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The impact of digitalization on frontline employees’ knowledge work – a literature review
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Date
2024
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European Society for Socially Embedded Technologies (EUSSET)
Abstract
Information and Communication Technologies are transforming the public sector, e.g. in the form of self-service solutions, automated decision-making, and case management systems. These technologies change the work practices of frontline employees (FLE) who we conceptualize as knowledge workers as they produce, access, and document knowledge with the aim to make decisions. We analyze how technologies are affecting FLEs by investigating how their roles and work-practices change in real-world settings. The research question “How do ICTs affect knowledge workers roles and work practices in digital public encounters?” is addressed through a systematic literature review of qualitative studies. The main findings are (1) mainly three types of technologies affect FLEs’ role and the knowledge required for their work, i.e., self-service, automated decision-making, and case management systems, (2) ICTs affect different aspects of knowledge work, (3) FLEs develop strategies to satisfy systems requirements and apply tacit knowledge as discretion to remain in their role as policy maker. We further discuss our findings and its implications for the CSCW community.