Human-machine Labor Division:Generation Logic,Types and Mechanism
The human-machine hybrid workforce(HMHW)has al-ready become a new vitality in the enterprises'digital and intelligent transformation,while the relevant research currently lags far behind enterprise practice and lacks a systematic theoretical framework.Based on the Actor Network Theory(ANT)and the theory of labor division,this study regards intelligent machines as labor action sub-jects that work side by side with humans in the process of labor divi-sion.Meanwhile,this paper innovatively proposes the theory of hu-man-machine labor division(HMLD)as a new theoretical paradigm for interpreting HMHW from the perspective of labor division,and discusses the theoretical system of HMLD from multiple dimensions such as generation logic,theoretical connotation,mode type,and ac-tion mechanism.The key findings of this study can be summarized as follows.First,as an important embodiment of the fourth social division of labor,HMLD takes labor value co-creation as its basic goal and emphasizes the shift from the traditional unitary labor division of human to dual action subject of HMLD,and the structure of HMLD can be divided into modules including pure manual execution,machine augmenting human,human-machine collaborative execution,human assisting ma-chine,and pure machine execution.Second,both human beings and machines have their pros and cons,and machines transcend human beings only in part of their functions.And the modes of HMLD are diversified and can be subdivided from multiple perspectives,such as dominance,collaboration,quantity matching,and management object.From the perspective of the dominant role of human and ma-chine,the types of HMLD can be categorized into five types,includ-ing fully manual,human-dominated labor division,human-machine collaborative-dominated labor division,machine-dominated labor division,and fully automated.From the perspective of cooperation mode,there are four types of HMLD,including human-machine sep-aration,human-machine mutual substitution,human-machine inter-active empowerment,and human-machine hybrid collaboration.From the perspective of quantity matching of human and machine,HMLD modes can be divided into multiple types,such as single human and single machine cooperation,single human and multiple machine cooperation,multiple human and single machine cooperation,and multiple human and multiple machine cooperation.From the dimen-sion of management objects,the management modes of HMLD can be divided into five types,including human managing human,human managing machine,machine managing machine,machine managing human,and human-machine hybrid management mode.Third,the contrasting paradoxical effects of replacing human labor with ma-chine(RHLM)and machine-augmentation in HMLD simultaneously exist and mutually influence each other.RHLM is a reconstruction process of HMLD,in which machines move from behind the scenes to the front stage,and humans turn from the front stage to behind the scenes.Essentially,the ultimate goal of RHLM is to decompose and refine work tasks,enabling machines to release human labor,and allowing humans to work more like real human beings instead of ma-chines.On the other hand,machine-augmentation aims to empower human labor with machines,achieving complementary advantages between humans and machines and improving the efficiency of hu-man-machine teams.Fourth,HMLD exhibits a cyclical and dynamic evolutionary iteration across multiple dimensions including time,space,and function.From the temporal perspective,HMLD exhibits a dynamic evolutionary trajectory from pure manual execution to human-dominated division of labor,followed by human-machine collaboration,machine-dominated division of labor,and finally,fully automated machine execution.From the spatial perspective,HMLD demonstrates a dynamic evolutionary pattern characterized by pri-marily internal circulation,supplemented by external circulation,with both internal and external circulation complementing each other.Meanwhile,employees replaced by machines exhibit a dual flow pattern of both internal and external circulation,and manifest in var-ious directions,such as upgrading,downgrading,retaining current positions,transferring positions,natural attrition,employee sharing,and layoffs.From the functional perspective,HMLD exhibits a multi-stage dynamic evolution from complete manual labor division to operational function division,power function division,and finally control function division.The conclusions of this paper can provide theoretical reference for interpreting the phenomenon of the symbi-otic HMHW,and can also provide theoretical support for leading the practice of digital and intelligent transformation of enterprises and constructing a new labor division system.Compared with existing literature,the theoretical contributions of this study lie in the following two aspects.Firstly,the study extends the application of ANT to interpret organizational HMLD,treating in-telligent machines as primary labor actors.This approach transcends the conventional labor division theory that regards humans as the sole actors.By innovatively proposing the theory of organizational HMLD with dual human-machine labor actors from the perspective of labor division,this study expands the traditional human-centered framework to encompass both humans and machines as dual labor actors.This theoretical advancement not only deepens and broadens the existing labor division theory,but also provides foundational the-oretical support for interpreting human-machine collaboration in the digital era.Secondly,this research innovatively constructs and ana-lyzes the basic theoretical framework of HMLD from multiple dimen-sions.It systematically examines the generative logic and theoretical implications of HMLD and categorizes the mode types,mechanisms,and typical practices of HMLD from various perspectives.This anal-ysis offers insights for the further exploration and refinement of the HMLD theory,providing valuable theoretical references for the prac-tice of HMHW in organizational contexts.Based on the above,this study proposes the following research agen-da for future studies.Firstly,in-depth case studies of typical HMLD scenarios.For instance,by selecting typical enterprises adopting the HMHW,case study methods can be employed to further explore and enrich the basic theoretical framework of HMLD.Secondly,explo-ration of the influencing factors and driving mechanisms of HMLD.For example,grounded theory and qualitative meta-analysis can be applied to systematically construct an influencing factor model for HMLD.Moreover,methods like QCA can be used to explore the interactive mechanisms and configurational effects among various factors in complex HMLD systems.Thirdly,investigation of hu-man-machine behaviors in HMLD systems.Issues such as individual psychological and behavioral changes of human employees,hu-man-machine trust mechanisms,machine behavior,role positioning and hierarchy in HMLD,and all these areas require an in-depth the-oretical exploration to construct a new paradigm of human-machine hybrid organizational behavior.
Human-machine Labor DivisionHuman-machine TeamHuman-machine SymbiosisReplacing Human Labor with MachineHuman-machine RelationshipHybrid Workforce
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