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New Technologies, Transformation of Labour Process, and Future of Work in the Global South: An Overview

Author

Listed:
  • Uma Rani

    (International Labour Office)

  • Ravi Srivastava

    (Institute for Human Development)

  • Imraan Valodia

    (Southern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS), University of the Witwatersrand)

  • Ruth Castel-Branco

    (Southern Centre for Inequality Studies (SCIS), University of the Witwatersrand)

Abstract

This article provides an overview of the multifaceted impact of digital technologies on the future of work, particularly in the Global South. It highlights the potential for technological advancements to enhance productivity and create new opportunities, as well as the concerns about job displacement, rising inequality, and the proliferation of precarious work through digital labour platforms. The analysis explores the convergence of technological advancements with broader economic forces, the rise of algorithmic management and its implications for worker well-being, and the specific challenges faced by developing economies in adapting to rapid technological change. By drawing on historical parallels and examining diverse case studies, the overview advocates for a human-centred approach to technological transformation, emphasising the importance of social dialogue, worker empowerment, and equitable distribution of the benefits of progress. It concludes that a nuanced understanding of technology's interaction with existing social and economic structures is crucial for shaping a just and sustainable future of work.

Suggested Citation

  • Uma Rani & Ravi Srivastava & Imraan Valodia & Ruth Castel-Branco, 2025. "New Technologies, Transformation of Labour Process, and Future of Work in the Global South: An Overview," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 68(2), pages 339-347, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ijlaec:v:68:y:2025:i:2:d:10.1007_s41027-025-00569-x
    DOI: 10.1007/s41027-025-00569-x
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Structural transformation; Developing economies; Platform work; Digitalisation; Working conditions; Productivity; Skills; Gender;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O14 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Industrialization; Manufacturing and Service Industries; Choice of Technology
    • O4 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity
    • L16 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Industrial Organization and Macroeconomics; Macroeconomic Industrial Structure
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • J81 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Working Conditions
    • O47 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Growth and Aggregate Productivity - - - Empirical Studies of Economic Growth; Aggregate Productivity; Cross-Country Output Convergence
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination

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