Zhgenyu Sophia Gramatke
Short Bio
I am a social scientist and a labor scholar researching social implications of digital capitalism and how it can be used to transform work life and improve workers' well-being. I draw on classic labor theories, political economic literature, and critical algorithm studies. My work focuses on how algorithmic management can empower workers and improve the quality of working life. I worked for Bistto during 2019-2022, which provides me with a unique lens to the implementation of AI technologies at workplace. I actively contributed to the resaerch project "AI for Better Workplace" with the IIID (International Institute of Interdisciplinary Development) during 2021-2022 and started phd at University of Humanities and Economics in Warschau since 2022. I am a fellow a the Comparative Theology Institute.
Research Interests
- algorithmic management and worker agency
- ethics of automation and AI in workplaces
- platform-mediated labor and gig economies
- participatory and worker-centered technology design
- data governance and transparency in organizations
Short CV
- 2018 Master sociology in University of Humanities and Economics in Warschau, Poland
- 2019-2022: Work at Bistto (a consulting company specialized in AI implementation in Poland)
- 2022-2026 PhD: in digital economy in University of Humanities and Economics in Warschau, also a fellowship at IIID, addressing SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth
Affiliations
- Inst. for Comparative Theologies
- University of Humanities and Economics in Warschau
- Lab for Ethics of Automation
Education
Master sociology in University of Humanities and Economics in Warschau, Poland 2019-2022: Work at Bistto (a consulting company specialized in AI implementation in Poland) 2026 PhD: in digital economy in University of Humanities and Economics in Warschau, also a fellowship at ICT, addressing SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth
Teaching
- Digital Work and Society
- Ethics of Algorithmic Management
- Qualitative Methods for Platform Studies
Awards
- Early Career Paper Prize, Journal of Socio-Digital Work , 2024
- Graduate Fellowship, Center for Equitable Automation , 2023
Publications
- Zhgenyu Sophia Gramatke, From dashboards to discretion: worker sensemaking under algorithmic scheduling, Journal of Socio-Digital Work , 2024.
- Zhgenyu Sophia Gramatke, Algorithmic control as pathways to worker agency: revisiting Marxist theories, Proceedings of the Critical Automation Studies Symposium , 2023.
- Zhgenyu Sophia Gramatke, Empowering workers through algorithmic management: a qualitative study on workers' responses to AI implementation at workplace, Labor & Data Review , 2025.
Abstract
The development and implementation of AI have proliferated in recent years, profoundly shaping the workplace. It captures knowledge from domain experts and internal knowledge within organizations, and in turn shape behaviors and social relations in organizations. AI technologies have promised to optimize workflow and improve productivity, but also raise concerns about workplace control and surveillance. In this context, how do workers respond to the implementation of AI technologies? We investigated this within three companies through a 3-month ethnographic fieldwork at each site and qualitative interviews with 48 workers. Interview findings show that workers perceive enhanced agency as algorithmic management provides them with data-intensive insights about their work practices and procedures, which contributes to their well-being. Moreover, the AI implementation lowers the barrier for workers to enter the work that is only accessible and managed by domain experts and thereby enhances workers' mobility and career perspective. Our work is grounded in Marxist theories of labor control and management and adds to existing literature on algorithmic management and control by showing that its data-intensive nature can empower workers and enhance their agency.