Ethics in the digital workplace
Digitisation and automation technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), can affect working conditions in a variety of ways and their use in the workplace raises a host of new ethical concerns.
Japanese mobile phone manufacturing company, Sony Mobile Communications, has announced that it is to cut 650 jobs and move its headquarters from Lund, Sweden to Tokyo, Japan from October this year.
The offshoring-measure is aimed to increase operational efficiency, reduce costs and drive profitable growth. The main focus of the facility in Lund will be on software and application development.
Sony Mobile Communications employs approximately 3,000 people in Lund. The measure implies that 15 percent of the employees in Lund will be made redundant. An additional 350 consultants employed in Lund will have their contracts terminated. The reduction will be implemented by the end of March 2014.
Eurofound (2012), Sony Mobile Communications, Offshoring/Delocalisation in Sweden, factsheet number 74019, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://restructuringeventsprod.azurewebsites.net/restructuring-events/detail/74019.