Between autonomy and surveillance – Employee-oriented use of People Analytics

In the research project “Between Autonomy and Surveillance” (ZAUber), we investigate the use of people analytics in practice.  People analytics is a data-driven management approach in which data about workers is systematically analysed to improve management decisions. In these analyses companies explore various issues, such as which areas of the company may face staff shortages due to the current shortage of skilled labour, how workforce planning and scheduling can be improved, or how to identify potential career and development paths by evaluating employees’ skill data. The project is funded by the Hans Böckler Foundation as part of the research network Digital Transformation. It is done in close cooperation with the FZI Research Centre for Information Technology.

Background of the project

Many managers hope to gain new insights into their company by analysing large amounts of data, and thus support strategic decisions or partially automate people activities. However, due to the sensitive nature of personnel data people analytics is controversial and can hardly be compared to business analytics approaches in other areas, such as purchasing or finance. Personnel data needs to be handled responsibly and therefore also places high demands on data protection. Especially when data is analysed on an individual level, i.e. when analyses are available about individuals rather than groups, they pose a high surveillance risk for employees. In addition, decisions made based on the analyses can have far-reaching consequences for employees and, in this respect, also raise questions of discrimination.

Research questions

People analytics places high demands on the stakeholders involved, such as management, employee representatives, data protection, and data analysts. Companies need to reconcile technical requirements and possibilities with the needs of those involved and the regulatory context. The granular functionalities of the applications ensure flexibility, but they also create complexity. Our research project focuses on the challenges and design possibilities for organisational actors that the applications provide in the area of tension between autonomy and surveillance. Specifically, we are investigating different use cases to determine whether and how they can be designed in an employee-centred way. The project addresses the following two research questions:

Which technical, individual, and organisational conditions promote or inhibit a use of people analytics that is oriented towards the well-being and self-determination of employees?

How – if at all – does the perception of the use of people analytics differ among employees affected by the analyses in the contexts of remote and onsite work?

Methodological approach

To answer our research questions, we draw on a multi-method approach that includes both qualitative and quantitative studies. A structured literature review, market survey, and qualitative stakeholder interviews form the basis of the project. Based on these findings, we conduct in-depth qualitative case studies on the use of people analytics in German companies. In addition, our partners at the FZI Research Centre for Information Technology conduct a theory-based quantitative survey and an experimental study that provide insights into the perception of privacy intrusions and trust-building features of people analytics. Workshops at the beginning and end of the project support our as-is analysis and the transfer of our findings into practice.

Media & Links

• People Analytics: Hype, Fear and Real Opportunities – blog post by Sonja Köhne and Georg von Richthofen
• re:publica: Every Break You Take, Every Click You Make– video by Sonja Köhne and Miriam Klöpper
• Research in focus: Digital future of the workplac

Duration: 01.04.22 – 30.09.2024

Sponsor: Hans Böckler Foundation