IT professionals across distinct evolving work contexts: a study of the challenges and tensions

信通技术部门劳动力市场的灵活性很普遍（Benner，2002）。结构性变化导致劳动力市场更加不安全，工作更加非正规化，这在一定程度上是由于众包作为一种替代就业形式而引发的（Bergvall-Kåreborn & Howcroft，2013：965）。在2008年经济衰退之后，再加上英国退欧后的投票，英国的全职就业人数下降了（Monaghan，2014; Elliott，2017）。在这种背景下，个人可能会发现自己陷入不稳定的就业形式，不一定是选择（帕金森，2017），由于金融化资本主义的动态，他们的处境可能会恶化（汤普森，2013）。事实上，公司内部的人可以感受到挑战和紧张局势（例如，Agboola和Salawu，2011年）。工会权力和联合监管的下降削弱了个人的力量（Daniels and French，2006）。特别是，“ICT工作通常被认为是高度个人主义的劳动，其典型特征是工会成员人数少”（Marks & Baldry，2009年，引自Marks等人，2017：2），群体工作者集体主义尤其黯淡（Felstiner，2011：152）。再加上缺乏法律的保护（工会大会，2008年），工人的境况显然更糟，目的是了解信通技术专业人员在不同和不断变化的工作环境中面临的劳动过程挑战和紧张关系。这些主题包括：控制制度、技能轨迹、权力关系、工作强化、新技术和现有技术的作用以及成本削减策略。众包工作是一个新的和研究不足的领域（Briken等人。然而，组织对它的使用似乎是相互关联的，形成了一个更广泛的叙述（例如Briken，et al. 2017：3），并形成了一个分散的就业结构的一部分（Greenbaum，1998：138）。在信通技术专业人员和管理人员不断变化的不同工作环境中，劳动过程中的挑战和紧张关系是什么？2.是否使用临时工和/或群众工作者，如果是，为什么？这在多大程度上以及如何影响雇员/工人和管理层的权力关系？3.信通技术专业雇员/工人如何在不断变化的不同工作环境中利用自主权、控制权、技能、自由裁量权和异议？4.由于新技术的出现，大型信通技术公司内部的控制制度发生了哪些变化？5.由于新技术，大型信通技术公司的技能和能力要求有何变化？这对权力关系有何影响？方法采用有目的抽样的研究中心和参与者（见Bryman和Bell，2015）。参与者将包括IT专业人员。初步研究将利用通过已建立的信息和通信技术公司获得的机会，了解它们可能使用外包的情况和原因。时间表：贡献、成果和传播这项研究将完善和发展现有的知识，了解信通技术专业人员在不同和不断变化的工作环境中面临的挑战和紧张关系。关于群众工作者，关于这种形式的工作组织，雇佣关系的实证研究很少，并且在一般的零工经济中几乎没有集体主义或抵抗的证据（Briken，等人。2017）。后者可能有助于说明本研究核心问题的一个副产品。总的来说，这个博士项目有可能对文献做出相当大的贡献。博士学位旨在与各种利益相关者（例如，EHRC，工会和人力资源部门）建立联系，以确保研究相关，并且可以发挥作用。除了博士论文外，该项目还将在研究期间制作一系列简报文件，会议论文以及高质量学术期刊的文章。

BackgroundLabour market flexibility in the ICT sector is prevalent (Benner, 2002). Structural changes have led to increased labour market insecurity and work casualization, triggered in part through crowdsourcing as an alternative form of employment (Bergvall-Kåreborn & Howcroft, 2013:965). Following the 2008 recession, and compounded by the post-Brexit vote, full-time employment has fallen in the UK (Monaghan, 2014; Elliott, 2017). Against this backdrop, individuals might find themselves falling into the precarious forms of employment, not necessarily by choice (Parkinson, 2017), with their situation potentially exacerbated due to the dynamics of financialised capitalism (Thompson, 2013). Indeed, people within the firm could perceive challenges and tensions (e.g. Agboola & Salawu, 2011). Individuals have been weakened by a decline in trade union power and joint regulation (Daniels and French, 2006). In particular, "ICT work is often cited as highly individualistic labour, typified by low levels of trade union membership" (Marks & Baldry, 2009 cited in Marks, et al. 2017:2), with crowd-worker collectivism especially bleak (Felstiner, 2011:152). Combined with a lack of legal protections (TUC, 2008), workers appear distinctly worse off.The aim is to understand the labour process challenges and tensions within and across the distinct and evolving work contexts of ICT professionals. The themes include: control regimes, skill trajectory, power relations, work intensification, the role of new and existing technologies and cost-cutting strategies. Crowd-working is a new and under-researched area (Briken, et al. 2017). However, its use by organisations appears to be interconnected into a wider narrative (e.g. Briken, et al. 2017:3) and forms just one part of a fragmented employment structure (Greenbaum,1998:138).Research questions1. What are the labour process challenges and tensions within the distinct evolving work contexts for ICT professionals and management?2. Are temporary and/or crowd-workers utilised, and if so, why? To what extent and how does this affect power relations for employees/workers and management?3. How do ICT professional employees/workers leverage autonomy, control, skill, discretion and dissent, within and across distinct evolving work contexts?4. How are control regimes changing within large ICT firms as a result of new technologies?5. How are skills and competency requirements in large ICT firms changing due to new technologies? How does this affect power relations?MethodsPurposive sampling of sites and participants will be adopted (see Bryman and Bell, 2015).Participants will comprise of IT professionals. The initial research will use access through established ICT firms to see what their use of outsourcing may be and why. Methodological triangulation, e.g. planning in participant observation will be considered later.Timescale:Contributions, outcomes and disseminationThis study will refine and develop the existing knowledge concerning the challenges and tensions across the distinct and evolving work contexts of ICT professionals. Concerning crowd-workers, there is little in the way of empirical studies on this form of work organisation, the employment relationship, and little evidence of collectivism or resistance within the gig economy in general (Briken, et al. 2017). The latter of which might work towards illustrating a by-product of this study's core question. Overall this PhD project has the potential to make a considerable contribution to the literature.The PhD aims to connect with a variety of stakeholders (e.g. the EHRC, trade unions and HR departments), in order to ensure that the research is relevant and that it can make a difference. In addition to the PhD thesis, the project will also produce a series of briefing papers over the duration of the study, conference papers, as well as articles for high quality academic journals.