Courageous Cultures Embrace Automation: A Grounded Theory Investigation to Determine Individual Willingness to Adopt Automation in the Workplace

24 Pages Posted: 18 Sep 2019

See all articles by Cindy Goodwin-Sak

Cindy Goodwin-Sak

University of Missouri at Saint Louis

Colleen McClain-Mpofu

University of Missouri at Saint Louis

Michael Wieck

University of Missouri at Saint Louis

Honey Zimmerman

University of Missouri at Saint Louis

Stephanie Merritt

University of Missouri at Saint Louis

Date Written: September 5, 2019

Abstract

The objective of this research is to identify the primary factors that influence an individual’s willingness to adopt automation in the workplace. This is an important topic for anyone interested or responsible for implementing automation within an organization, regardless of scale or scope of the project. Using the grounded theory research method, the research team developed the Automation Adoption Theory by interviewing individuals in various industries and with various skill levels to understand the factors that influence their willingness to adopt and use automation in the workplace. We found that perceived necessity is a critical precursor for employees to willingly adopt automation. An organizational culture that encourages change and effective change management practices are essential factors for cooperative adoption of automation to occur.

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Suggested Citation

Goodwin-Sak, Cindy and McClain-Mpofu, Colleen and Wieck, Michael and Zimmerman, Honey and Merritt, Stephanie, Courageous Cultures Embrace Automation: A Grounded Theory Investigation to Determine Individual Willingness to Adopt Automation in the Workplace (September 5, 2019). Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Engaged Management Scholarship (2019), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3454062 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3454062

Cindy Goodwin-Sak

University of Missouri at Saint Louis ( email )

1 University Blvd.
St Louis, MO 63121
United States

Colleen McClain-Mpofu

University of Missouri at Saint Louis

1 University Blvd.
St Louis, MO 63121
United States

Michael Wieck (Contact Author)

University of Missouri at Saint Louis ( email )

1 University Blvd.
St Louis, MO 63121
United States

Honey Zimmerman

University of Missouri at Saint Louis ( email )

1 University Blvd.
St Louis, MO 63121
United States

Stephanie Merritt

University of Missouri at Saint Louis ( email )

1 University Blvd.
St Louis, MO 63121
United States

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