Articles
I write broadly on remote work, digital transformation, and workforce strategy through contributions to news, media and blog posts. Below are a selection of examples.
Where is the Humanity?! The Paradox of AI-Driven Customer Engagement
Op-ed
We want customers to be sticky, loyal, and seamlessly connected to our brands, yet we also want them to feel they’re interacting with someone, not something. And in that friction lies a larger, more unsettling question: how are we commoditizing human relationships in the process?
AI and the Disruption of Boundaries: Power and Creativity
Short Essay
I have been fascinated in recent days with how AI is reshaping our digital landscape and the ways we interact with technology. In traditional software design, programs were built with clear, static boundaries. Take MS Office for example: when I first used it, it was designed to write documents as the user wanted, or answer emails like a digital mailbox. Clippy wasn’t particularly useful, and was easy to turn off.
AI, Discipline, and Resistance: A Foucauldian Exploration of Technological Ethics
Short Essay
The rise of artificial intelligence in the workplace offers a fascinating contradiction. On one hand, AI, especially large language models, promises to automate routine tasks and boost productivity. On the other, these technologies can serve as instruments of discipline, tightening managerial control over output and performance.
Return-to-Office, Power, and the Implicit Hierarchy of Career Identity
Short Essay
Return-to-office mandates are often framed as a universal good, promoting collaboration and company culture. Yet, they do not affect all employees equally. Career stage plays a crucial role in shaping how workers experience these policies, influencing both power dynamics and self-governance.
Deconstructing the RTO Narrative: Foucault, Trust, and the Politics of Truth
Short Essay
Executives frame return-to-office (RTO) as essential for culture and collaboration, but research shows a disconnect: managers feel more engaged, while employees experience heightened oversight and reduced autonomy. This divide isn’t just about work—it’s about power. Drawing on Foucault, I explore how RTO reinforces traditional hierarchies rather than fostering trust.
Enacting Remote Working in an Era of (Un)certainty: Care of Personal and Professional Self
Doctoral Thesis
Research that explores the experiences of professional workers undertaking enforced remote working during COVID-19. I use Foucault to discuss the political and cultural considerations shaping worker identity, and suggest ways in which resistance and collusion are seen in the everyday.
Copyright © 2025 Owen Chamberlain. All rights reserved.
We need your consent to load the translations
We use a third-party service to translate the website content that may collect data about your activity. Please review the details in the privacy policy and accept the service to view the translations.