Popescu, I ina Alina e al.
A icle
The new sociopoli ical and economic dynamics o
digi alisa ion and au oma ion in Romania's au omo i e
indus y
Am i ea u Economic
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
The Bucha es Uni e si y o Economic S udies
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Popescu, I ina Alina e al. (2025) : The new sociopoli ical and economic dynamics
o digi alisa ion and au oma ion in Romania's au omo i e indus y, Am i ea u Economic, ISSN
2247-9104, The Bucha es Uni e si y o Economic S udies, Bucha es , Vol. 27, Iss. 68, pp. 55-75,
h ps://doi.o g/10.24818/EA/2025/68/55
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T ans o ma ions o he Socio-Poli ical-Economic Sys ems a he Con luence
wi h New Technologies: Re isi ing he “Libe alism Ve sus S a ism” Dilemma
in he Con ex o he Indus ial Re olu ion 4.0
AE
Vol. 27 • No. 68 • Feb ua y 2025 55
THE NEW SOCIOPOLITICAL AND ECONOMIC DYNAMICS
OF DIGITALISATION AND AUTOMATION
IN ROMANIA'S AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
I ina Alina Popescu1
*
, I ina Elena Ion2, Klá a Če máko á3,
Radu C is ian Mușe escu4, Ramona Iulia Dieaconescu5
and Ana-Ma ia Ma inoiu6
1)2)4)5)6) Bucha es Uni e si y o Economic S udies, Romania
3) P ague Uni e si y o Economics, Czech Republic
Please ci e his a icle as:
Popescu, I.A., Ion, I.E., Če máko á, K., Mușe escu,
R.C., Dieaconescu, R.I. and Ma inoiu, A.M., 2025. The
New Sociopoli ical and Economic Dynamics o
Digi alisa ion and Au oma ion in Romania’s
Au omo i e Indus y. Am i ea u Economic, 27(68),
pp. 55-.75
DOI: h ps://doi.o g/10.24818/EA/2025/68/55
A icle His o y
Recei ed: 28 Sep embe 2024
Re ised: 10 No embe 2024
Accep ed: 20 Decembe 2024
Abs ac
The Fou h Indus ial Re olu ion, cha ac e ised by he con e gence o digi al, biological,
and physical inno a ions, is undamen ally ans o ming indus ies, economies, and he
e y ab ic o socie y. This s udy ocusses on he Romanian au omo i e indus y - a sec o
a he o e on o echnological dis up ion, examining he impac o digi alisa ion and
au oma ion (D&A) on he labou ma ke and he b oade socie al implica ions. Fi s , his
esea ch examines he pe cep ions and expe iences o employees and ade union
ep esen a i es wi hin his indus y, add essing c i ical issues such as changes in wo king
condi ions, job secu i y, wo kload, and wo kplace sa e y. Second, his s udy discusses how
hese i m-le el changes in D&A in o m he eme ging poli ical economy o digi alisa ion in
Romania, wi h a special emphasis on he ongoing deba e be ween libe alism and s a ism.
The esea ch is based on he analysis o seconda y sou ces, as well as he analysis and
in e p e a ion o aluable p ima y da a collec ed h ough he semi-s uc u ed in e iew
me hod, explo ed in dep h wi h he help o la en con en analysis. The indings o his
s udy indica e a p edominan ly posi i e pe cep ion o D&A implemen a ion, bu a e
accompanied by se e al challenges, especially changes in wo king condi ions and he
*
Co esponding au ho , I ina Alina Popescu – e-mail: [email p o ec ed]
This is an Open Access a icle dis ibu ed unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons
A ibu ion License, which pe mi s un es ic ed use, dis ibu ion, and ep oduc ion in any
medium, p o ided he o iginal wo k is p ope ly ci ed. © 2025 The Au ho (s).
AE
The New Sociopoli ical and Economic Dynamics o Digi alisa ion
and Au oma ion in Romania’s Au omo i e Indus y
56 Am i ea u Economic
na u e o manage ial wo k. Findings o e insigh s in o he in e sec ion o echnological
p og ess and sociopoli ical dynamics and highligh he need o inno a i e, well- a ge ed
public policies o manage hese ans o ma ions, such as indus ial, labou ma ke , and
con inuing educa ion policies, also in i ing us o imagine a new social economy o
ad anced echnological p og ess in he con ex o he Fou h Indus ial Re olu ion.
Keywo ds: digi alisa ion, au oma ion, labou ma ke , echnology, sociopoli ical economic
sys ems, au omo i e indus y
JEL Classi ica ion: O33, P16, J23, J24
In oduc ion
The dawn o he Fou h Indus ial Re olu ion, cha ac e ised by he usion o digi al,
biological, and physical inno a ions, has ushe ed in an e a o unp eceden ed echnological
ad ancemen , b inging socie y in he ace o a much ea ed ‘ obo ic b u ali y’ (P ainsack,
2020, p. 439). This echnological leap o wa d, in which digi alisa ion and au oma ion
(D&A) play a signi ican ole, is eshaping indus ies and economies, also al e ing
undamen ally he ab ic o socie y, he wel a e s a e, and, on he o e all, socioeconomic
and poli ical sys ems. This conjec u e has inspi ed, s a ing wi h he 2000s, a buoyan
scien i ic li e a u e on he ela ion be ween echnology and socioeconomic and poli ical
ans o ma ions (Eichho s e al., 2020; B yan and Williams, 2021; Busemeye e al., 2022;
Colling on, 2022; Acemoglu, 2023; Bucu and Rus, 2024). Based on heo e ical g ound,
hese ad ancemen s a e also e i alising he age-old deba e be ween libe alism and s a ism,
a ension ha has long been a cen al heme in poli ical and economic discou se. This
cen al dilemma has esu aced wi h enewed igou and complexi y in he policy a ena and
in esea ch (Azoulay e al., 2019; Ridley, 2020; Busemeye e al., 2022; Acemoglu, 2023).
