Supporting and shaping digital change via participative research

Participative research is a route via which the digital shift in work and employment can be analysed and shaped. Participation in this context means that the knowledge and interests of persons and groups affected by a specific digitalisation measure are involved in the research and structural process. Such an approach enables the digital world of work to be shaped in a sustainable way. But more than this, it also generates knowledge which enables both employees and decision makers to counter the challenges of digitalisation in an appropriate way. This article sets out the fundamental assumptions and functions of this research approach and exemplifies these on the basis of structural fields.