Abstract: Digital technologies—encompassing artificial intelligence, robotics, algorithmic management, and platform-based business models—are fundamentally reshaping how work is structured, controlled, and experienced. This article proposes that work design serves as a critical lens for understanding and managing these technological transformations. Drawing on sociotechnical systems theory and contemporary research, we demonstrate that technology's impact on work characteristics such as autonomy, skill variety, feedback, social connection, and job demands is not predetermined but depends on design choices, organizational contexts, and individual responses. We outline four complementary intervention strategies: proactively designing work roles during technology implementation; embedding human-centered principles in technology development and procurement; supporting organizational initiatives with macro-level policies; and expanding training beyond digital skills to include work design literacy for multiple stakeholders. The article concludes by identifying research priorities—including reconceptualizing autonomy in machine learning contexts, examining skill preservation mechanisms, and advancing interdisciplinary sociotechnical approaches—alongside practical recommendations for education, policy engagement, and stakeholder influence to ensure that technological advancement serves both human flourishing and organizational performance.
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