This deba e is pa icula ly pe inen in Eu ope, whe e he adi ion o social democ acy
o en s ands in con as o mo e libe al ma ke -o ien ed app oaches and whe e he e is an
inc eased social in es men , al hough o di e en deg ees o he membe s a es
(Busemeye e al., 2022). I un il ecen ly echnology was no he main ca alys o wel a e
egimes, now a new poli ical economy o digi alisa ion and a new economy o he wel a e
s a e a e silen ly eme ging (Eichho s e al., 2020; Ridley, 2020; Colling on, 2022). S ill,
despi e he esea ch ‘en husiasm’ o hese pe spec i es, he logic o he digi al economy,
i s u u e zei geis , social con ac , and policy ins umen s emain a he unclea
(Colling on, 2022; Busemeye e al., 2022) in wo ldwide social sciences, including
Romania, in which his ype o scien i ic p eoccupa ion is limi ed and agmen ed. In his
con ex , his s udy add esses hese esea ch gaps by p o iding an in-dep h analysis o he
impac o eme ging echnologies, speci ically D&A, on sociopoli ical and economic
sys ems, wi h a ocus on he labou ma ke in he au omo i e indus y, cu en ly a he
o e on o echnological dis up ion.
This esea ch add esses a signi ican gap in he academic li e a u e on he impac o
digi alisa ion and au oma ion (D&A) on he wo k o ce in he au omo i e indus y by
ocussing on he employees and union leade s om a local con ex (Romania), a dimension
no explo ed in exis ing esea ch. Al hough se e al p e ious s udies (Tü kes e al., 2019;
Csé al ay, 2020) ha e analysed he gene al implica ions o D&A on he wo k o ce, hese
do no p o ide a de ailed unde s anding o indi idual-le el dynamics, such as he speci ic
collabo a i e a i udes o p oduc ion line employees o con ex ual union s a egies.
T ans o ma ions o he Socio-Poli ical-Economic Sys ems a he Con luence
wi h New Technologies: Re isi ing he “Libe alism Ve sus S a ism” Dilemma
in he Con ex o he Indus ial Re olu ion 4.0
AE
Vol. 27 • No. 68 • Feb ua y 2025 57
Fu he mo e, hey do no add ess he implica ions o D&A on sociopoli ical and economic
sys ems, ocusing mos ly on he poin e ec s o eme ging echnologies. This gap is
conce ning gi en he indus y’s impo an ole in he na ional economy and labou ma ke .
The limi ed explo a ion o D&A’s implica ions in Romania, coupled wi h he challenges o
implemen ing Eu opean social p o ec ion policies, highligh s he need o mo e
comp ehensi e esea ch. This s udy makes a aluable con ibu ion by iden i ying unique
aspec s, such as he p essu e o digi ised wo k pace, he ede ini ion o supe ision h ough
ad anced echnologies, and he in eg a ion o eluc an employees. This le el o
g anula i y, in combina ion wi h local empi ical da a, expands heo e ical and p ac ical
discussions abou how D&A shapes wo king condi ions and p o ides new di ec ions o
policies o he equi able deploymen o echnologies.
In his con ex , his s udy aims o examine how D&A changes can in o m he new poli ical
economy o digi alisa ion in Romania, wi h a pa icula ocus on e isi ing he libe alism
e sus s a ism dilemma. The deg ee o no el y and o iginali y o he a icle is pa icula ly
gi en by wo essen ial dimensions o ou esea ch. Fi s , we explo ed he e ec s o D&A as
pe cei ed by employees in he au omo i e indus y, who a e among he mos a ec ed
s akeholde s by echnological change. This esea ch di ec ion ocused on changes in
wo king condi ions, job losses, wo kload, and wo k sa e y. Second, he esea ch p oposes a
scien i ic e lec ion on he in e sec ion be ween D&A e ec s and sociopoli ical and
economic o ganisa ion, wi h an emphasis on e-discussing he classic libe alism-s a ism
dilemma. The achie emen o hese esea ch objec i es is based, om a me hodological
poin o iew, on he collec ion o p ima y da a h ough semi-s uc u ed in e iews
conduc ed wi h 21 employees, bo h in managemen and execu ion posi ions, some o hem
ade union ep esen a i es, om wo la ge manu ac u e s (‘P od. 1’, ‘P od. 2’) and a
componen supplie company (‘Supplie ’) om he au omo i e sec o in Romania. The
in e iews we e ca ied ou in he con ex o he Eu opean unded p ojec BARMETAL
(Digi alisa ion, Au oma isa ion, and Deca bonisa ion: Oppo uni y o S eng hening
Collec i e Ba gaining in he Me al Sec o ) implemen ed by he Bucha es Uni e si y o
Economic S udies in he pe iod 2022-2024. Da a analysis and in e p e a ion we e
conduc ed wi hin he amewo k o plu alis ic economic hough , using a quali a i e
esea ch me hodology o explo e pa icipan s’ pe cep ions and e lec on he impac o
D&A on socio-poli ical and economic sys ems.
