Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are deployed for office and knowledge work in many different workplaces. Remote installations and systems are operated from multi-screen workstations in control rooms, and mobile display devices are used as assistance systems for employees in all kinds of (mobile) work situations and workplaces, for example in industrial production and logistics.

It’s all about the fit

The better the fit between a specific technology and a particular set of activities and a particular user group, the more likely it is to have a positive impact on safe and healthy work. In addition, the congruence between activities and technologies also influences their acceptance and how they are actually used.

Which technology attributes are perceived and exploited by employees is also influenced by their current environment as well as organisational and socio-cultural determinants. Therefore, we examine the effects of smart ICT on employees in the specific context of use, whether for service and knowledge work or across the industrial production and logistics sectors, allowing us to explore the “task-technology-environment fit”.

Building on this, we are developing guidance for the human-centred design of work with established and emerging ICTs.

Our Research

In addition to the ongoing research into traditional computer-based work, we are focusing in particular on research into human-technology interaction in the context of intelligent and mobile ICT. These facilitate and expand location-independent access to task-relevant information for professional activities. They are also important components of virtual teamwork.

Filtering and processing the large amount of information available can require increased effort. Context-sensitive provision of information, e.g., through augmented and virtual reality applications, offers opportunities for cognitive support. In this way, the complexity of information processing can be kept manageable for humans, situational awareness can be increased, and workload-optimised support of human work can be promoted.

Methodological approaches

Using a wide range of methods, including laboratory and field studies, case studies in companies, and evaluations of larger surveys such as "Digitalization and Changes in Employment in the World of Work", we investigate questions related to the following aspects of modern computer work:

• usability and interaction principles,
• context-sensitive information and assistance functions,
• mental load,
• effects on cognitive processing, for example attention, problem-solving, and decision-making,
• acceptance,
• and success factors for the introduction of ICTs.