Neurodiversity of the Workforce and Digital Transformation: Complementarity or Substitution?

Abstract

This paper analyses the productive complementarities between the digital transformation, the skills of neurodiverse workers and organisational practices of inclusion of neurodiverse workers. Based on a qualitative approach and interviews with leaders of neurodiversity initiatives, it identifies several ways by which the digital transformation may provide a context favourable to neurodiversity. This includes creating new opportunities for neurodiverse workers, valuing their cognitive differences and creativity, removing stereotypes and biases during the recruitment and improving the management of psycho-social risks. Neurodiversity management also contributes to the digital transformation through closing the digital skills shortage, shaping algorithms of artificial intelligence and providing a competitive advantage for firms to innovate. Most importantly, neurodiversity management provides an effective model of inclusion that can mitigate the development of inequalities associated with digital transformation. A new version of this paper is published: Emmanuelle Walkowiak, (2021) “Neurodiversity of the workforce and digital transformation: The case of inclusion of autistic workers at the workplace”, Technological Forecasting and Social Change,Volume 168, 120739, ISSN 0040-1625, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.120739.