Nex , he s udy p esen s he cu en s a e o knowledge and he esea ch me hodological
amewo k, ollowed by he exposi ion and in e p e a ion o he scien i ic esul s ega ding
he pe cei ed e ec s o D&A, wi h an emphasis on explo ing how hese in luence
con empo a y sociopoli ical and economic sys ems, hus e i alising he dilemma classic
libe alism – s a ism. The concluding sec ion sugges s bo h he need and some o he
possibili ies o a new social economy o ad anced echnological p og ess capable o
mee ing he cu en challenges posed by D&A.
1. Li e a u e e iew
The ela ionship o sociopoli ical and economic sys ems wi h echnology began o be
explo ed in he scien i ic li e a u e s a ing in he 2000s, as esea che s inc easingly
ecognised he signi ican impac ha echnological ad ancemen s, pa icula ly in
digi alisa ion and au oma ion (D&A), can ha e on economic s uc u es, labou ma ke s, and
AE
The New Sociopoli ical and Economic Dynamics o Digi alisa ion
and Au oma ion in Romania’s Au omo i e Indus y
58 Am i ea u Economic
go e nance. This body o wo k has expanded o examine how hese echnologies eshape
powe dynamics, in luence policy decisions, and d i e socioeconomic inequali ies,
highligh ing he complex ela ionship be ween echnological inno a ion and socie al
change (see, o example, Busemeye e al., 2022; Tinmaz and Fanea-I ano ici, 2023).
Cu en ly, p oduc ion jobs a e pa icula ly a isk due o au oma ion and he use o obo s in
ac o ies. Howe e , he se ices sec o is also unde going signi ican changes as new so wa e
p oduc s a e in oduced (Acemoglu and Res epo, 2019). Addi ionally, D&A a e d i ing an
inc eased demand o high quali ica ions and digi al skills (The Council o he Eu opean
Union, 2023). A he same ime, he demand o nonau oma ed jobs is inc easing, wi h new
employmen oppo uni ies eme ging (Acemoglu and Res epo, 2018, 2019). In his con ex ,
echnological p og ess has come o exe a powe ul in luence on income dis ibu ion,
mone a y, and social inequali y, and consequen ly, on edis ibu ion policies and social
in e en ion (P e ne and S ulik, 2020; B yan and Williams, 2021; Acemoglu, 2023).
The social p o ec ion sys em and social dialogue a e impo an ins umen s o educing job
pola isa ion, adi ionally pa o he a chi ec u e o many Eu opean wel a e s a es. Fo
example, ecen Eu opean legisla ion (such as Di ec i e (EU) 2019/1152 on T anspa en
and P edic able Wo king Condi ions in he Eu opean Union) suppo s he e i al o he
adi ion o labou ela ions and social dialogue, wi h he inal goal o p o iding imp o ed
social p o ec ion (Eu opean Union, 2019). Se e al au ho s (P ainsack, 2020; Busemeye e
al., 2022) ha e u ged o no el and be e a icula ed social and legal no ms and ins i u ions
adap ed o eme ging echnological changes, such as policies o he labou ma ke , aining,
educa ion, and wel a e (Eichho s e al., 2020).
Howe e , hese policies mus be in o med by empi ical e idence. A he Eu opean le el,
se e al p og ammes a e al eady in p ac ice o add ess he challenges posed by Indus y 4.0
and suppo wo ke s’ adap a ion o echnological change, including in he au omo i e
sec o . D&A e ec s a e especially p onounced in he labou ma ke s and a he i m le el,
a ec ing he employees. The e ec s on he labou ma ke a e mainly gene a ed by he ac
ha D&A inc ease capi al and labou p oduc i i y, also changing hei alloca ion o
p oduc ion. A he company le el, hese e ec s could ma e ialise in p oduc i i y gains and
imp o ed inancial esul s (Accia ini e al., 2022). S ill, many o he complex changes a e
a ec ing bo h indi idual ac o s and holis ically he en i e ma ke , such as a massi e
ans o ma ion in he na u e o wo k. In his sense, changes in impo an business unc ions,
such as managemen and con ol, we e signalled in he di ec ion o ‘in ensi ica ion’ o
manage ial wo k, he use o linea con ol me hods, and digi alised da a (Bonekamp and
Su e, 2015). In some cases, da a on wo ke s’ p oduc i i y a e p o ided di ec ly by di e en
gadge s wo e by wo ke s a wo k, which moni o in eal ime hei ac ions and
pe o mances, sugges ing he isks o ope a ing a ‘supe panop icon’ (Pos e , 1990)
designed o pe manen su eillance. In ensi ied supe ision leads o a dec ease in wo ke
con ol and au onomy (Moo e e al., 2017; C ouch, 2018). In gene al, some e ec s o D&A
a he company le el ha e been iewed posi i ely, including inc eased in e depa men al
and in e disciplina y eamwo k, g ea e lexibili y a wo k, imp o ed employee well-being,
enhanced elewo king op ions, be e wo k-li e balance, and mo e e icien communica ion
(Bonekamp and Su e, 2015; Jaso a and Kade abko a, 2021).
