Working with or against the machine? Optimizing human-robot collaboration in logistic warehouses
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Robots have entered our workplaces, and are there to stay! However, the fear that robotization will strip all motivating aspects of jobs or will lead to massive job loss is widespread. To make workers embrace rather than resist robots, it is important to pay attention to human factors in the implementation of advanced robotics in the workplace.
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The current project aims at finding an answer to the question how workers can maintain their well-being and a sense of meaning, and perform optimally in an increasingly robotized work-environment. Data will be collected among employees in robotized logistic warehouses from three different organizations.
Let's go to work! The role of job crafting in the process of finding a job
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Involuntary job loss has significant consequences for the economy, for organizations and for the unemployed themselves. In this project, we took an overarching approach, examining the role of crafting as a means to enhance well being and performance of both caseworkers and the unemployed themselves, all to serve the ultimate goal of enhancing reemployment chances. We focused on strategies that helped both groups to craft their job (search) through gaining more resources and more challenges and reducing demands.
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Results showed that both caseworkers and their unemployed customers can benefit from using similar, proactive crafting techniques. Caseworkers experience more meaning in work, feel more empowered, and are more engaged. The unemployed experience higher levels ofpsychological capital, motivation to undertake activities, and goal progression, which are also related to well being. Regarding performance, results show that via crafting caseworkers can enhance the provision of high quality services and the unemployed can enhance their job search behavior.
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