Contested Transparency: Digital Monitoring Technologies and Worker Voice

46 Pages Posted: 11 Aug 2023

See all articles by Filippo Belloc

Filippo Belloc

University of Siena

Gabriel Burdin

University of Leeds - Faculty of Business; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Stefano Dughera

University of Torino

Fabio Landini

University of Parma

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Abstract

Advances in artificial intelligence and data analytics have notably expanded employers' monitoring and surveillance capabilities, facilitating the accurate observability of work effort. There is an ongoing debate among academics and policymakers about the productivity and broader welfare implications of digital monitoring (DM) technologies. In this context, many countries confer information, consultation and codetermination rights to employee representation (ER) bodies on matters related to the workplace governance of these technologies. Using a cross-sectional sample of more than 21000 European establishments, we document a positive association between ER and the utilization of DM technologies. We also find a positive effect of ER on DM utilization in the context of a local-randomization regression discontinuity analysis that exploits size-contingent policy rules governing the operation of ER bodies in Europe. Finally, in an exploratory analysis, we find a positive association between DM and process innovations, particularly in establishments where ER bodies are present and a large fraction of workers perform jobs that require finding solutions to unfamiliar problems. We interpret these findings through the lens of a labor discipline model in which the presence of ER bodies affect employer's decision to invest in DM technologies.

Keywords: digital-based monitoring, algorithmic management, HR analytics, transparency, innovation, worker voice, employee representation

JEL Classification: M5, J50, O32, O33

Suggested Citation

Belloc, Filippo and Burdin, Gabriel and Dughera, Stefano and Landini, Fabio, Contested Transparency: Digital Monitoring Technologies and Worker Voice. IZA Discussion Paper No. 16362, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4538026 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4538026

Filippo Belloc (Contact Author)

University of Siena ( email )

Via Banchi di Sotto, 55
Siena, 53100
Italy

Gabriel Burdin

University of Leeds - Faculty of Business ( email )

Leeds LS2 9JT
United Kingdom

IZA Institute of Labor Economics ( email )

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Stefano Dughera

University of Torino

Torino
Italy

Fabio Landini

University of Parma ( email )

Parma
Italy

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