Howe e , o he e ec s ha e also been pe cei ed nega i ely, such as p eca ious
employmen , low social p o ec ion, aliena ion o wo ke s, and unau ho ised da a usage
(Accia ini e al., 2022). O he changes impac ing employees, companies, and ma ke s ela e
T ans o ma ions o he Socio-Poli ical-Economic Sys ems a he Con luence
wi h New Technologies: Re isi ing he “Libe alism Ve sus S a ism” Dilemma
in he Con ex o he Indus ial Re olu ion 4.0
AE
Vol. 27 • No. 68 • Feb ua y 2025 59
o wo ke s' compe encies and job pola isa ion (Ce ulo e al., 2023). Job pola isa ion
ypically occu s be ween hose in medium-skilled occupa ions and hose in low-skilled
jobs, which a e mo e suscep ible o au oma ion (Balsmeie and Woe e , 2019; Eichho s e
al., 2020). Fo he au omo i e indus y, a ious socioeconomic e ec s o digi alisa ion and
au oma ion (D&A) ha e been iden i ied, including impac s on employmen , pa icula ly an
inc eased demand o a skilled and educa ed labou o ce (Ce ulo e al., 2023). Ad anced
p oduc ion echnologies eplace manual wo k in p epa a o y asks, such as welding and
mechanical ac i i ies. A he same ime, new occupa ions, especially in ICT and
enginee ing, o ien a ed owa d os e ing inno a ion, a e c ea ed in he sec o .
The exis ing li e a u e in es iga ing he e ec s o D&A in he con ex o Romania is highly
agmen ed, dealing, o example, wi h he digi alisa ion o public se ices and
adminis a ion (Panai and Rădoi, 2021; Popescu e al., 2023) o he e ec s o D&A a
company le el (Iliescu, 2020; Szen esi e al., 2021; Pînza u e al., 2022; S oica e al., 2022).
Rega ding he esea ch on he adop ion o new echnologies in he au omo i e sec o in
Romania, he exis ing s udies a e s ill ew ( o example, Tü kes e al., 2019 o Csé al ay,
2020), and hese do no add ess he e ec s o D&A on sociopoli ical and economic
sys ems. Tü keș e al. (2019), o example, su eyed he opinions o manage s o small and
medium sized companies in Romania ega ding echnology in he au omo i e sec o . They
ound ha manage s had a high le el o knowledge o he equi emen s o ad anced
echnologies and he willingness o use such echnology. Howe e , ba ie s such as limi ed
esou ces, insu icien manpowe , and he p essu es de i ed om con inuous employee
educa ion impeded he adop ion o new echnologies. Csé al ay (2020) poin ed ou ha in
Cen al and Eas e n Eu opean coun ies, including Romania, indus ial obo s a e used in a
less sophis ica ed manne . Especially used in p oduc ion, obo s a e concen a ed in he
au omo i e sec o , pe o ming less inno a i e assembly ope a ions. The ela i ely high use
o obo s in he men ioned egion depends on he esul s o localisa ion s a egies o
Wes e n companies, as is also he case o hei business s a egies (Guga, 2023).
The sca ci y in he ield con as s wi h he social and economic impo ance o he
Romanian au omo i e sec o , which occupies a cen al ole in he Romanian economy.
Manu ac u ing and ade in he au omo i e indus y a e es ima ed o con ibu e 28% o he
Romanian g oss domes ic p oduc and 26% o Romanian expo s (E ns , 2022; Popescu and
Ion, 2024). In 2023, he sec o employed 5.8 % o he Romanian labou o ce, which is
equi alen o 163,000 wo ke s, acco ding o Eu os a (2024).
An a icula ed academic e lec ion on he in e sec ion be ween eme ging echnologies and
sociopoli ical and economic o ganisa ion has been missing om he academic deba e in
Romania. Simila ly, consis en and dedica ed public deba e o p og ammes add essing he
speci ic changes p oduced by echnological ad ancemen in he au omo i e sec o a e
cu en ly absen (Guga, 2023). The Romanian wel a e s a e mainly sha es he
cha ac e is ics o he Cen al and Eas e n Eu opean model o wel a e, based on a educed
public inancial capaci y, lowe social p o ec ion, and lowe democ a ic pa icipa ion
(Alexopoulou e al., 2022). A e he all o he communis egime, he Romanian wel a e
s a e has unde gone deep and ab up ans o ma ions, mos ly ma ked by a p onounced
neolibe al o ien a ion, complemen ed, howe e , by well-de ined, s ill unde - inanced,
social, and edis ibu i e policies. F om his ‘dualised wel a e sys em’ (Raț e al., 2019),
mixed esul s ha e eme ged, bo h in e ms o economic achie emen and social p o ec ion.
AE
The New Sociopoli ical and Economic Dynamics o Digi alisa ion
and Au oma ion in Romania’s Au omo i e Indus y
60 Am i ea u Economic
Fu he mo e, he e a e di icul ies in educing po e y and inequali y and p o iding
e ec i e social p o ec ion o ulne able ca ego ies (Ban, 2016; Raț e al., 2019). A he
Eu opean le el, Eu opean policies also e lec a hyb id app oach ha combines elemen s o
bo h libe al ma ke p inciples and s a e in e en ion, sugges ing a gene al shi in he
di ec ion o inc easing social in es men , as discussed by he schola ly li e a u e (Ridley,
2020; Eichho s e al., 2020; Colling on, 2022). Also, hese measu es illus a e a changing
ole o he s a e owa d maximising employabili y and p oduc i i y, meanwhile, p o iding
ex an e suppo o wo ke s, a he han ex pos (Eichho s e al., 2020). In his con ex , his
discussion emphasises he need o a mo e comp ehensi e unde s anding o how
echnological p og ess in luences he b oade sociopoli ical and economic sys ems,
pa icula ly in c ucial sec o s like au omo i e manu ac u ing.
