The present call for contributions emerges directly from the momentum generated by the ENGAGE.EU research label call #02, reaffirming the Alliance’s mission to foster innovative, cross-disciplinary research addressing urgent societal and economic challenges across Europe. The 2nd Workshop on Inclusive and Sustainable Employment (WISE), anchored within this framework, invites researchers to explore the critical theme of “Inclusivity in Times of Technological Change.” Supported by the ENGAGE.EU Alliance, and led by researchers from Toulouse Capitole University (France), Luiss University (Italy), and Tilburg University (the Netherlands).
This initiative is dedicated to developing impactful, collaborative research and advancing engagement among scholars, practitioners, and stakeholders committed to building resilient, adaptive, and equitable labor markets.
European labour markets are undergoing rapid transformation due to technological disruption, demographic change, and persistent labour shortages. These shifts raise urgent questions about how to design workplaces that are inclusive, adaptive, and sustainable—ensuring long-term engagement, employability, and well-being for diverse groups of workers. Given these evolutions, we think that it is timely to bring together junior and senior researchers from diverse disciplines, to generate new ideas and to co-develop research-based initiatives for a more inclusive employment.
Our workshop seeks to bring together interdisciplinary perspectives to better understand and address these challenges at the European level. We particularly aim to connect researchers with diverse theoretical, methodological, and contextual perspectives that examine how inclusivity—across age, gender, disability, health-related adaptations, socioeconomic status, and other dimensions—can be safeguarded and fostered as technology reshapes the way we work.
It aims at addressing issues such as:
How do individuals adapt to, and actively shape, their roles, tasks, or workplace relationships in response to technological changes? What are the impacts on their well-being and performance, and does this process contribute to greater inclusiveness in the workplace?
Which career development strategies and reskilling initiatives best ensure employees remain adaptable and employable throughout technological transitions and evolving personal circumstances?
Which HRM, leadership, and team practices (e.g., job design, learning systems, participatory tech implementation) foster inclusiveness, sustained engagement and well-being in remote or AI-rich settings?
How can exclusion and marginalization of certain employees be prevented in an increasingly technological work environment? What organizational and policy conditions make tech-enabled work inclusive across age, gender, disability, socio-economic background, and migration status? How can we ensure that technological tools are accessible to all employees, including those with disabilities or who are less familiar with digital technologies?
How do algorithmic tools (screening, scheduling, monitoring) shape fairness, trust, autonomy, and performance—and how can their risks be mitigated?
What are the “bright” and “dark” sides of technology for inclusion, equity, meaningful work, and sustainable careers? Do AI and new technologies reinforce or reduce inclusiveness and inequalities among employees (based on gender, age, background, disabilities, qualification levels, …) and how?
We invite contributions from researchers belonging to the ENGAGE.EU Alliance partner universities and beyond, coming from different disciplines, with different empirical approaches (qualitative, quantitative, experimental), with different levels of analysis (Micro, Meso and Macro). Theoretical papers are also encouraged. We welcome both early-stage work and fully developed manuscripts.
