An uncertain elite

Subtitle
Professional differences and similarities between engineers and tech workers in times of digital transformation
Publication date
2025-03-11
Document type
Forschungsartikel
Author
Pfeiffer, Sabine
Kuhlmann, Martin
Ottaiano, Mario Michael 
Heinlein, Michael
Ritter, Tobias
Neumer, Judith
Huchler, Norbert
Organisational unit
DOI
URI
ISSN
Series or journal
Work organisation, labour and globalisation
Periodical volume
19
Periodical issue
1
First page
84
Last page
104
Peer-reviewed
âś…
Part of the university bibliography
âś…
Keyword
Digitalisation
Sociology of professions
Automotive industry
Engineer
Data science
Abstract
The digital transformation of industries has given rise to new categories of tech workers, such as software engineers and UX/UI designers, who now work alongside traditional engineers. This study explores the evolving relationship between these groups, focusing on work processes, status perceptions and professional interactions. The research questions addressed include: how has digitalisation affected these two groups’ work processes? what strategies do they use to maintain or improve their career paths? and how do their roles converge or diverge? Using qualitative data from interviews and workshops in a German automotive company undergoing a digital and electric mobility transformation, the study finds both competition and cooperation between engineers and IT professionals, with the former adopting some IT work methods and the latter adjusting to the highly structured processes of the industrial sector. Despite growing overlaps, distinct professional identities nevertheless remain.
Description
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution Licence (CC BY) 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Version
Published version
Access right on openHSU
Metadata only access