Press release: Navigating the future of work
No. 105 - 25.06.2025
German Research Foundation (DFG) funds Scientific Network at the University of Göttingen
The future of work is the subject of a new international research network at the University of Göttingen. In cooperation with representatives from the University of Osnabrück, the network brings together 15 young researchers from various German and international universities. Over the next two years, they will be researching the changing dynamics of global virtual collaboration in the digital age. The German Research Foundation (DFG) is funding the scientific network "New Realities of Global Work: Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Integrative Approaches" with a total of around 35,000 euros.
As global organizations increasingly rely on digital communication to collaborate across national borders, traditional forms of global work, such as expatriation and international business travel, are being replaced by virtual and remote forms of work. Emerging digital technologies and global disruptions are changing our current understanding of global work. However, research on this topic remains fragmented across different management disciplines. “To address these challenges, we require an interdisciplinary and integrative management approach across disciplines that brings together the various aspects and perspectives of global virtual work,” says Dr. Tobias Blay from the University of Göttingen, who heads the network together with Dr Sofia Schöbel from the University of Osnabrück.
The network aims to combine insights from international management, information systems, and human resource management. Through regular exchanges and joint collaborations, the network fosters new ideas on one of the most pressing topics for modern organizations. Together, the network wants to tackle three major questions: What are the “global” facets of global virtual work? How do virtual tools change global work? And how is the meaning of “work” evolving in an increasingly digitalized global world? Researchers in the network benefit from guest lectures, working groups and the possibility of joint publications. "This is not only an opportunity to shape international research, but also to support and empower a new generation of scholars to address the pressing challenges of a modern workforce," says Blay.
Contact:
Dr Tobias Blay
University of Göttingen
Faculty of Business and Economics
Chair of Human Resources Management and Asian Business
Phone: +49 551 39-26167
Email: tobias.blay@uni-goettingen.de
Internet: www.tobiasblay.com