Curriculum Vitae

Patrick Witzak is a postdoctoral researcher at the Chair of Sociology of Digital Transformation at the Institute of Work Science at Ruhr University Bochum, where he researches and teaches in sociology, political science, and management, focusing on the governance of transnational supply chains and the platform economy. His research has been published in prestigious journals such as Labor History, Industrial Relations Journal, and Zeitschrift für Soziologie, and has been presented at leading conferences and workshops, including ILERA, GIRA, LLRN, Berliner Method Meeting and ILPC.

He is involved in three ongoing research projects. First, he is part of the interdisciplinary DFG, ESRC, and ANR collaborative project “European Works Councils after Brexit (EWCaB),” which examines the institutional stability of EWCs post-Brexit through case studies. Second, he co-leads the project “Principal, Platform, and Worker: The Digital Brave New World of Labor Relations”. This project employs a transnational mixed-methods approach to study digital labor on platforms such as Amazon Mechanical Turk and Upwork. Third, his project “Hybrid Advocacy in the Digital Economy” explores new forms of worker representation, focusing on the FairTube campaign.

In his dissertation, he analyzed legal actors in cross-border labor regulation. Additionally, he has conducted research on the governance architecture of transnational labor regulation, cross-border labor activism in global value chains, and the interplay of strategies across different governance domains.

During his doctorate, he was a Visiting PhD Candidate at both the Departamento de Sociología y Antropología Social at Universitat de València and the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers University. He also completed a research stay at the headquarters of the International Labour Organization (ILO). Following his PhD, he served as a visiting postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Global Work and Employment at Rutgers University and as a Montague Burton Visiting Fellow at Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University.

He holds a BA and MA in Sociology from Universität Duisburg-Essen, both funded by the Hans Böckler Foundation, where he also received a scholarship for his Dr. phil. He is also an external lecturer in the Transdisciplinary Course Program at Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen.

Academic Qualifications

12/2017–10/2022

Doctorate at the Chair of Sociology with a focus on Comparative Sociology, Institute of Sociology, University of Duisburg-Essen.

• 10/2022 Passed disputation

• 05/2022 Submission of the dissertation

10/2015–09/2017

Master of Arts Sociology, University of Duisburg-Essen, focus: Comparison of societies and transnationalization.

10/2011–08/2015

Bachelor of Arts Sociology, University of Duisburg-Essen, focus: Organization, Work and Social Structure.

Professional Occupations

05/2022–09/2022

Parental Leave and Family Time

06/2021–Today

Research Assistant, Chair of Sociology of Digital Transformation, Ruhr University Bochum.

01/2021–03/2022

Research Assistant, Chair of Sociology with a focus on work and organization, Chemnitz University of Technology.

Research and Guest Stays

02/2024–03/2024

Montague Burton Visiting Fellow, Employment Research Unit at Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.

10/2022–11/2022

Visiting Postdoctoral Researcher at the Center for Global Work and Employment, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, USA.

09/2019

Visiting-PhD Candidate at the Center for Global Work and Employment, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, USA.

04/2019–06/2019

Visiting-PhD Candidate at the Departamento de Sociología y Antropología Social, Universitat de València,València, Spain.

03/2019

Guest at the Headquarters of the International Labor Organization, Specialized Agency of the United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland, Doctoral Seminar Program of the Hans Böckler Foundation.

Scholarships/Grants

 

12/2017–12/2021

 

Hans Böckler Foundation Doctoral Scholarship

10/2015–09/2017

 

Hans Böckler Foundation Master Scholarship

Selected Publications

Books

• Witzak, P. (2023). Juristische Akteure im Feld der grenzüberschreitenden Erwerbsregulierung: Erweiterung des transnationalen Arbeitsrechts? https://doi.org/10.17185/duepublico/77359

Contributions to professional journals (Double-Blind-Peer-Review)

• Witzak, P., & Hertwig, M. (2024). Governance of labour relations in the platform economy. The cooperation between YouTubers Union and IG Metall. Industrial Relations Journal, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1111/irj.12449

• Witzak, P. (2024). The governance architecture of transnational labor regulation. Labor History, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/0023656X.2024.2380849

• Hertwig, M. & Witzak, P. (2022). Hybrid Representation in the Platform Economy Challenges of ‘coalition building’ in the Cooperation between IG Metall and the YouTubers Union. Zeitschrift für Soziologie, 51(2), 174-192. https://doi.org/10.1515/zfsoz-2022-0010

