Page 42 - focusUnimore_dicembre2022

Il progetto “Case studies of Automation in

Services” di Unimore, Sant’Anna e UNIBA per
il Joint Research Center della Commissione

Europea

The project ‘Case studies of Automation in Services’ of Unimore, Sant’Anna, and UNIBA for the Joint
Research Centre of the European Commission

On 29 November, the results of the multi-year research project ‘Case studies of Automation in Services’
were presented. The project was realised on behalf of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commis-
sion and carried out by a consortium of researchers from the Department of Communication and Economics
of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (in particular Prof. Matteo Rinaldini and Eleonora Costan-
tini), the University of Bari Aldo Moro and the Institute of Economics of the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna.
The research project aims to explore the technological complexity behind automation and in particular the
impacts on organisation, work quality and employment. Through a multiple case studies methodological
approach and more than 50 interviews with human resources managers, IT technicians, workers and trade
union delegates, the research reconstructed the main changes that have occurred in some major public and
private companies that have adopted technological artefacts capable of affecting organisation and work-
ing conditions. The analysis of the interviews and the data collected show that so far there is no process
of replacement of workers due to the adoption of automation technologies, while reconfigurations of tasks
and organisation are more widespread. The research also revealed great heterogeneity in the outcomes of
technological change on work organisation due largely to the type of product/service, the technological-
organisational capabilities of the company and the type of strategic orientation with respect to technology
adoption. These factors seem to largely affect also the drivers and the barriers of technologic adoption.

l 29 novembre scorso sono stati presen- nicazione ed Economia dell’Università di Modena
tati all’Università degli Studi Aldo Moro e Reggio Emilia (in particolare il Prof. Matteo Ri-
di Bari i risultati del progetto pluriennale naldini e la Dott.ssa Eleonora Costantini). Il proget-
di ricerca ‘Case studies of Automation in to di ricerca è stato realizzato per conto del Joint
IServices’ portato avanti da un consor- Research Center della Commissione Europea e
zio di ricercatrici e ricercatori del Dipartimento di risponde all’esigenza di esplorare la complessità
Scienze Politiche dell’Università degli studi di Bari tecnologica che sta alla base dell’automazione, e
Aldo Moro, dell’Istituto di Economia della Scuola in particolare, gli impatti su organizzazione, qua-
Superiore Sant’Anna e del Dipartimento di Comu- lità del lavoro e occupazione. La ricerca è stata

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