International Labor Relations

The world of work is undergoing profound change. On the one hand, globalization processes have led to the rise of new industrial locations (the BRIC countries, the emerging economies, i.e. fast-growing emerging and developing countries) and to a change of the global footprint of companies. This is accompanied by significant changes in labor and employment conditions in traditional high-wage and in low-wage countries. On the other hand, technological upheavals are emerging, which are discussed under the terms digitalization of work and Industry 4.0. Cyber-physical systems and new robotics concepts are changing industrial and service work. The platform economy is calling into question previous concepts of business and employment relationships.

Against this background, the research focuses on the following questions:

• How is the division of labor between high-wage and low-wage locations in multinational companies and global value chains changing?
  
• What design options are being pursued in the development and implementation of new digital technologies in companies and industries?
  
• How do these changes affect working conditions, labor relations, and the design of human resources and production systems?
  What are the consequences for employment relationships and the quality of work?