Arbeitsfelds

Arbeitsfelds is the plural form of Arbeitsfeld, though standard German usually uses Arbeitsfelder as the plural. The term describes a field or domain of work within an organization or sector. It encompasses the set of tasks, responsibilities, processes, and contexts that define a coherent area of activity.

In practice, Arbeitsfelder are used to structure roles, teams, and workflows. They help map the organization’s activities, clarify interfaces between fields, and support planning for capacity, skill requirements, and process improvement. By defining fields such as Produktentwicklung or Kundendienst, managers can align resources and measure performance by field.

The concept is often contrasted with related terms such as Aufgabenbereich (scope of tasks) and Arbeitsbereich (area of work). The Arbeitsfeld framing emphasizes domain boundaries, cross-field interaction, and evolution over time, especially under digitalization and market change.

Examples: In a manufacturing company, typical Arbeitsfelder include Produktion, Instandhaltung, Logistik; in IT, Entwicklung, Betrieb, IT-Sicherheit; in education, Lehre, Forschung, Verwaltung. Each field has competencies, processes, and metrics associated.

In human resources and organizational design, Arbeitsfelder are used in job families, competency models, and career paths. They support systematic development, performance evaluation, and change management, particularly during mergers, reorganizations, or digital transformation.

See also: Arbeitsfelder, Arbeitsbereich, Aufgabenbereich, Kompetenz, Organisationsentwicklung.