Engineering the revolution? Imagining the role of new digital technologies in infrastructure work futures

Bibliographic Data

ID11489396
AuthorsP Leonard (0000-0002-8112-0631, Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology University of Southampton Southampton UK, corresponding author), Roger Tyers (0000-0002-0187-0468, Department of Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology University of Southampton Southampton UK)
Year2023
Volume38
Issue2
Pages291-310
Publication date2023-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueNew Technology Work and Employment (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0268-1072 • E-ISSN: 1468-005X
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/ntwe.12226
OpenAlexW4200174324
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited27

Contemporary imaginations of the impact of new digital technologies (NDTS) are dominated by utopian visions of a ‘revolution’ in productivity and efficiency, contrasted with dystopian views of declines of work and human skills, and distrust of artificial intelligence's efficacy. This article explores imaginations of digital futures in the infrastructure sector through case study research of a global engineering organisation. Drawing on a practice approach, a typology is generated from interviews with engineers and managers to reveal that three broad imaginations compete within the organisation: technodeterminism; technoscepticism; and human‐centric, all with utopian and dystopian variants. Clear relationships exist between the diverse imaginary positions taken by employees with their different roles, biographies and levels of the organisational agency. Those with relatively higher levels of agency tended towards technocentric utopianism while those with lower levels of agency displayed a resolutely dystopian version. Conversely, while the outward‐facing image of the organisation promotes a utopian imagination of a technologically driven future, those with the very highest levels of the organisational agency remain technosceptic. This means that real change is slow. However, an encouraging manifesto for the future is suggested by those who are innovating NDTS to reimagine alternative infrastructure futures through improved human‐centric social outcomes

Business · Digital Revolution · Dystopia · Futures contract · Political science · Public relations · Social science · Sociology · Vision · Digital Economy and Work Transformation · Engineering · Information Systems Theories and Implementation · Law · Management and Organizational Studies

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