Industry 4.0 and new forms of work organization: an analysis of the perspective of decision-makers from an automotive manufacturer

Abstract

In the current framework of Industry 4.0 technological transformations, the viewpoint of those who integrate the workplaces being transformed is frequently dismissed. Therefore, this paper explores decision-makers’ views concerning such changes and their impacts, considering they also have the power to act on how these processes are employed. The study was developed at an automotive manufacturer in Portugal, through 26 semi-structured interviews. Our findings come to show the decision-makers’ perspectives regarding how work is organized, their own operational leeway to manage new work demands stemming from the human-technology interaction, and the perceived impacts of technological change. These results shed light on how technological introduction interacts with the daily conflict to manage productivity and quality demands with health and well-being at work. This will support the next phases of the research, which will include workers from different areas of the company.