How emergent technologies shape the future

Abstract

This prologue to the European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology special issue on emerging technologies at work starts with a brief overview of the eight articles that are included. Next, five key insights for research on emerging technologies at work are discussed. First, when studing emerging technologies at work, better use of already existing theoretical knowledge in work and organizational psychology should be made. Second, work and organizational psychology knowledge should be integrated with that of adjacent disciplines that are also involved in research on emerging technologies at work, to obtain a holistic picture.Third, research should take the diversity of roles and functions that emerging technologies can take on in the workplace into account. Fourth, to study the complex and dynamic mechanisms shaping the collaboration between humans and emerging technologies, a multilevel perspective is warranted. Finally, research should comprise the full life cycle of emerging technologies at work, from their initial conception to their use. With this special issue, we aim to offer a meaningful contribution to the further development of research on emerging technologies at work.