Chair of Sociology

Research Focus

The fields of research of the Chair of Sociology at the University of Hohenheim lie in interdisciplinary, basic and practice-oriented research on the transformation of work, new working relationships and changes in the course of technologization processes at individual, organizational and inter-company level. Research in these areas is carried out in collaboration with national and international academic partners and in cooperation with various organizations. The research is supported by various funding bodies such as the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS). Four key areas can be identified:

Digital technologies have become an integral part of modern work, leading to significant changes in working conditions (Work 4.0) and work culture (New Work).

The ongoing structural changes have resulted in new job profiles, work content, forms of work, and qualification requirements. Employees are expected to continuously learn and upskill as part of their work (lifelong learning).

With these changes, employees have also developed new expectations of their work, including a sense of purpose and meaning, spatial and temporal flexibility, and opportunities for co-design and participation in decision-making.

This field deals with the organization of (digital) work and the emergence of new business models during the digital transformation. The flexibilization of work in terms of time and space has resulted in new work requirements. There is a need for creating self-organizing opportunities and allowing autonomy of action.

In this context, cooperatives are becoming popular again, as they allow organizational members to participate in decision-making based on democratic principles.

The use of digital technologies has also resulted in new organizational models such as platform organizations. These organizations are controlled by algorithms, and they are changing the working relationships of crowd and gig workers. Such organizations are fundamentally changing the work organization and processes.

The research focus lies on digitalization, which refers to the use of digital technologies considering socio-technical processes in social contexts, leading to significant changes in work dynamics and organizational structures.

This field primarily deals with exploring the effects of digitalized work on employees. It analyzes how workers collaborate in teams and leadership relationships and how they design interactions with new technologies. It also endeavors to design digital work environments that are participatory, motivating, and healthy, with human-centered approaches.

The use of autonomous digital systems such as artificial intelligence in work contexts raises questions about human-technology interaction, collaboration, and the responsibility of workers. These questions have implications for the meaningfulness of work and require further research.

Sustainability of work relationships refers to the responsible, careful, and long-term use of resources in a manner that is both ecologically and socially sustainable. A sustainable organization of work involves creating health-promoting and motivating working conditions.

Sustainable work relationships are based on employee expectations to facilitate supportive, motivating, and mutually complementary cooperation.

In the context of the twin transformation, it is important to determine how sustainability and digital transformation can interact and complement each other. Furthermore, it is of interest to explore how new technologies can promote sustainable practices.