Human-centered design of job content—Mental action regulation in a changing economy

Abstract Working processes are mentally regulated by anticipations of the intended results (goals), knowledge, experience, rule-based thinking and problem-solving. The concept of Mental Action Regulation is one of the basics of the international standards on human-centered job design. However, demographic change, technological change (especially digitalization and Artificial Intelligence), the prevailing number of employees in the service sector, and increasing self-organization of working processes by employees may necessitate adaptations in the standards of human-centered job design based on the conception of Mental Action Regulation. With certain refinements, their importance continues to grow, particularly in preventive human-centered job design, including the human-centered allocation of functions in the first step. This job design also applies to the service sector and jobs using digitalized tools and Artificial Intelligence.