Digital innovation in the workplace

Abstract

In the era of Adams Smith (1723–1790) and Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856–1915), the desire to improve workplace performance, employee monitoring, and operational efficiency through the adoption of scientific methods has been the focus of measurement engineers, factory managers, and management thinkers (Jacobs et al., 2004; Kwok, 2014; Rosenblat et al., 2014). A scientific method in the workplace is desirable because it assists organisations in identifying, fragmenting, and regimenting workflows to reach production targets (Sewell, 2005; Rosenblat et al., 2014). The quest for continuous improvement of the workplace is unending. In contemporary times, the phenomenon of digital innovation through smart technologies is a renewed attempt to improve workplace surveillance, productivity improvement, operational efficiency, reduction of operational risk, and maximisation of profits and competitiveness (Ball, 2010; Rosenblat et al., 2014). Beyond the theoretical benefits of digital innovation, several empirical findings explicate that the adoption of digital innovation in workplaces produces positive operational outcomes. For instance, Deloitte found that digital technologies in the workplace have improved financial performance and actualisation of business objectives by 22%(Malik, 2021). Almost two decades ago, Isa and Tsuru (2002) found that digital innovations introduced by leading electrical and electronic firms in Japan positively affected productivity, operating profit rates, and ordinary profit rates. Moreover, Palumbo (2021) found that workplace digitization positively contributes to enhancing employee–manager relationships, better employee involvement, and a positive impact on organisational performance. However, workplace digitization triggers a depersonalisation of workplaces and desensitises the social, organisational climate. In addition, digital innovation in the workplace