The implementation of digital transformation into a company (even more with the irruption of AI) is waves of fear and suspicion in people: the pertinazing fear of change is reinforced in this case by suspicion to the arrival of processes that processes that processes that processes that processes that … They can replace not only work performances, but the job itself.
In fact, up to 75% of digital transformation projects fail due to employee resistance. This is described by a study of the Faculty of Economic and Business Sciences of the Pontifical University Comillas (Comillas ICADE), conducted by Comillas Researcher Veronika Cieslak and Carmen Value, professor of Economics at the same institution, and published in the scientific journal ‘Cognent Business & Management’.
As Cieslak emphasizes, «our study identifies that employee resistance to digital transformation is not only due to the lack of technical skills, but also arises from threats perceived both to material resources (such as labor security) and intangible aspects (including autonomy, professional identity and social relationships) ».
Culture of change
Beyond the lack of technical skills, employees perceive, as indicated in the study, threats in key areas such as: «Labor insecurity: fear of being replaced by automation; Skills and Tecnoestrés gap: Anxiety for the demand to learn new tools constantly and loss of autonomy and professional identity: sensation of lower control over the work or reduction of its relevance within the company ».
The study also identifies four main roads through which this resistance circulates (“which is aggravated when employees feel that they will never reach the level of their most trained classmates, increasing their insecurity”): overload, decrease, decoding and isolation.
In any case, you have to go in parts, as Joana Sánchez, CEO and founder of Incipy, specialized in implementing digital transformation processes, responsible for the study ‘digital maturity index of the companies’ points out and that this week organizes a meeting on their Tenth ‘Digital Transformation Study & ia in RR.HH’. «Every time a company launches a new project in this regard (Comment Sánchez), it has to be accompanied by an adoption plan, preparation for change. In our case, we display the generative AI in companies, especially with co -pilot, virtual assistants that help you work, and in processes such as this we recommend being adaptable to change, since technology will help us … and if we resist the change , we will be less competitive to someone who does adopt it ».
Keys of use
Sanchez also highlights the importance of factors such as good internal communication, as well as the realization of pilots to favor adoption. Factors to which the social responsibility of the companies in the 21st century must be united: Use digital transformation to improve efficiency … without dismissing staff. As César Tello, general director of Adigital points out: «Digitization generates new job opportunities, but also transforms the way we work. Overcoming barriers to its implementation is crucial to fully take advantage of the potential of digitalization and build a more prosperous, inclusive and sustainable society ».
From Adigital They affect that only 4.4% of the employed population are ICT specialists, according to the latest European Commission ‘Digital Objective 2030’. “Therefore (Tello underlines) we must provide citizens and companies with the digital skills necessary to reduce the digital divide and promote employability, especially in the case of SMEs, 99% of our business fabric.” This implies investing in training programs adapted to the needs of each sector «as well as the collaboration between educational institutions, companies and public administration to promote learning throughout professional life as key strategies to prepare society for challenges and OPPORTUNITIES OF THE DIGITAL Age ».
Meanwhile, and as Cieslak describes, technology must be designed to empower instead of replacing: “intuitive and collaborative tools, together with communication spaces where employees can express concerns and participate in technological implementation, are key to successful adoption” .
A combination of technical training and emotional development (which encourages learning without fear of error), are part of the master formula to cross these waves of innovation. “It is essential (the researcher concludes) to adopt a more holistic approach that combines technical training with strategies that promote psychological security, trust and active participation of employees in technological implementation.”
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