Ulrich Meyer

Ulrich Meyer serves as Full Professor at Johannes Kepler University Linz since 2019, based in the Department of Sociology with a specialized focus on Innovation and Digitalization (SID). His academic work bridges classical organizational sociology with contemporary digital transformation studies, examining how technological changes reshape work practices, institutional fields, and social relations.

Professor Meyer's research centers on three interconnected domains: Innovation Sociology examining path-dependent and path-creating dynamics; Sociology of Digital Work analyzing labor transformations under Industry 4.0; and Organisational Sociology investigating institutional pluralism and field reconfiguration. His scholarship consistently reveals the tension between technological domination and emancipatory potential in workplace digitalization, documenting both worker resistance strategies and organizational adaptation mechanisms.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications shows a clear evolution from foundational Industry 4.0 studies (2019-2020) toward sophisticated frameworks for understanding digitalization narratives, counter-movements, and everyday practices (2022-2025). The work demonstrates increasing methodological diversity while maintaining theoretical coherence through neo-institutional and field-theoretical lenses.

His collaborative research spans multiple institutional contexts including:

• Co-authorship with Austrian labor policy institutions (Arbeiterkammer Wien)
• International research networks on digital sociology
• Cross-disciplinary projects with computer science researchers
• Policy-oriented studies for German and Austrian government bodies

Professor Meyer maintains active supervision of doctoral candidates while contributing to academic discourse through editorial roles and conference leadership. His work provides essential theoretical and empirical resources for understanding digital transformation's societal implications, particularly regarding labor relations, organizational adaptation, and democratic governance of technological change.