Skip to main content
Search
Search
    Quick Search anywhere
    Quick search in Citations
Advanced Search
Skip main navigationClose Drawer MenuOpen Drawer Menu
Previous article
Next article
Innovative Practice

Employees First, Technology Second

Implementation of Smart Glasses in a Manufacturing Company

Published Online:December 09, 2019https://doi.org/10.1026/0932-4089/a000292

Abstract

Abstract. Digitization and connectivity are hot topics for nearly every company today; numerous new technologies offer diverse options. In this project, a specific technology − smart glasses − was implemented in a manufacturing company. The implementation process was innovative, as the employees’ perspective was taken into account from the beginning, rather than solely designing the technological aspects and involving the users after decisions were taken. Employees involved with the new technology were surveyed to take into account the employees’ expectations and fears regarding work design characteristics. This allowed us to customize features of the smart glasses, adapt the work organization, and inform employees about unclear points concerning the implementation process. Moreover, the competencies required for future work were analyzed using a comprehensive work analysis method. We report the results of two quantitative studies and summarize the lessons learned from this project, which can serve as a guideline for other companies.


Die Einbindung der Beschäftigten als Erfolgsfaktor bei der Einführung von Datenbrillen in einem Produktionsunternehmen

Zusammenfassung. Digitalisierung und Vernetzung sind heutzutage hochaktuelle Themen in nahezu jedem Unternehmen; eine Vielzahl neuer Technologien bietet vielfältige Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten. Im Rahmen eines Projekts wurde eine spezifische Technologie, eine Datenbrille, in einem produzierenden Unternehmen eingeführt. Der Einführungsprozess war insofern innovativ gestaltet, als dass die Sicht der Beschäftigten von Anfang an berücksichtigt wurde, anstatt sich auf die technologischen Aspekte zu fokussieren und das System an den Nutzer anzupassen, nachdem alle Entscheidungen bereits getroffen wurden. Die betroffenen Beschäftigten wurden zu ihren Erwartungen und Befürchtungen befragt, um diese im Technologieeinführungsprozess adressieren zu können. Darüber hinaus wurden umfassende prospektive Anforderungsanalysen durchgeführt, um bedeutsame Kompetenzen für die zukünftige Nutzung der Datenbrillen zu identifizieren. Unser Vorgehen, die Beschäftigten frühzeitig stark in den Einführungsprozess einzubinden, ermöglichte es, arbeitnehmergerechte Entscheidungen zu treffen, die eine effiziente Nutzung der Technologie gewährleisten. Wir berichten die Ergebnisse zweier quantitativer Studien und fassen Handlungsempfehlungen zusammen, die weitere Unternehmen für die Implementierung neuer Technologien nutzen können.

