A new research project at the University of Stirling is exploring how new technologies including artificial intelligence are reshaping the world of work, with a focus on how employers use technology to track the efforts of their workforce.

The project, ‘Electronic performance monitoring and the future of fair work’, is funded by the Royal Society of Edinburgh and launched this month. The new study investigates some of the most recent developments in electronic performance monitoring and its potential impact on the future of work. There is also a focus on the Scottish context, where there have been efforts in recent years to realise the goal of ‘fair work’ through the Fair Work Convention.

Dr Tom Montgomery, a Lecturer in Work & Organisations at Stirling Business School and a researcher at the Centre for Research into Information, Surveillance and Privacy explained that:

'The world of work is being disrupted by new technologies, and this is having profound implications for employers and employees. However, there is a gap in our understanding of how these digital transformations present opportunities and challenges for generating and sustaining good quality employment, which has been a key goal for many organisations and policymakers’.

He added:

‘This new study will aim to fill this gap by producing new insights into the specific role of electronic performance monitoring in Scotland and the opportunities and challenges it presents for the fair work agenda’.

The research will involve interviews with key organisations across Scotland and will take place over the next year, with the findings to be produced in the Spring of 2026.

Further information about the Royal Society of Edinburgh can be found here.