Employees’ Perspectives on Digitalization-Induced Change: Exploring Frames of Industry 4.0

How do employees perceive strategic technology initiatives? Understanding this is crucial for attaining employees’ acceptance, and so for successful initiative implementation. Drawing on timely cases of digitalization-induced change initiatives triggered by Industry 4.0, the digital networking of the manufacturing industry, we investigate manufacturing employees’ thoughts and feelings with regard to this proclaimed fourth industrial revolution. We employ the Zaltman metaphor elicitation technique (ZMET), a semi-structured, in-depth interview format, to unearth individuals’ deep-seated beliefs and values, and thereby identify five distinct frames (utilitarian, functional, anthropocentric, traditional, and playful) which drive employees’ attitudes toward Industry 4.0. Based on this inductive approach and our further analysis of frame adoption patterns, we make a first step toward a cognitive theory on the perception of digitalization-induced change that foregrounds employees’ perspectives and helps us understand why and when certain employees accept digitalization-induced change, whereas others do not. Our findings inform managerial practice on (i) how to promote far-reaching digitalization initiatives across employees and (ii) how to address the individual employee via frame-contingent communication to increase the likelihood of successful implementation. Furthermore, our study adds to theory on cognitive frames, ambivalent attitudes toward change, and framing effectiveness. Finally, our study makes a methodological contribution by adapting ZMET, a market research technique (geared toward customers), to the manufacturing shop floor (geared toward employees).