Positive psychological constructs promoting technology acceptance in organisations — ASN Events
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Positive psychological constructs promoting technology acceptance in organisations (#177)

Mariella Noriega Del Valle 1 , Karolina K Laba 1 , Claude- Helene C Mayer 1
  1. University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, GAUTENG, South Africa

Background:

Innovative organisational strategies require the adoption of new technologies with the intention of enabling successful business outcomes. These outcomes, are dependent on the rate in which the implemented technology is accepted and adopted by its employees. It has been found that 70% of tech-implementation failures are related to  reduced employee motivation to embrace the change (Burnes & Jackson, 2011). Psychological variables are under examined in these contexts and can become powerful enablers or barriers to technological acceptance.

Aims:

To identify positive psychological constructs which promote technological acceptance in organisations.

Method:  

A qualitative study, utilising non-random snowball sampling was used. 17 South African employees underwent semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was conducted on the data to provide insights into the aim via rich excerpts of the interview data.

Results:

Positive psychology constructs are present amongst individuals who are more accepting of technology. These positive psychology constructs serve as a psychological resource that determine successful employee technological adoption. Conversely, employees who were resistant to technology lacked these psychological resources. Positive psychological constructs which were evident amongst these employees, included psychological safety, psychological availability, organisational trust, positive emotions, self-efficacy, high frustration tolerance, among others.

Furthermore, these positive psychological constructs did not show differences amongst demographic groups (age, race, education, upbringing and gender).

Conclusion:

To maximise opportunities in the adoption of innovation, it is necessary to understand the psychological variables that impact the acceptance of technology. IOP practitioners, coaches, HR professionals and change managers must consider the employee individual experience to technological changes. Cultivating the identified positive psychological resources within employees during periods of transition is recommended to eliminate psychological barriers to technology and improve technological acceptance in organisations

  1. Hancock, B., Lazaroff-Puck, K., & Rutherford, S. (2020). Getting practical about the future of work. www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our- insights/getting-practical-about-thefuture-of-work
  2. • Burnes, B., & Jackson, P. (2011). Success and failure in organizational change: An exploration of the role of values. Journal of Change Management, 11(2), 133-162. doi:10.1080/14697017.2010.524655
  • Please select up to 3 keywords from the following list to best describe your submission content: Business and Organizations
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