| Abstract [eng] |
Topic relevance. The implementation of digital innovations is becoming increasingly important for many organizations as they seek to adapt to changing technological and competitive conditions. The concept of Industry 4.0 emphasizes that these innovations are particularly significant for manufacturing companies, often manifesting as changes to production processes. Such innovations change established principles of work and the nature of tasks performed by employees; as a result, organizations often encounter employee resistance. This phenomenon can become a significant obstacle to the successful integration of innovations, negatively affecting both organizational performance and employee well-being. For this reason, it is essential for manufacturing companies not only to implement digital innovations in their production processes but also to proactively manage employee resistance. However, in scientific literature, employee resistance is most often analyzed in the context of digital transformation; thus, the insights cannot always be directly applied when assessing resistance to the implementation of specific digital innovations. In addition, organizations operating across sectors have distinct operational characteristics and levels of digital maturity, so the causes of employee resistance and its manifestations may differ significantly. Therefore, in order to better understand the underlying patterns of this phenomenon, it is important to examine it in the context of a specific sector. Research object – employee resistance to digital innovations. Research aim – having assessed employee resistance to digital innovations in production processes of manufacturing companies, provide recommendations for resistance management. Research results. The study revealed that digital innovations in production processes of manufacturing companies significantly transform the content of employees' work, their roles, and work organization, increasing the demand for technological competencies. It was found that employee resistance is determined by a combination of individual, organizational, and technological factors. Among these, organizational factors were most commonly mentioned by interviewees – particularly a lack of communication, insufficient employee involvement, inadequate training and management support, and an unfavorable organizational culture toward experimentation. The study showed that resistance manifests in both active and passive forms; however, passive forms were more frequently observed, such as the formal use of systems, reverting to previous work methods, and deliberately slowing the work pace. The study also uncovered an additional factor not discussed in prior research influencing employee resistance – collective norms. Additionally, it revealed new forms of resistance, such as system manipulation and collective pressure, that hindered the adoption of innovations. The results suggest that effective management of resistance should be based on a systematic organizational approach that includes timely communication, active employee involvement in the implementation process, practical training, a gradual introduction of innovations, strong management support, and alignment of technology with actual production conditions. |
