“Digital Taylorism” for some, “digital self-determination” for others? Inequality in job autonomy across different task domains

Abstract

Abstract In interdisciplinary debates, it is often assumed that changes in job autonomy in the course of digitalisation will be similar for all employees, even across task domains. Some authors postulate the emergence of a “digital Taylorism”, while others suggest that the digital transformation enables more “digital self-determination”. Based on a large-scale survey of employees in Germany, this article quantitatively examines both assumptions, with a particular focus on possible differences across job tasks. The results point to a systematic inequality between the task domains considered: Knowledge-related tasks seem to be associated with increased “digital self-determination”, while the results for manufacturing and service tasks tend towards a pattern of “digital Taylorism”. Overall, the debate needs to go beyond discussing possible future scenarios and address the complex links between job quality, digital technologies and tasks that are already changing the world of work today.