Welcome to the website of the Work and Organisational Psychology group


The field of work and organisational psychology is part of the discipline of psychology and addresses psychological aspects of work and organisations. Led by Prof. Roman Prem, the group investigates, among others, the following issues:

  • What are new demands in our modern world of work?
  • What are the opportunities and challenges arising from flexible forms of work?
  • How do new forms of work (new office concepts, crowd work, etc.) affect employees?
  • How should new forms of work be organized?
  • What are the characteristics of a healthy workplace?
  • How can work become safer?
  • How does AI adoption shape and get shaped by creative autonomy and self-efficacy?

 

 

Current Topics

Flexible Working: Challenges and Opportunities

Digitization has been shaping the working world for some time now and has significantly contributed to the flexibility of work. Many tasks can be carried out from anywhere, thanks to digital media and technological advancements, and traditional "9 to 5" jobs are becoming less common. This increasing spatial and temporal flexibility is particularly popular among employees and offers opportunities for the well-being of workers and the balance between work and private life. However, it also brings unique challenges, such as fulfilling social needs and digital collaboration and communication. Our research aims to better understand the impacts of modern forms of work, identify opportunities and challenges, and develop guidelines for their successful implementation.

Modern Working Time Models: The 4-Day Week

For some time now, the 4-day week in its various forms (with and without reduced working hours, with and without salary compensation) has been a topic of discussion. While employees generally have a positive attitude towards the 4-day week, and proponents hope for positive effects on the satisfaction and well-being of workers, others doubt its feasibility. As work and organizational psychologists, we investigate the impact of altered working time structures on both individual well-being and employee motivation. We are particularly interested in understanding under what circumstances working time can be successfully reorganized and how organizations can optimally support their employees.

Digital competencies in the working world

Digital literacy and the digital divide are critical not just in education but also in the workplace. Insufficient digital skills can lead to reduced job opportunities, technological illiteracy, and financial/social risks like cyber fraud. Early acquisition of digital competencies is vital for apprentices, often overlooked in discussions. We focus on this group—future professionals—at risk of being on the wrong side of the digital divide, alongside their teachers.

The future of education and digitization are closely linked. Digitization is both the content (education for a digitized world) and the tool for continuous learning (education through digitized methods). This involves creating suitable learning opportunities and reevaluating educational goals and methods in the Austrian education system.

AI Adoption and Creative Autonomy in a Globalised World

A cornerstone of our research initiative is the exploration of how cultural orientation interplays with AI adoption, especially in the realms of creativity, self-efficacy, and autonomy. We are in the midst of a comprehensive study that seeks to understand not only the broad aspects of AI integration but also the nuances of AI-Enhanced Creative Self-Efficacy and the value individuals place on autonomy when interacting with AI technologies. Our aim is to decipher how these constructs, rooted in diverse cultural backgrounds, influence the collective confidence in harnessing AI's potential for innovative solutions. Preliminary insights from this endeavor have been presented at the annual “Marconi Institute for Creativity(MIC) Conference.”