Book Chapters

• Hertwig, M., & Witzak, P. (2025). Entwicklungsperspektiven der Mitbestimmung im digitalen Zeitalter. In Mitbestimmung und Partizipation 2030 (pp. 381–399). Nomos. https://doi.org/10.5771/9783748953081-381

Discussion Paper (Peer-Review)

• Hertwig, M., Korn, A., & Witzak, P. (2025). Arbeit, Ungleichheit und soziale Integration in der Plattformwirtschaft: Eine vergleichende Analyse von Remote Crowdwork auf Amazon Mechanical Turk und Upwork in Deutschland, Indien und den USA. SDT Discussion Papers, 6, 82 pages. https://doi.org/10.13154/294-12945

• Witzak, P. (2016). Theoretische Ansätze in der Eurobetriebsratforschung. Duisburger Beiträge zur soziologieschen Forschung - DBsF. https://doi.org/10.6104/DBSF-2016-02

Poster Contributions (Peer-Review)

• Witzak, P. (2019). Prozesse durch Codierung erfassen? Auf dem Weg zu einem Analysemodell der Verrechtlichung transnationaler Arbeitsstandards. 15. Berliner Methodentreffen, Berlin.
• Witzak, P. (2018). Grenzüberschreitende Erwerbsregulierung durch Aktivistennetzwerke. Eine Triangulation mittels Process-Tracing, Temporal Backeting und Diskursnetzwerkanalyse. 14. Berliner Methodentreffen, Berlin.

Reviews and Conference Reports (Peer-Review)

• Witzak, P. (2022). Industrielle Beziehungen in der Krise — Die Jahrestagung der German Industrial Relations Association 2021. Industrielle Beziehungen. Zeitschrift für Arbeit, Organisation und Management, 29(1), 75-86. https://doi.org/10.3224/indbez.v29i1.04
• Witzak, P. (2017). Rezension: „Gewerkschaften und Wanderarbeit. Von Saisonarbeit, Werkverträgen und migrantischer Organisation in der Baubranche und im Grünen Bereich“ von Berit Schröder. In: soziologieblog. https://soziologieblog.hypotheses.org/10771

Podcast:

• Hertwig, M. (Projektleiter, Host), & Witzak, P. (Host). (2025). Wandel der Arbeitswelt [Podcast]. Mitwirkende: Müller, M. (Sounddesign, Schnitt und Titelbild), & Musalf, S.-L. (Moderation, Administration). Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/show/0wc2X0NPZeCFpZ0vK9meFQ?si=426e72421c7f479a

Selected Presentations

• Witzak, P. , Hertwig, M., Hauptmeier, M., Guillas-Cavan and K., Kahmann, M.(2024). Die Auswirkungen des Brexits auf Europäische Betriebsräte: Wandel und Kontinuität transnationaler Interessenvertretung. Annual Conference GIRA 2020, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
• Hertwig, M., Korn, A., & Witzak, P., (2024). Antecedents of Collective Action in the Gig Economy: Crowd Workers' Orientations and (Sub-)Communities.  ILERA Congress 2024, New York City, USA.
• Witzak, P. and Schulze-Cleven (2024). Transnational Labor Activism in Global Value Chains: Success Through Complementary Pathways and Loose Coalitions.  ILERA Congress 2024, New York City, USA
• Hauptmeier, M., Frisone, A., Guillas-Cavan, K., Kahmann, M., Fuchs, F., Hertwig, M. and Witzak, P. (2024). The Impact of Brexit on European Works Councils.  ILERA Congress 2024, New York City, USA.
• Witzak, P. (2024). European Works Council after three decades: Outlining a research Agenda. ERU Seminar 2024, Cardiff University, Cardiff.
• Witzak, P. (2023). Strategic litigation in the regulation of global supply chains: How professional legal actors regulate industrial disasters. Jahrestagung GIRA 2023, Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Recht, Berlin.
• Panel Discussion (2023): Global Trade and Working Conditions: Comprehensive Tools for Global Governance. Participants: Prof. Dr. Carla Spinelli, Dr. Samantha Velluti, Dr. Patrick Witzak and Franz Ebert. Labour Law Research Network 6 Poland, University of Warsaw, Warsaw.
• Witzak, P., (2022). Labour regulation in transnational supply and value chains: Categorizing newly emerging order formations. 13th European Regional Congress of the International Labour and Employment Relations Association, Universitat Autònoma Barcelona.
• Witzak, P., Hertwig, M., Kahmann, M., Guillas-Cavan, K. and Hauptmeier, M. (2022). European Works Councils after Brexit: New Challenges for Transnational Employee Representation? 13th European Regional Congress of the International Labour and Employment Relations Association, Universitat Autònoma Barcelona.
• Hertwig, M. und Witzak, P. (2020). Hybride Interessenvertretung im Feld der Plattformarbeit. Die YouTubersUnion und die FairTube-Kampagne. Jahrestagung GIRA 2020, Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg.
• Witzak, P. (2019). Transnational activist networks and the juridification of transnational labour regulation. Headquarters of the International Labor Organization in Geneva, specialized agency of the United Nations.