Literatur

  • acatech. (2016). Kompetenzen für die Industrie 4.0: Qualifizierungsbedarfe und Lösungsansätze [Skills for industrie 4.0: Training requirements and solutions]. München: Herbert Utz Verlag. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Azuma, R. T. (1997). A survey of augmented reality. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 6, 355 – 385. https://doi.org/10.1162/pres.1997.6.4.355 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Bouckenooghe, D., Devos, G., & van den Broeck, H. (2009). Organizational Change Questionnaire – climate of change, processes, and readiness: Development of a new instrument. The Journal of Psychology, 143, 559 – 599. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980903218216 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Cascio, W. F., & Montealegre, R. (2016). How technology is changing work and organizations. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 3, 349 – 375. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-041015-062352 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Choi, M. (2011). Employees’ attitudes toward organizational change: A literature review. Human Resource Management, 50, 479 – 500. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.20434 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Colquitt, J. A., & Zipay, K. P. (2015). Justice, fairness, and employee reactions. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 2, 75 – 99. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-032414-111457 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Coovert, M. D., & Thompson, L. F. (2014). Toward a synergistic relationship between psychology and technology. In L. F. ThompsoM. D. Coovert (Eds.), The Psychology of Workplace Technology (pp. 1 – 21). New York, NY: Routledge. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 13, 319 – 340. https://doi.org/10.2307/249008 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Douglas, S. P., & Craig, C. S. (2007). Collaborative and iterative translation: An alternative approach to back translation. Journal of International Marketing, 15 (1), 30 – 43. https://doi.org/10.1509/jimk.15.1.030 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Due, B. L. (2014). The future of smart glasses: An essay about challenges and possibilities with smart glasses. Working Papers on Interaction and Communication, 1 (2), 1 – 21. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Eason, K. (2016). How to fail when introducing electronic technologies into organisations. 9th International Conference on Development in eSystems Engineering, 3 – 6. https://doi.org/10.1109/DeSE.2016.2 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Frey, D., Gerkhardt, M., & Fischer, P. (2008). Erfolgsfaktoren und Stolpersteine bei Veränderungen [Success factors and obstacles in change processes]. In R. FiscA. MülleD. Beck (Eds.), Veränderungen in Organisationen (pp. 281 – 299). Wiesbaden, Germany: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1975). Development of Job Diagnostic Survey. Journal of Applied Psychology, 60, 159 – 170. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0076546 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Hackman, J. R., & Oldham, G. R. (1976). Motivation through the design of work: Test of a theory. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 16, 250 – 279. https://doi.org/10.1016/0030-5073(76)90016-7 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Heider-Friedel, C., Strobel, A., & Westhoff, K. (2006). Anforderungsprofile zukunftsorientiert und systematisch entwickeln – Ein Bericht aus der Unternehmenspraxis zur Kombination des Bottom-up-und Top-down-Vorgehens bei der Anforderungsanalyse [Developing qualification profiles future-oriented and systematically – A business practice report about combining bottom-up and top-down procedures in requirements analysis]. Wirtschaftspsychologie, 1, 23 – 31. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Karrer, K., Glaser, C., Clemens, C., & Bruder, C. (2009). Technikaffinität erfassen – der Fragebogen TA-EG [Measuring technology affinity – the TA-EG questionnaire]. Der Mensch im Mittelpunkt technischer Systeme, 8, 196 – 201. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Koch, A., & Westhoff, K. (2012). Task-Analysis-Tools (TAToo) – Step-by-step support for successful job and work analysis. Lengerich, Germany: Pabst Science Publishers. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Kress, B., & Starner, T. (2013). A review of head-mounted displays (HMD) technologies and applications for consumer electronics. In A. A. KazemC. BernarS. Thibault (Eds.), Photonic applications for aerospace, commercial, and harsh environments IV: Proceedings of SPIE – The International Society for Optical Engineering (pp. 1 – 13). Baltimore, MD: The International Society for Optics and Photonics. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2015654 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Lapointe, L., & Rivard, S. (2005). A multilevel model of resistance to information technology implementation. MIS quarterly, 29, 461 – 491. https://doi.org/10.2307/25148692 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Limbu, B., Fominykh, M., Klemke, R., Specht, M., & Wild, F. (2018). Supporting training of expertise with wearable technologies: The WEKIT reference framework. In S. Yu (, M. Ally, & A. Tsinakos ), (Eds.), Mobile and ubiquitous learning. Perspectives on rethinking and reforming education (pp. 157 – 175). Singapore, Singapore: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6144-8_10 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Lines, R. (2004). Influence of participation in strategic change: Resistance, organizational commitment and change goal achievement. Journal of Change Management, 4, 193 – 215. https://doi.org/10.1080/1469701042000221696 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Maier G. W., Engels G., & Steffen, E. (Eds.). (2017). Handbuch Gestaltung digitaler und vernetzter Arbeitswelten [Handbook design of digital and interconnected work environments]. Berlin, Germany: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-52903-4 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Mlekus, L., Schlicher, K. D., & Maier, G. W. (2017). Kompetenzverlust oder Qualifizierungsbedarf – Welche Anforderungen stellt die digitale Arbeitswelt an Beschäftigte aus Produktion und Logistik? [Loss of competence or need for qualification – which demands does the digital work environment make towards employees in manufacturing and logistics?] Presented at the 10the Tagung der DGPs-Fachgruppe Arbeits-, Organisations- und Wirtschaftspsychologie, Dresden, Germany. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Morgeson, F. P., & Humphrey, S. E. (2006). The Work Design Questionnaire (WDQ): Developing and validating a comprehensive measure for assessing job design and the nature of work. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91, 1321 – 1339. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.91.6.1321 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Nettelstroth, W., & Schilling, G. (2018). Mitbestimmung 4.0: Die digitale Arbeit menschenwürdig gestalten [Co-determination 4.0: Designing digital work humanely]. In G. MaieG. EngelE. Steffen (Eds.), Handbuch Gestaltung digitaler und vernetzter Arbeitswelten (pp. 1 – 23). Berlin, Germany: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-52903-4_11-1 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Parker, S. K. (1998). Enhancing role breadth self-efficacy: The roles of job enrichment and other organizational interventions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 83, 835 – 852. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.83.6.835 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Parker, S. K., Morgeson, F. P., & Johns, G. (2017). One hundred years of work design research: Looking back and looking forward. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102, 403 – 420. https://doi.org/10.1037/ap10000106 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Rafferty, A. E., Jimmieson, N. L., & Armenakis, A. A. (2013). Change readiness: A multilevel review. Journal of Management, 39, 110 – 135. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206312457417 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Rauschnabel, P. A., Brem, A., & Ro, Y. (2015). Augmented reality smart glasses: Definition, conceptual insights, and managerial importance. Unpublished working paper, The University of Michigan-Dearborn, College of Business, Dearborn, MI. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Rauschnabel, P. A., & Ro, Y. K. (2016). Augmented reality smart glasses: An investigation of technology acceptance drivers. International Journal of Technology Marketing, 11, 123 – 148. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJTMKT.2016.075690 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Schlicher, K. D., Paruzel, A., Steinmann, B., & Maier, G. W. (2017). Change Management für die Einführung digitaler Arbeitswelten. In G. W. MaieG. EngelE. Steffen (Eds.), Handbuch Gestaltung digitaler und vernetzter Arbeitswelten [Change management for the implementation of digital work environments] (S. 1 – 36). Berlin, Germany: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-52903-4_16-1 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Stegmann, S., van Dick, R., Ullrich, J., Charalambous, J., Menzel, B., Egold, N., & Wu, T. T. C. (2010). Der Work Design Questionnaire [The Work Design Questionnaire]. Zeitschrift für Arbeits- und Organisationspsychologie, 54, 1 – 28. https://doi.org/10.1026/0932-4089/a000002 First citation in articleLink, Google Scholar

  • VDMA. (2016). Industrie 4.0 – Qualifizierung 2025 [Industry 4.0 – qualification 2025]. Retrieved from https://www.vdma.org/v2viewer/-/v2article/render/13668437 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Venkatesh, V., & Davis, F. D. (2000). A theoretical extension of the technology acceptance model: Four longitudinal field studies. Management Science, 46, 186 – 204. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.46.2.186.11926 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Wojewoda, S., & Hastie, S. (2015, October 4). Standish Group 2015 Chaos Report – Q&A with Jennifer Lynch [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://www.infoq.com/articles/standish-chaos-2015 First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Wu, H. K., Lee, S. W. Y., Chang, H. Y., & Liang, J. C. (2013). Current status, opportunities and challenges of augmented reality in education. Computers & Education, 62, 41 – 49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.10.024 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar