisciplinary, multi-level, and culture-sensitive perspectives that address current challenges, set research agendas, and offer actionable recommendations for sustainable and inclusive work environments.
 
This Call for Papers aims to generate insights guiding organizations and societies toward equitable practices in the era of exponential technologies. Topics of interest include but are not limited to:
 
Human-centered “Where” (space):

• The role of (ir)responsible exponential technologies in (re)defining workplace boundaries

• Designing inclusive and equitable work(places) for responsible human-machine collaboration

• Implications of spatial decentralization on organizational culture and employee well-being

• Strategies for managing distributed and virtual work

 
Human-centered “What” (work/tasks):

• Redefining tasks and roles between humans and machines

• Emerging skill requirements for jobs shaped by exponential technologies

• Augmentation of human capabilities with responsible exponential technologies

• Implications of (ir)responsible technologies for professions and their identities

• Ethical dilemmas in “outsourcing” decision-making and tasks to algorithms

 
Human-centered “When” (time):

• Exponential technologies and emerging forms of flexible and personalized work arrangements

• Responsible AI to anticipate and mitigate (future) work surveillance and monitoring, ensuring human-centered work(places)

• Temporal implications of (ir)responsible exponential technologies on work rhythms, productivity, and human-machine synchronization

• Forecasting (re)skilling needs in the evolving work(place)

References

• Fleming, P. (2019): “Robots and Organization Studies: Why Robots Might Not Want to Steal Your Job.” Organization Studies, 40 (1), 23–38.

• Jobin, A., Ienca, M., & Vayena, E. (2019): “The global landscape of AI ethics guidelines.” Nature Machine Intelligence, 1 (9), 389–399.

• Kelly-Lyth, A., & Thomas, A. (2023): “Algorithmic management: Assessing the impacts of AI at work.” European Labour Law Journal, 14 (2), 230–252.

• Minbaeva, D. (2021): “Disrupted HR?” Human Resource Management Review, 31 (4), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2020.100820.

• Orlikowski, W.J., & Scott, S.V. (2023): “The Digital Undertow and Institutional Displacement: A Sociomaterial Approach.” Organization Theory, 4 (2), https://doi.org/10.1177/26317877231180898.

• Pereira, V., Hadjielias, E., Christofi, M., & Vrontis, D. (2023): “A systematic literature review on the impact of artificial intelligence on workplace outcomes: A multi-process perspective.” Human Resource Management Review, 33 (1), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2021.100857.

• Renkema, M., & Tursunbayeva, A. (2024): “The future of work of academics in the age of Artificial Intelligence: State-of-the-art and a research roadmap.” Futures, 163, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2024.103453.

• Tursunbayeva, A. (2025): Augmenting Human Resource Management with Artificial Intelligence. Towards an Inclusive, Sustainable, and Responsible Future. Cham: Springer.