Abstract
This study seeks to gain knowledge about key conditions in the process of digitalization using a socio-technical systems design as a theoretical framework and a case-study approach. Semi-structured interviews with 15 relevant stakeholders are conducted to learn about barriers to and enablers of the development and implementation process in a manufacturing company. After conducting a thematic analysis, eight higher-ranked themes relevant to the digitalization process are identified. These are grouped to describe the overarching phenomena, resulting in four enablers (shared trust, shared visual understanding, shared user perspective, and shared learning) and four barriers (trusting the system, understanding benefits, perspective of economics, and learning to manage scope). The study takes a holistic view of digitalization in its investigation of the development and subsequent implementation processes. The findings contribute to the literature via three key takeaways for stakeholders of a digitalization process in manufacturing. First, it is vital to understand and strengthen the role of the key enablers identified in this paper. Second, managers should observe and identify barriers in their own organizations, related both to technical and social aspects. Third, some of the enablers described in this paper can serve managers as helpful tools to approach the expected barriers to digitalization. This paper also challenges the research literature by arguing that research conducted on digitalization that sets new standards and premises for the working life in industry needs to use up-to-date socio-technical design concepts and theories.
Highlights
Working life is in continuous change, and digitalization has been identified as a major trend affecting these changes
The structure of the article is organized as follows: in the theoretical perspectives, we address previous research on enablers and barriers of digitalization, followed by description of a socio-technical system perspective to look at factors likely to influence the digitalization processes of such organizational work systems
The enablers relevant to the development and implementation processes in a manufacturing company, and which were derived from the data, are shared trust, shared visual understanding, shared user perspectives, and shared learning
Summary
Working life is in continuous change, and digitalization has been identified as a major trend affecting these changes. Organizations need to find ways of coping with change, while at the same time, innovating and improving. The ongoing fourth wave of technological revolutions in manufacturing, termed Industry 4.0, sets new standards and premises for the working life in industry. There are numerous definitions of Industry 4.0 (Salento 2018); in this paper, it refers to a socio-technical system that reconfigures the relationship between people and organizations, technologies. How to handle digitalization while being competitive is not straightforward. Sufficient, appropriate skills and competences are crucial to maintaining high productivity in the future. This is important in Norway, as it is
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
