Sociotechnical factors and Industry 4.0: an integrative perspective for the adoption of smart manufacturing technologies
Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management
ISSN: 1741-038X
Article publication date: 7 September 2021
Issue publication date: 23 February 2022
Abstract
Purpose
As the level of implementation of Industry 4.0 increases, misalignments between adopted technologies and organizational factors may result in benefits below expected. This paper aims to analyze how organizational factors can contribute to a higher level of adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies. The paper uses a sociotechnical perspective lens to achieve this aim.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a sample of 231 manufacturing companies in Denmark, a leading country in Industry 4.0 readiness, the paper analyzes through cluster analysis and logistic regression whether the development of four sociotechnical dimensions – that is, Social, Technical, Work Organization and Environmental factors – in these companies can benefit the achievement of higher levels of Industry 4.0 technology adoption.
Findings
The results show that companies focused on the development of sociotechnical aspects generally present higher Industry 4.0 adoption levels. However, some sociotechnical factors are less supportive than others.
Originality/value
Based on these results, practitioners can plan the adoption of advanced technologies, using a systemic organizational view. This study provides evidence on a growing field with few empirical studies available. The paper contributes by providing an analysis of a leading country in Industry 4.0 implementation, presenting a systemic view on technology adoption in the Industry 4.0 context.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the team of the Centre for Integrative Innovation Management (CI2M) at the University of Southern Denmark and Giacomo Liotta (†) for support with the initial data handling as well as helpful discussions and comments. Two of the authors of this project have received research funds from the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and one from the Research Coordination of the Brazilian Ministry of Education (CAPES).
Citation
Marcon, É., Soliman, M., Gerstlberger, W. and Frank, A.G. (2022), "Sociotechnical factors and Industry 4.0: an integrative perspective for the adoption of smart manufacturing technologies", Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, Vol. 33 No. 2, pp. 259-286. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMTM-01-2021-0017
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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