2. Resea ch me hodology
The main objec i e o he esea ch is o analyse he impac o digi alisa ion and au oma ion
(D&A) on sociopoli ical and economic sys ems, wi h a special ocus on he labou ma ke
in he au omo i e indus y in Romania. The esea ch aims o p o ide a deep unde s anding
o how hese eme ging echnologies in luence economic s uc u es, wo king condi ions, job
secu i y, and sociopoli ical dynamics in he con ex o he au omo i e indus y. The
esea ch also aims o explo e he dilemma be ween libe alism and s a ism wi hin he new
poli ical economy o au oma ion.
This s udy uses an induc i e easoning and quali a i e esea ch me hodology, since i
allows o a de ailed explo a ion o he pe cep ions and expe iences o s akeholde s in he
au omo i e indus y, in ou case, au omo i e indus y employees. Induc i e easoning is a
me hod o e alua ing quali a i e da a ha is d i en by a se o empi ical obse a ions o be
analysed wi h he objec i e o iden i ying heo e ical pa e ns. Resea ch begins wi h a opic
and le s da a guide heo y de elopmen . The main pu pose o he induc i e me hod is o
allow esea ch indings o eme ge om p ima y da a wi hou being cons ained by o mal
me hodologies (Thomas, 2006). Using quali a i e esea ch allows us o explo e in dep h he
complex nuances o pe sonal pe cep ions and expe iences ega ding sensi i e aspec s o
D&A in he au omo i e indus y, as sugges ed by a ious au ho s (G osso e al., 2021;
Accia ini e al., 2022). Also, a quali a i e app oach allows us o con ex ualise he changes
ela ed o D&A acco ding o he speci ics o he Romanian au omo i e indus y, in he
con ex whe e he economic, poli ical, and social condi ions signi ican ly in luence he way
in which D&A a e implemen ed and pe cei ed.
The me hod o semi-s uc u ed in e iews is ecognised as a lexible and adap able
echnique o ob ain in-dep h in o ma ion abou esponden s’ pe spec i es and expe iences
o he esponden s. I combines igid s uc u al elemen s (p ede ined ques ions) wi h he
lexibili y o explo e eme ging opics du ing he discussion (Pa on, 2002; K ale and
B inkmann, 2009; B yman, 2016). In his s udy, he in e iew guide included p ede ined
ques ions o co e key hemes (e.g., employee pe cep ions o D&A, changes in wo king
condi ions), bu also allowed lexibili y o explo e eme ging opics, such as pe cei ed
p essu e in he con ex o digi alised pace o wo k. This app oach ensu ed he collec ion o
ich and nuanced da a, acco ding o he me hodological ecommenda ions in he specialised
li e a u e. The in e iew guide was p o ided by he coo dina o o he conso ium o
T ans o ma ions o he Socio-Poli ical-Economic Sys ems a he Con luence
wi h New Technologies: Re isi ing he “Libe alism Ve sus S a ism” Dilemma
in he Con ex o he Indus ial Re olu ion 4.0
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Vol. 27 • No. 68 • Feb ua y 2025 61
ins i u ions whe e he esea ch was ca ied ou and was based on he concep ual amewo k
de eloped p e iously, wi hin he BARMETAL esea ch p ojec .
The i s s age o he esea ch in ol ed ex ensi e documen a ion ela ed o he
sociopoli ical and economic con ex o he Romanian au omo i e indus y, as well as
cu en ends in D&A, analysing au omo i e indus y epo s, academic s udies, Eu opean
and na ional legisla ion, and o icial s a is ics. In he second s age, p ima y da a was
collec ed h ough semi-s uc u ed in e iews wi h 21 execu i e and manage ial employees,
some o whom we e union ep esen a i es, om wo ca manu ac u e s (he ea e e e ed
o as ‘P od. 1’ and ‘P od. 2’) and an au omo i e componen supplie company (he ea e
e e ed o as ‘Supplie ’). Da a we e collec ed be ween Feb ua y and Oc obe 2023. The
demog aphic p o ile o he esponden s can be ound in Table no. 1.
Table no. 1. Responden s’ demog aphic da a
Responden
code
Company
Func ion
T ade union
membe
Gende (M/F)
Age (yea s)
Educa ion
R1
Supplie
Gene al Di ec o
No
M
55
Highe educa ion
R2
Supplie
Technical Di ec o
No
M
36
Highe educa ion
R3
Supplie
Milling machine ope a o
No
M
37
Seconda y educa ion/pos -
seconda y
R4
Supplie
Machine ope a o
No
M
30
Highe educa ion
R5
P od. 1
P oduc ion line ope a o
Yes
M
40
Seconda y educa ion/pos -
seconda y
R6
P od. 1
Quali y con olle
Yes
M
28
Seconda y educa ion/pos -
seconda y
R7
P od. 1
Responsible wi h echnical
and equipmen check
Yes
M
42
Highe educa ion
R8
P od. 1
Basic logis ic ope a o
Yes
F
36
Highe educa ion
R9
P od. 1
Senio analys business
applica ions and p og amme
de elopmen
Yes
F
57
Highe educa ion
R10
P od. 1
Quali y enginee
Yes
F
60
Highe educa ion
R11
P od. 1
Came a con ol ope a o
Yes
F
58
Seconda y educa ion/pos -
seconda y
R12
P od. 1
Logis ics ope a o
Yes
F
30
Seconda y educa ion/pos -
seconda y
R13
P od. 1
Ope a o
Yes
M
42
Seconda y educa ion/pos -
seconda y
R14
P od. 1
Ope a o
Yes
M
46
Seconda y educa ion/pos -
seconda y
