Designing health-promoting digitalisation processes in organisations
Scientific overview of demands and support factors for employees
Objective:
Digitalisation processes can bring about far-reaching changes in how work is organised and influence the working conditions of employees. This review article examines the demands and support factors which employees experience in the course of such digitalisation processes and how these can be designed in a way that promotes health.
Methods:
A systematic literature search in the PubMed and Web of Science databases was conducted. German and English-language studies published from the year 2013 onwards which examined specific digitalisation measures/projects in companies or public institutions and described results on the impact of digitalisation processes on employees or with regard to process design were included. The results were presented as a qualitative summary.
Results:
Overall, nine studies were included in the review. A lack of goals, strategies and responsibilities for the implementation of digitalisation measures, a lack of transparency, increased workload as well as insufficient support and time resources can be perceived as demanding by employees. Conversely, comprehensive information, active involvement, the provision of training and support at technical level and by supervisors comprise support factors in the process. Accordingly, the preparation and organisation of the process, personnel resources, support measures, participation and communication offer relevant opportunities for a health-promoting design of the digitalisation project.
Conclusions:
Organisations should consider and help shape potential impacts of digitalisation processes for their employees right from the beginning of the measure. This can be achieved by understanding the implementation of digitalisation measures as a holistic process which requires change management and change leadership.
