The impact of culture on the acceptance of Industry 4.0 technologies in Greek organisations: An empirical investigation of a lean digital transformation

Purpose– In the digital era, studying how employees interact with technology and what the role of nmanagement can be to foster this interaction are of the utmost strategic importance. In this sense, the purpose of this study is to measure the impact of a lean and digital form of organisational culture on the intention to use Industry 4.0 technologies.
Design/methodology/approach– This research draws on the socio-technical systems and the technology acceptance theories to analyse and measure people’s attitudes on the road to digital transformation supported by lean principles. A comprehensive review of the literature led to the composition of a research model that highlights the intention to use digital technologies as a composite construct of effort expectancy, performance expectancy, and social influence moderated by user resistance and anxiety. An empirical survey was launched in Greek organisations over a threemonth period. 452 usable responses were collected by employees of different positions and ranks. The validity of the integrated measurement model was then confirmed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).
Findings – Research limitations/implications– The results show a positive and significant relationship between lean-digital organisational culture and the intention to use Industry 4.0 technologies. Future research could test the model in other locations to increase generalisability.
Practical implications– From a practical viewpoint, the validated model can aid decision-makers by providing a foundation for developing targeted action plans to facilitate technology adoption.
Originality/value– This study is pioneering in bringing together the technology adoption intention and a particular organisational culture that merges lean management and digital transformation, offering novel insights to managers and researchers.

organisational culture; digital transformation; Industry 4.0; lean management; UTAUT; theory of acceptance; socio-technical system