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The New Sociopoli ical and Economic Dynamics o Digi alisa ion
and Au oma ion in Romania’s Au omo i e Indus y
62 Am i ea u Economic
Responden
code
Company
Func ion
T ade union
membe
Gende (M/F)
Age (yea s)
Educa ion
R15
P od. 1
Analys o supply chain
managemen
Yes
M
39
Highe educa ion
R16
P od. 2
P esiden
Yes
M
52
Highe educa ion
R17
P od. 2
Ope a o elec ician
Yes
M
40
Seconda y educa ion/pos -
seconda y
R18
P od. 2
Ins alla ion ope a o
Yes
M
38
Highe educa ion
R19
P od. 2
Ca go ecep ionis
Yes
M
49
Seconda y educa ion/pos -
seconda y
R20
P od. 2
Uni e sal ec i ie
Yes
M
52
Seconda y educa ion/pos -
seconda y
R21
P od. 2
Enginee , legal consul an
Yes
M
46
Highe educa ion
No e: P od. = Ca manu ac u e ; M= masculine; F = eminine
O he o al o 21 in e iews, 15 in e iews we e ca ied ou in pe son in he company
p emises (‘P od. 1’, ‘P od. 2’ and ‘P o ide ’), while 6 in e iews we e conduc ed online
h ough Zoom. The a e age du a ion o he in e iew was 53 minu es. Sampling was
ca ied ou acco ding o he p inciples o heo e ic sa u a ion (Flick, 2009), based on which
esea ch da a collec ion ceases when he da a s op b inging new in o ma ion on he opic o
in e es . The in e iews we e eco ded and ansc ibed in Romanian. A e an ini ial
discussion on he p o ile o pa icipan s and hei job oles, pa icipan s we e equi ed o lis
he echnologies hey we e using in hei day- o-day wo k. Some examples o ques ions
asked o esponden s a e: ‘In gene al, wha consequences has he in oduc ion o digi al
echnologies and au oma ion had on he o ganisa ion o wo k so a ?,’ ‘How did he wo k
p ocess change, and which pa s unde wen majo changes? Why?,’ ‘Wha ha e been he
changes in he asks and ac i i ies o wo ke s wo king wi h hese echnologies / in hese
p ocesses? O wha kind?,’ ‘Do you pe o m mo e o less asks a e echnologisa ion?,’
‘Has he e been p o essional en ichmen o deskilling?,’ ‘Ha e you wo king hou s and
wo k hy hms changed?,’ ‘To wha ex en has you wo k been s anda dised?,’ ‘Ha e he e
been, o will he e be subs i u ion o wo ke s o shi s o wo ke s om one uni o ano he ,
om one ask o ano he ?’
La en con en analysis was implemen ed o analyse he p ima y da a collec ed in his
esea ch. La en con en analysis was chosen due o i s abili y o e eal deepe meanings
and hemes hidden wi hin a ex , which a e no immedia ely ob ious. La en con en
analysis is a igo ous me hodological app oach used o sys ema ically analyse ex ual da a,
including in e iew da a, and i s meanings, supposing he isola ion o educed pieces o he
da a ha co espond o di e en concep s and he o ganisa ion and in e p e a ion o hese
pieces wi h he pu pose o explaining a phenomenon (Kleinheksel e al., 2020). The p ocess
co esponding o his analysis in ol es a de ailed and in e p e a i e examina ion o he ex ,
equi ing a comp ehensi e unde s anding o he con ex in which he communica ion akes
place, as well as he sociocul u al no ms ha may shape he implici messages con eyed
(A las. i, 2024). Coding was ca ied ou manually. Theo e ical and eme gen codes we e
T ans o ma ions o he Socio-Poli ical-Economic Sys ems a he Con luence
wi h New Technologies: Re isi ing he “Libe alism Ve sus S a ism” Dilemma
in he Con ex o he Indus ial Re olu ion 4.0
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Vol. 27 • No. 68 • Feb ua y 2025 69
wo ke s a ec ed by job loss o ansi ion o new ields, hus educing job pola isa ion and
i s associa ed social isks.
Nex , labou ma ke legisla ion mus espond o no el challenges and isks associa ed wi h
he ype o wo k in which human employees in e ac wi h obo s, such as hose obse ed in
ou esea ch, o example, an inc eased pace o obo wo k, compa ed o ha o humans,
new di icul ies in obo supe ision o bo h obo s and humans’ supe ision. Au oma ion
and he in ensi e use o digi al echnologies on he job equi e a e iew o wo kplace sa e y
and heal h policies, including he igh s o employees ega ding elec onic su eillance, he
‘ igh o disconnec ’, and he use o pe sonal da a. These should include upda ed
egula ions o p o ec wo ke s om isks associa ed wi h new echnologies, such as
echnological s ess, cons an moni o ing, and digi al e gonomics issues. In gene al, hese
wo possible in e en ions o he labou ma ke a e in line wi h exis ing esea ch ha
obse es an al eady inc easing impo ance o social in es men and in e en ion (P e ne
and S ulik, 2020; B yan and Williams, 2021; Agemoglu, 2023).
In wha ega ds, con inuing educa ion policy, he esul s o his s udy con i m he need o
aining o equali ica ion in he con ex o D&A, as hese ha e p o en o be essen ial ools
used by companies o align o D&A and ensu e wo ke p o ec ion in he con ex o
echnological change. F om a public policy pe spec i e, aining o equali ica ion cou ses
we e ins umen s ha allowed employmen maximisa ion, in line wi h Eichho s e al.
