Digital transformation in the workplace: the impact on frontline employees and line managers

Abstract

As organisations embark on digital transformation (DT) strategies to improve customer service, employee propensity to adopt technology will be critical to its success. The purpose of this paper is to explore acceptance levels in frontline employees and line managers towards DT by integrating the resistance to change scale with the technology acceptance model. A mixed method design was employed, measuring the constructs and exploring employee perceptions of DT. An employee sample (n = 72) completed the questionnaires, revealing no statistically significant relationship between the constructs. The relationship between perceived ease of use and role title was found to be statistically significant. Interview responses identified employee emotions to be a key factor in explaining this, stemming from poor communication, engagement and training. The implications and suggestions for future research will be discussed in this paper.