Full article: Decent work and tourism workers in the age of intelligent automation and digital surveillance - 1 views
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two UN SDG8 recommendations for policy and action: ‘[a]dopt a human-centred approach to embracing new technologies’ and ‘[s]hape the impacts of digitalisation with public policies’ (UN, 2019United Nations (UN). (2019, July 10).
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Two aspects of surveillance capitalism hold explanatory power for understanding the potential direction of the worker condition and are drawn upon throughout this paper: first, worker freedom is replaced with digital monitoring, behavioural manipulation and other forms of worker performance management through instrumentarian power; and second, production mechanisms shift to create certainty of outcome through reducing (or replacing) worker autonomy (Zuboff, 2019Zuboff, S. (2019).
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where ‘[m]achine processes replace human relationships so that certainty can replace trust’.
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This lengthy article provides a grim outlook for the lowly skilled/paid worker in the workforce when technology has been applied to improve outcomes in management. The article insinuates that companies/employers benefit likely at the expense of employees who are affected by technological innovation. Three key points are emphasized in that surveillance capitalism, disruption innovation and techno-solutionism are behind the pushout of low-skilled workers. And companies are not providing a solution to improving a sustainable economy and sustainable workforce which are goals of the United Nations. However, the United Nation's goals are not keeping up with societal trends. Surveillance Capitalism can be construed as digital monitoring in the workplace. Used as a way to control and manipulate performance outcomes which may shift to automation if employees don't perform. Further disruption innovation is defined as a "disruptive product that has particular benefits that focus on the cheap and easy that have the power to overturn markets". This is seen with automating basic tasks in food service such as ordering. Finally, the use of technology as an excuse to "rationalize" cost-cutting/management changes is what is considered Techno-solutionism. This article highlights various technologies already in use in the industry, most with much success and a few that did not pan out. Trial and error, but at the cost of retaining employees.
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Tourism is paying a heavy price to accommodate a growing trend making "people" expendable. The competition isn't comparable and unless we change our processes and thinking in how we use technology more jobs will be gone. We can't be an all-knowing, 24/7 never tires robot. The industry is undermining the value of a person. Ridding themselves of them has larger implications for society and our future. Eventually, it could be us too. What value do we offer? And how do we enhance humans over technology?