(2020). Fu he mo e, insu icien aining and equali ica ion was pe cei ed as a ha sh
ba ie o compe i i eness. By p io i ising con inuous educa ion and p o essional
de elopmen , socie ies can be e ha ness he po en ial o D&A, ul ima ely d i ing
economic g ow h and ensu ing ha he wo k o ce emains ele an and empowe ed in he
knowledge economy (Popescu, 2012). In gene al, his esea ch econ i ms he impo ance
o human capi al policies o skills de elopmen and p o essional equali ica ion in he
con ex o cu en socioeconomic and poli ical ans o ma ions, especially o ulne able
ca ego ies o wo ke s, bu also, gene ally, o suppo ing employmen . The s udy ad oca es
o he need o in es in p o essional aining and e aining o he wo k o ce o adap o he
demands o new echnologies. Con inuing educa ion policies should include aining
p og ammes in digi al and echnical skills, accessible o all ypes o wo ke s, o ensu e ha
hey can mee he challenges posed by D&A.
The indings o his s udy p o ide a complex amewo k o analysing he impac o D&A
on he au omo i e wo k o ce om he pe spec i e o he dilemma libe alism e sus s a ism.
On he one hand, he posi i e pe cep ions exp essed by employees and union
ep esen a i es could be in e p e ed as an a gumen in a ou o economic libe alism. I
sugges s ha ee ma ke s, suppo ed by echnological inno a ion and i m-le el s a egic
decisions, a e able o gene a e bene icial ou comes o employees and companies wi hou
massi e go e nmen in e en ion. The ac ha employees do no pe cei e D&A as a h ea
and ha i ms in es in aining and e aining s a , wi hou eso ing o layo s o wage
cu s, suppo s he idea ha ma ke mechanisms can con ibu e o he adap a ion o he
wo k o ce o new echnological eali ies h ough economic incen i es.
On he o he hand, he impo an ole unions play in he adop ion o D&A s ongly
ad oca es e icien social dialogue. Mo eo e , he nega i e aspec s highligh ed by he s udy
also sugges se e al limi s o a pu ely libe al app oach. The di icul ies expe ienced by
employees in main aining he pace o wo k imposed by au oma ed echnologies, he
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The New Sociopoli ical and Economic Dynamics o Digi alisa ion
and Au oma ion in Romania’s Au omo i e Indus y
70 Am i ea u Economic
di icul adap a ion o olde wo ke s o echnological p og ess, he inc eased dependence on
colleagues, and he complexi y o digi al su eillance unde sco e he challenges ha D&A
can b ing in he absence o app op ia e egula ions. Fo example, conce ns abou p o ec ing
employees' p i acy and he ‘ igh o disconnec ’ poin o he need o public policies ha
p o ec wo ke s' igh s in he ace o excessi e digi alisa ion o wo k. The educ ion o
human in e ac ions and he inc eased eliance on digi al communica ion also highligh he
po en ial nega i e e ec s o D&A on he cohesion and e ec i eness o wo k eams,
sugges ing he need o egula o y measu es o ensu e a balance be ween echnology and
human in e ac ion. O e all, he esul s o ou esea ch sugges ha he e is a sociopoli ical
and economic dynamic speci ic o D&A, which gene a es new needs and social claims in
e ms o wel a e, add essed o a new eme ging poli ical economy, as shown by o he
simila s udies (Ridley, 2020; Eichho s e al., 2020; Colling on, 2022).
Conclusions
This pape p o ides he esul s o a de ailed esea ch on he impac o new echnologies,
especially D&A, bo h a he company le el and on he sociopoli ical-economic sys em,
s a ing om he analysis ca ied ou in he Romanian ca indus y. Analysis o i m-le el
D&A e ec s sugges ed a complex and he e ogeneous pic u e o D&A e ec s and a se o
implica ions o public policy making.
This esea ch p o ides aluable in o ma ion on he complex and mul i ace ed e ec s o
D&A in he au omo i e indus y by iden i ying ou key hemes: collabo a i e a i ude,
wo king condi ions, high- ech specialisa ion o he wo k o ce, and labou supe ision. The
added alue o his s udy lies in he comp ehensi e assessmen made o how hese hemes,
iden i ied h ough he la en con en analysis me hod, a e de eloped and complemen ed.
Thus, his s udy also p o ides p ac ical in o ma ion o companies, unions, and policy
make s on how o ‘na iga e’ he oppo uni ies and challenges o echnological p og ess,
ensu ing ha he bene i s o D&A a e maximised while minimising po en ial isks o he
labou o ce. The indings o he s udy e lec he new ensions be ween libe alism and
s a ism in he con ex o D&A in he au omo i e indus y. Al hough ma ke mechanisms
and i m ini ia i es ha e gene a ed signi ican posi i e esul s, he e a e clea limi s o hem
ha sugges ha s a e in e en ion is also necessa y o p o ec employee wel a e and
main ain equi y in he con ex o apid echnological ans o ma ions. This a gumen
emphasises he impo ance o a balanced app oach, whe e bo h ma ke mechanisms and
public policies play a c ucial ole in managing he impac o D&A on he wo k o ce.
O e all, his esea ch shows ha a new poli ical economy o digi alisa ion and a new
economy o he wel a e s a e a e quie ly eme ging, while also p o iding a gumen s o
imagining a new social economy o ad anced echnological p og ess capable o esponding
o oday's challenges b ough by D&A. Implica ions o indus ial policy, labou ma ke
policies, and con inuing educa ion policy we e also discussed in he esea ch.
The p esen s udy con ibu es signi ican ly o he li e a u e on he impac o D&A on he
wo k o ce, b inging aluable insigh s in o se e al ele an heo e ical di ec ions. Fi s , he
s udy p o ides empi ical e idence in a ou o echnological adap a ion heo y. The esul s
o he s udy o e empi ical e idence on he collabo a i e a i ude o employees owa d he
implemen a ion o new echnologies, complemen ing he heo ies o esis ance o change
and he adop ion o inno a ions. Acco ding o Roge s (2003), he accep ance o
T ans o ma ions o he Socio-Poli ical-Economic Sys ems a he Con luence
wi h New Technologies: Re isi ing he “Libe alism Ve sus S a ism” Dilemma
in he Con ex o he Indus ial Re olu ion 4.0
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Vol. 27 • No. 68 • Feb ua y 2025 71
echnologies is acili a ed by hei pe cep ion as bene icial. This s udy suppo s his
pe spec i e, demons a ing ha employees pe cei e echnologies as wo k suppo , which
educes esis ance o change, as sugges ed by Ko e and Schlesinge (1989). Second, he
high- ech specialisa ion o he wo k o ce, e idenced by eskilling p og ammes, ex ends he
applicabili y o human capi al heo y (Becke , 2009) in he digi al age. The s udy e eals
ha in es men s in aining inc ease employee alue, which is essen ial o he in eg a ion
o ad anced echnologies. Las bu no leas , he collabo a ion be ween employees and
echnology highligh ed in his s udy suppo s he echnology-o ganisa ion-en i onmen
amewo k (Bake , 2011) ha explo es he complex ela ionships be ween echnology,
o ganisa ional s uc u es, and human in e ac ions. Ou s udy ex ends hese amewo ks by
empi ically de ailing he in eg a ion o D&A echnologies in he au omo i e indus y and
he esul ing social dynamics. The imp o ed wo king condi ions h ough au oma ion
obse ed in his s udy con i m he indings o he wo k o Ka asek and Theo ell (1990),
who poin ou ha au oma ion can educe hea y physical asks and imp o e sa e y.
Howe e , he in ensi ica ion o wo k pace epo ed by esponden s adds an unde explo ed
dimension o he li e a u e, sugges ing a eassessmen o wo k-li e balance heo ies in he
con ex o digi alisa ion.
The s udy on he impac o D&A in he au omo i e indus y in Romania highligh s
signi ican manage ial implica ions, ocussing on he need o an in eg a ed s a egic
app oach o he managemen o human esou ces and ope a ional p ocesses. Manage s mus
de elop ad anced coo dina ion and supe ision skills, gi en he inc easing complexi y o
au oma ed p ocesses and he ex ensi e use o digi al da a o decision-making. In addi ion,
con inuous aining o employees becomes essen ial o adap o new echnologies, which
equi es addi ional in es men s in p o essional de elopmen p og ammes. A he same
ime, manage s mus na iga e he challenges associa ed wi h digi ised su eillance,
main aining a balance be ween con olling p oduc i i y and espec ing employee p i acy.
In his con ex , an e ec i e social dialogue, including he pa icipa ion o ade unions in
s a egic decisions, becomes i al o ensu e a posi i e o ganisa ional clima e and a
sus ainable echnological ansi ion.
Al hough his esea ch makes aluable con ibu ions, he conduc ed s udy also has se e al
limi a ions. Fi s , speci ic o quali a i e esea ch, he esul s canno be gene alised o la ge
s a is ical popula ions. Second, he esea ch is based solely on he opinions o he
esponden s, which can be dis o ed by a numbe o elemen s, such as lack o in o ma ion
o social desi abili y. In his con ex , ex ending such esea ch, based on quan i a i e o
mixed me hods, oge he wi h he mul iplica ion o esea ch me hods and ools in o de o
iangula e he esul s, o example, by analysing inancial da a o companies o o mal
policies, could ende a iche and mo e comple e pic u e o he ans o ma ions b ough
abou by D&A.
This esea ch opens se e al a enues o u u e explo a ion. Fi s , expanding he esea ch
h ough quan i a i e me hods could p o ide a gene alisable pic u e o he phenomenon,
complemen ing he cu en quali a i e da a. Second, a compa a i e analysis be ween
a ious indus ies could highligh sec o al speci ici ies ega ding he e ec s o au oma ion
on he labou ma ke . Ano he di ec ion is he de ailed explo a ion o he public policies
needed o suppo echnological ansi ion, wi h a ocus on social p o ec ion, con inuing
educa ion, and egula ions on digi al wo k su eillance. I would also be aluable o
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The New Sociopoli ical and Economic Dynamics o Digi alisa ion
and Au oma ion in Romania’s Au omo i e Indus y
72 Am i ea u Economic
in es iga e he ela ionship be ween he pe cep ion o new echnologies and he economic
esul s, which could con ibu e o he ounda ion o mo e e ec i e managemen s a egies.
Equally, he analysis o he e hical and legal implica ions o he use o ad anced
echnologies in indus y could comple e he pic u e o he eme ging new poli ical economy
a he in e sec ion o libe alism and s a ism.
Acknowledgemen
This esea ch was unded by he EU SOCPL Indus ial Rela ions p og amme unde g an
ag eemen no. 101052331 – ‘Digi alisa ion, Au oma isa ion and Deca bonisa ion:
Oppo uni y o S eng hening Collec i e Ba gaining in he Me al Sec o (BARMETAL).’
The iews exp essed in his documen a e he sole esponsibili y o he au ho s and do no
necessa ily ep esen he o icial posi ion o he Eu opean Union.
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