Emerging Technologies, Work Relationships, and The New Role of Middle Managers

Abstract

This symposium showcases recent research projects on how organizations are implementing emerging technologies and how these technologies are changing relationships at work as well as the role of middle managers. Emerging technologies are enabling managers to measure employee performance in more finely grained ways, hire employees anonymously, and observe employee interactions via digital communications and by tracking calendar entries. We will present new insights into how middle managers and employees respond to emerging technologies, how work relationships are impacted by these technologies, and the consequences that emerge. This symposium will have three primary goals: (1) explore how middle managers are using emerging technologies to observe and direct employee activities, (2) highlight new findings and theory around how emerging technologies are changing both work relationships and the role of middle managers, and (3) discuss some of the employee outcomes associated with middle manager use of these emerging technologies including stress, psychological safety, and ethical decision-making.