ITR/SOC: Survey on Information Technology, Job Skill Requirements, and Work Organization

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Researchers in many fields (sociology, economics, industrial relations, education, business management), business managers, and government policy-makers believe that computers are driving profound changes in the nature of work and organization, particularly in increased job skill requirements and new management practices, such as self-directed teams and employee involvement in decision-making. However, the lack of appropriate data has limited the progress of research in this area. This project is a two-wave panel survey of a nationally representative sample of employees (n=2,500) designed specifically to investigate the impact of information technology (IT) on job skill requirements and employee involvement (EI). The surveys will use detailed batteries of items to generate information on the level and trends of IT use, skill demands, and specific EI practices. Cross-sectional and fixed-effects multivariate regression analyses will investigate the direct impact of IT on skill demands and indirect impacts operating through participation in EI practices, as well as the impacts of IT, skills, and EI on other employee outcomes, such as wages, working conditions, and job satisfaction. In addition to filling these recognized gaps in existing knowledge, the survey will contribute new job and organizational measures for researchers and methods and results will be made available to those in government, business, labor, education, and human services who engage in policy and planning relating workplace changes.