B4.1
Tracks
Stream B
| Friday, October 30, 2026 |
| 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM |
Overview
Reconceptualising Work: A Sociotechnical Research Agenda from the ‘Quality Work in the Digital Age’ ARC-COE | 60 mins | Panel
Presenter
Associate Professor Catherine Collins
University of New South Wales
Reconceptualising Work: A Sociotechnical Research Agenda from the ‘Quality Work in the Digital Age’ ARC-COE
11:45 AM - 12:45 PMAbstract
Rapid advances in artificial intelligence and other digital technologies are reshaping work—transforming what work is done, how it is performed, where and when it occurs, and who performs it. Yet despite significant investment, over 70% of organisations report minimal productivity impact from AI (Ransbotham et al., 2019), often due to insufficient attention to how technologies integrate with existing work systems (Raji et al., 2022). Understanding and guiding these changes requires new approaches to designing sociotechnical systems that place human capabilities, wellbeing, and organisational effectiveness at the centre.
The Quality Work in the Digital Age (QWiDA) Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence brings together researchers from psychology, law, business, economics, education, computer science, information systems, and engineering to develop a new interdisciplinary research agenda on the future of work. Underpinning the Centre is a co-evolving sociotechnical systems perspective, which recognises that technology and work are mutually shaping—such that the design of one influences the other, and both evolve over time (Parker et al., 2025). The Centre is organised around three interconnected research streams. (1) Augmented Working examines how advanced technologies are transforming tasks, decision-making, and human–machine collaboration. (2) Networked Workplaces explores how work is coordinated across distributed human and technological systems operating across distance and time. (3) Future-Ready Workforce focuses on the skills, capabilities, and learning systems required to support workers as work continues to evolve. A Design in Action Hub will work with industry and government partners to co-develop and trial practical tools and methods grounded in the Centre's research.
The panel will bring together QWiDA researchers and the IO psychology community to explore how sociotechnical approaches can support the effective and responsible integration of digital technologies in workplaces. The session will begin with a structured 30-minute panel featuring five members of the QWiDA research team introducing the Centre's research agenda and sharing illustrative cases from partner organisations. This will be followed by a 30-minute moderated discussion between the panel and audience exploring the implications of these developments for research and practice in organisational psychology.
The Quality Work in the Digital Age (QWiDA) Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence brings together researchers from psychology, law, business, economics, education, computer science, information systems, and engineering to develop a new interdisciplinary research agenda on the future of work. Underpinning the Centre is a co-evolving sociotechnical systems perspective, which recognises that technology and work are mutually shaping—such that the design of one influences the other, and both evolve over time (Parker et al., 2025). The Centre is organised around three interconnected research streams. (1) Augmented Working examines how advanced technologies are transforming tasks, decision-making, and human–machine collaboration. (2) Networked Workplaces explores how work is coordinated across distributed human and technological systems operating across distance and time. (3) Future-Ready Workforce focuses on the skills, capabilities, and learning systems required to support workers as work continues to evolve. A Design in Action Hub will work with industry and government partners to co-develop and trial practical tools and methods grounded in the Centre's research.
The panel will bring together QWiDA researchers and the IO psychology community to explore how sociotechnical approaches can support the effective and responsible integration of digital technologies in workplaces. The session will begin with a structured 30-minute panel featuring five members of the QWiDA research team introducing the Centre's research agenda and sharing illustrative cases from partner organisations. This will be followed by a 30-minute moderated discussion between the panel and audience exploring the implications of these developments for research and practice in organisational psychology.
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All panellists are involved in the ARC COE ‘Quality Work in the Digital Age’ (QWiDA).
1. Andrew Neal, Professor of Organisational Psychology, University of Queensland. Deputy Director, involved in all research streams, and will discuss Research Stream 1 on ‘augmented working’.
2. Mark Griffin, Professor of Organisational Behaviour, Curtin University. Research Stream Leader 2 on ‘networked workplaces’; will discuss research stream 2.
3. Eva Kyndt, Professor of Management, Deakin University. Research Stream Leader 3 on the ‘future-ready workforce’; will discuss research stream 3.
4. Karina Jorritsma, Professor of Practice, Curtin University. Chief Investigator in the ‘Research in Action Hub’ which brings QWIDA scholars together to help address tangible work problems.
5. Catherine Collins, Associate Professor in Organisational Behaviour, UNSW. Chief Investigator in research stream 2; will share a case study for how QWiDA engages with partner organisations via ‘reverse pitches’.
Catherine Collins and Karina Jorritsma will co-chair the Panel Discussion.
