CERIC seminar with Agnieszka Rydzik: (Dis)connective labour and the (re)shaping of human connection in service work

CERIC seminars are held in a hybrid format. They are open to all. If you haven't received a calendar invite, please email ceric@leeds.ac.uk

(Dis)connective labour and the (re)shaping of human connection in service work

This seminar explores the ways in which accelerated technological change is altering the nature of human connections at work, with profound implications for workers, workplace sociality and wider society. Drawing on findings from the first large-scale qualitative study to investigate the ways in which UK hospitality workplaces navigate technological transformation, the seminar theorises the impacts of technology-induced changes on interactive service work and workers’ lived experiences. Deploying Pugh’s concept of connective labour, it discusses the everyday frictions, the visible and invisible ways in which connective labour is eroding and becoming more constrained, and the disconnective practices underpinning the new normal in service encounters.

Dr Agnieszka Rydzik (arydzik@lincoln.ac.uk) is Associate Professor in Tourism and Work in the Lincoln Business School, University of Lincoln. Her research focuses on technological change, worker agency and the future of work. She has recently completed the BA Mid-Career Fellowship project on ‘Evolving worker agency in the increasingly automated and digitalised hospitality workplace’. Her research has been published in leading journals, including Work, Employment and Society (WES), Human Resource Management Journal, and Annals of Tourism Research. She is a member of the WES Editorial Board.