Teaching and Organized Events

WiSe 2024/2025

• Digital Labor Platforms and Transnational Labor Regulation, Seminar im "Transdisciplinary Course Program", Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Seminar in English.

WiSe 2022/2023

• Digital Labor Platforms and Transnational Labor Regulation, Seminar in the Master's Module on Employment Regulation and Participation, Faculty of Social Sciences, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Seminar in English.
• Change Management, Seminar in the Master's Module Organizational Management, Institute of Work Science, Ruhr University Bochum (together with Prof. Dr. Markus Hertwig).
• Kollektive Interessenvertretung in der digitalen Arbeitswelt, Seminar in the "Transdisciplinary Course Program", Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen.

SoSe 2022

• Transnational Labor Governance and the Digital Transformation, Seminar in the Master's Module on Employment Regulation and Participation, Faculty of Social Sciences, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Seminar in English.

WiSe 2021/2022

• Kollektive Interessenvertretung in der digitalen Arbeitswelt, Seminar in the "Transdisciplinary Course Program", Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen.
• Change Management, Seminar in the Master's Module Organizational Management, Institute of Work Science, Ruhr University Bochum (together with Prof. Dr. Markus Hertwig).
• Arbeits- und Organisationssoziologie, Exercise BA Sociologist, Institute of Sociology, Chemnitz University of Technology.

SoSe 2021

• Transnational Labor Governance and the Digital Transformation, Seminar in the "Studium Professionale" program for the acquisition of key qualifications and knowledge orientation, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Seminar in English.
• Beschäftigtenpartizipation, Module in the MA Organizational Management, Institute of Work Science, Ruhr-University Bochum (together with Prof. Dr. Markus Hertwig).
• Integration und Konflikt im Wandel von Erwerbsarbeit, Seminar MA Digital Work, Institute of Sociology, Chemnitz University of Technology.

WiSe 2020/21

• Arbeits- und Organisationssoziologie, Exercise BA Sociologist, Institute of Sociology, Chemnitz University of Technology (together witht Dr. Oliver Thünken).

WiSe 2020/21

• Transnational Labor Governance, Seminar BA Sociology, Institute of Sociology, University of Duisburg-Essen.

WiSe 2019/20

• Transnational Labor Governance, Seminar BA Sociology, Institute of Sociology, University of Duisburg-Essen.

SoSe 2018 – WiSe 2020/21

• Colloquium of the Working Group on Comparative Sociology, Institute of Sociology, University of Duisburg-Essen.

Supervised Theses

PhD Projects:

• PhD thesis: Lebenslangem Lernen auf der Spur. Die Bedeutung der Arbeitsorientierungen für die berufliche Weiterbildung. PhD Social Sciences, Ruhr University Bochum  (Member of the PhD Committee).

Bachelor Theses

• The Right to Disconnect in the Context of the Entrepreneurial Self – A Sociological Study of the Negative Effects of Flexible Work, 2nd Bachelor Program in Politics, Economics, and Society, Ruhr University Bochum (first referee).   
• Recruitment and retention of skilled labour in small and medium-sized enterprises. Social Science, BA 1-subject, Ruhr-University Bochum (first referee).

Master Thesis:

• Acceptance of the introduction of electronic incoming invoice processing in local governments. MA Digital Work, Chemnitz University of Technology (second referee).

• Effects of Virtual Collaboration on Employees in Project Teams - A Survey in Times of the Corona Pandemic. MA Digital Work, Chemnitz University of Technology (second referee).MA Digitale Arbeit, Technische Universität Chemnitz (Zweitgutachter).