The Digitalization of the Knowledge Workplace - Implications to Manage Work in the Future

Köffer Sebastian

Abstract
How do you want to work in the future?

This question is as compelling and relevant as ever. The increasing importance of IT in all areas of life has reached the professional sphere. In recent years, new digital technologies and innovations have triggered vivid structural changes at the workplace. Many of these technologies have their origin in the consumer market, but now knowledge workers use them for professional purpose in the course of normal business. This significant technological trend has confronted organizations with challenges regarding information security, IT-supported processes, and employee productivity.

Against this background, the dissertation thesis develops a set of theoretical models, concepts, and relationships to describe the trends. These models have already guided other researchers in studying digital innovation at the workplace. Furthermore, the author compiles interesting results about developments at the digital workplace based on various empirical datasets. To this end, the work addresses several research gaps of our discipline, particularly with respect to the interplay between the private and the professional space of knowledge workers. Finally, the thesis derives a set of practical recommendations that make the thesis an interesting read for managers of knowledge workers.

The results of his work were primarily achieved in practice-oriented research projects funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The presented thesis provides valuable contributions to the information systems discipline as well as valuable insights for IT executives seeking to develop or evaluate strategies on digital workplace design and how knowledge workers work in the future.

Keywords
Digitalization; Knowledge Work; Workplace; Mobile Work; Consumerization