Facilitating Employee Acceptance of Digital Technologies: A Theoretical Framework and Research Agenda

New digital technologies differ significantly from previous ones as they involve profound changes in the connection and integration between various actors, processes and technologies. To effectively explain and facilitate digital transformation in industrial settings, it is essential to examine the reasons behind employees' acceptance or rejection of digital technologies. In doing so, academics and practitioners may be able to gain insight into the most effective methods for engaging employees in the implementation of new technologies and maximizing their capabilities. Leveraging the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), this paper develops a systematic literature review on the acceptance of digital technologies to (1) identify and describe the key antecedents influencing employee acceptance and/or resistance towards digital technologies; (2) analyze the extent to which the model antecedents and constructs have been used in previous studies; and (3) develop a framework for comprehensively understanding the acceptance of digital technologies in manufacturing organizations. This study aims to accomplish these objectives while highlighting notable deviations from previous research on technology acceptance and digital transformation.