Jenna E. Myers

Dr. Jenna E. Myers is a social scientist and assistant professor at the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources at the University of Toronto.

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Her research uses field methods such as observations, interviews, and surveys to study the changing nature of work, institutions, and technology. It focuses on understanding the organizational practices, processes, and partnerships that impact the skills, careers, and power of frontline workers, especially during technological change.
 
This research fits into three streams. The first examines how workers develop and apply their skills in response to evolving work conditions and new technologies within organizations. The second explores the role of technology developers in shaping the development and use of digital workplace technologies, including their impacts on managers and workers. The third studies contemporary workforce development institutions that structure non-traditional career pathways, including workforce intermediaries and bootcamp training programs. 

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Current projects include investigating the relationships among third-party technology vendors, managers, and frontline workers during digital transformation in manufacturing and agriculture, as well as studying participant experiences and outcomes in retraining programs that aim to ease economic transitions by better matching labor supply and demand.

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Jenna holds a PhD in Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management and a Bachelor of Science in Business Process Management from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has conducted research with Jobs for the Future and other public and private organizations, which is published in peer-reviewed academic journals including Organization Science and ILR Review.