Technology acceptance and leadership 4.0: A quali-quantitative study

Abstract

With the rapid advancement of Industry 4.0, new technologies are changing the nature of work and organizations. Nevertheless, technology acceptance is still an open issue and research, and practice interventions should investigate its antecedents and implement actions in order to reduce the risks of resistance and foster acceptance and effective usage of the new tools and systems. This quali-quantitative study was aimed at exploring perceptions about Industry 4.0 and its transformations and investigating job antecedents of technology acceptance. Whilst not many studies in the literature on technology acceptance have considered workers’ well-being, in this study, its association with work engagement has also been examined. The qualitative study used focus groups to collect perceptions of 14 key roles in a company that was implementing Industry 4.0. In the same company, the quantitative study involved 263 employees who filled in a questionnaire. The results confirmed that both job resources, namely supervisor support and role clarity, were antecedents of technology acceptance, which, in turn, was associated with work engagement. This study provides useful suggestions for interventions aimed at foster technology acceptance and workers’ well-being in companies that are facing Industry 4.0 transformations. Particularly, investments in both leadership 4.0 development and communication programs are essential.