International WORK2023 conference offered a wide variety of current topics and theme in the field of work and labor research. The “streams” and presentations around the main theme “Digital Capitalism: Peril and Possibilities” provided topical discussions on the themes including but not limited to gig work, remote work, climate change, learning, and digitalization and robotization of work.
PGL group presentations contributed to the theme “Hybrid work: A pathway to better working life”. Researchers Eija Lehtonen and Ilmari Puhakka introduced in their poster presentation the background, data, methods, and preliminary results of the HYBRIDI research project. The project focuses on the interaction situations in the work conducted in face-to-face, hybrid (some face-to-face, some online), and online settings. The multifaceted data collected in the project includes survey data, objective psychophysiological data (Electrodermal activity; EDA), interaction situation related experience sampling method (ESM) data, and interview data.
Ilmari Puhakka also presented more in-depth preliminary results regarding differences in emotional states, basic psychological need satisfaction, and physiological arousal between face-to-face, hybrid, and online group work situations. The results show that work interaction situations conducted in hybrid or fully online settings challenge the well-being and learning in expert work and for example have negative influence on the feeling of relatedness in the situations. Overall, more frequent remote working was associated with lower feeling of relatedness in work in general. In terms of emotions, deactivating emotions were more common in situations that had online participation (hybrid or fully online).
All in all, the conference was very rewarding and provided a comprehensive view on the current working life -related research both in international and Finnish scope.
Conference web pages: https://work2023.fi/