A framework for research on the automation of work

Abstract

Most research on work automation has been conducted using a job-centered approach, which analyzes whether or not a job can be automated. However, this particular perspective can lead to incorrect conclusions. Research has also examined general work activities that do not accurately represent the tasks that workers do. This study proposes a framework for research on work automation that includes multiple scopes of analysis reflecting the scale of technology being analyzed (from technology in general to specific technologies) and the work descriptor being considered (the labor market, occupations, jobs, duties, or tasks). The scope of the analysis determines the type of effects on work and on workers that will be predicted and the relevance and reliability of these predictions. Based on the proposed framework, we assess the impact of technology on an important job in the hotel industry: chambermaids. Compared to other predictions, the results reflect that worker displacement is improbable in this case. In general, job automation is more likely to occur through a combination of partial job automation and work redesign rather than the replacement of entire jobs by technology.