Staff training as a determining factor in the adoption of 4.0 technologies in the furniture sector

Resumen

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is seen as a new industrial stage in which the integration of manufacturing processes, both vertical and horizontal, as well as product connectivity can help companies achieve higher performance and profits (Dalenogare et al., 2018).However, although I4.0 is associated with benefits for products, operations and other secondary aspects, there are many sectors that have yet to integrate it, especially those sectors commonly known as traditional sectors, e.g., furniture. The reason why these traditional sectors tend to lag in terms of technology adoption is often due to multiple factors such as their limited infrastructure available to integrate Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), their business culture, the level of training of their workforce, their perceived economic and political instability as well as their lack of investment in advanced technologies (Frank et al., 2016).When developing a process of adoption and diffusion of a technological innovation, one factor that can be relevant is the level of training of workers. In general, one of the main concerns when implementing digitalisation is more about people than technology. Many studies show a high percentage of organisations with a lack of training and internal digital culture (Marín Alcalá, 2015; Romero Gázquez et al., 2020).In general, technological changes imply the need for professional change, both in terms of specialisation and professional retraining (Cruz Villalón, 2017). Thus, the skills or knowledge that workers have to instantly take advantage of the new I4.0 opportunities can determine their implementation in the organisation (Hernádez de Cos, 2020).The furniture sector, among other traditional industries, is an example of a sector with a low-skilled profile, especially in areas related to digitalisation. Generally, there may be some middle management with an intermediate or higher degree, but the production lines are usually made up of staff with little or no academic training (AIDIMME et al., 2018).Therefore, the training of workers will be key to integrating 4.0 technologies in companies in the furniture sector and through a TOE model, the aim is to show whether the training of workers is a factor that enhances or inhibits the integration of 4.0 technology.