Gaining and Training a Digital Colleague: Employee Responses to Robotization

Abstract

This study shows how introducing new technology can be like welcoming a digital colleague. Designed to mimic the actions of employees, robotic process automation is a technology that involves developing software robots to perform standardized tasks. Although beneficial for the firm, robotization may come at a cost for the employees, since the technology puts positions at risk by automating manual procedures. In this study, I used a case study approach to examine how employees responded to robotization in three organizations. The findings revealed that the employee responses were overwhelmingly constructive and positive. In addition to responding with a big-picture perspective and finding opportunities, the employees humanized software robots as new digital colleagues, with whom they developed relationships. The results discussed in this study contribute to understanding technology-driven change by empirically illustrating employees’ multidimensional—affective, behavioral, and cognitive—responses to robotization, and the supportive context securing implementation.