FWF-Project
The media transformation that goes hand in hand with digitalization is also changing the workplaces in our offices. In the theory, the interrelation between work and media change is described as the mediatization of work. Based on this concept, the project focuses on the mediatization of the office. It investigates how the transformation of the office, along with the establishment of digital media, is portrayed and negotiated in media discourses from the 1980s until present. For this purpose, a discourse analysis is applied, adapted from the Sociology of Knowledge Approach to Discourse (SKAD). The project contributes to the theory of mediatization twofold: First, concerning the historical transformation of the office along with the establishment of digital media. Second, concerning the occurrence of this topic in media discourses – which shows another aspect of mediatized work.
A comprehensive analysis examines articles in newspapers and magazines as well as advertisements from the 1980s to the present day that address the transformation of the office due to emerging technologies. Both spaces and technologies as well as the social actors in these discourses are taken into account. In addition, the question of the speakers (and advocates) of change is raised and the marginalized or excluded voices in the discourses are identified. Furthermore, scenarios designed then and now for the office of the future are of interest.
News
Caroline Roth-Ebner and Larissa Herrnhofer participated in the Work, Employment and Society Conference of the British Sociological Association, held from 8–10 September 2025 in Manchester (UK). Under the title ‘From Computerisation to the Present: Discourses on Remote Work Between Continuity and Disruption’, they presented project findings on remote work, showing that its development has been shaped by both continuity and disruption. The WES Conference is one of the world’s key events in the sociology of work and employment, bringing together researchers from sociology, labour studies, politics, and related disciplines to discuss current developments in the world of work.
Our podcast ‘Out of Office – Das Büro im Wandel’ is now online! In it, Larissa Herrnhofer and Hannah Sickl share insights into our research project. You can listen to the podcast on Spotify or YouTube. Please note that the podcast is only available in German. The first five episodes are already available online. We’ll be back with episode six on 7 October after the summer break.
On May 7, 2025, the second workshop with our international advisory board took place as part of the project “Discourses on the Mediatization of the Office”. This time, we met online with the outstanding experts:
- Prof. Dr. Ir. Rianne Appel-Meulenbroek from the Eindhoven University of Technology, NL
- Prof. Dr. Rosalind Gill from Goldsmiths, University of London, GB
- Dr. Christian Oggolder from the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, AUT
During the meeting, the project’s progress and initial results were presented. The project team would like to thank the experts for their valuable feedback and constructive exchange. Their expertise and interdisciplinary perspectives make a decisive contribution to further sharpening and advancing the research.
Caroline Roth-Ebner and Larissa Herrnhofer presented initial research results from the project at the Conference on Technology, Knowledge, and Society, which took place in Taiwan and online on April 25 and 26, 2025. Under the title “The Office as a Focal Point of the Mediatization of Work”, they provided insights into the role of digital information and communication technologies (ICT) in changing work structures and cultures. The conference brought together experts from various disciplines to discuss the relationship between technology, knowledge and society. The presentation can be viewed here.
On 17 September 2024, our team member, Larissa Herrnhofer, passed her master’s examination and thus successfully completed her master’s degree in Media, Communication and Culture at the University of Klagenfurt. In her master’s thesis, she dealt with the relevance of digital media literacy promotion at compulsory schools in Carinthia. We congratulate her on this great achievement!
From July 22 to July 24, 2024, Larissa Herrnhofer took part in the WDA Summer School 2024 in Augsburg under the direction of Prof. Dr. Reiner Keller and presented our research project to colleagues. Through this exchange, she was able to gather valuable feedback for the optimization of the project.
On Friday, 21 June 2024, the kick-off workshop of the FWF project took place with the Advisory Board. The project team was able to welcome high-calibre international guests to Klagenfurt and benefit from their expertise in various fields. Prof. Dr Ir. Rianne Appel-Meulenbroek from Eindhoven University of Technology, NL, Prof. Dr Rosalind Gill from Goldsmiths, University of London, GB and Mag. Dr Christian Oggolder from the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna visited Klagenfurt. Dr Wolf J. Schünemann from the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Transformation and Digitalisation in Rhineland-Palatinate was connected online. The project team would like to thank the experts for the exciting workshop and the constructive feedback on the project. The next workshop with the Advisory Board to discuss the preliminary results of the project is already planned and will take place in May 2025.
Team
“Media discourses do not only reflect and project social developments, they also influence them. Therefore, we should learn more about how they are constructed and what inherent power relations and calls to action they reveal.”
“As a project employee, I am responsible for empirical work (discourse analysis), creation of concepts and reports and for organizational and administrative activities.”
“My main responsibilities in the project are science communication and website design. I also help with data collection and take on various organizational and administrative tasks.”
International Cooperation Arrangements: Scientific Advisory Board
Professor in Corporate Real Estate and Workplace at the Department of the Built Environment at Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands and Visiting Associate Professor, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South-Africa
Professor of Inequalities in Media, Culture and Creative Industries, Goldsmiths, University of London, Great Britain
Media Historian at the Institute for Comparative Media and Communication Studies of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the University of Klagenfurt in Vienna, Austria
Political Scientist, Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Transformation and Digitalisation of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate; part-time professor and currently holding a lectureship at the University of Heidelberg, Germany
This research is funded in whole by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) [10.55776/P36948].
