Is work digitalization without risk? Unveiling the psycho-social hazards of digitalization in the education and healthcare workplace

Abstract

ABSTRACT COVID-19 has accelerated the digitalisation of organisations to enhance flexibility and adaptability in a turbulent environment. Literature warned of digitalisation’s side effects on psycho-social hazards at work. However, empirical evidence is inconsistent, especially in service industries such as education and healthcare, that rely on face-to-face exchanges to achieve organisational excellence. The article attempts to fill this knowledge gap, investigating digitalisation’s implications on psycho-social hazards in education and healthcare. A probit regression model was designed to examine digitalisation’s effects on 5 types of psycho-social risks at work, namely time pressures, poor relationships with colleagues, job insecurity, interaction with users, and irregular working hours. Digitalisation triggers an intensification of work, increasing time pressures. Furthermore, it recontextualizes organisational dynamics in the cyber-physical domain, disrupting social exchanges at work. Digitalisation determines greater job uncertainty, which is detrimental to work satisfaction. In order to curb psycho-social risks at work, health promotion measures are required, aimed at addressing the negative implications of digitalisation by restoring a ‘human touch’ in managing human resources. Disregarding the negative impact of digitalisation on employees’ well-being at work may undermine organisational viability in the post-COVID-19 era.