The influence of political, social, and economic factors on the acceptance of technology in the workplace in the context of industrial revolution 4.0

Cristache, Nicoleta et al. Article The influence of political, social, and economic factors on the acceptance of technology in the workplace in the context of industrial revolution 4.0 Amfiteatru Economic Provided in Cooperation with: The Bucharest University of Economic Studies Suggested Citation: Cristache, Nicoleta et al. (2025) : The influence of political, social, and economic factors on the acceptance of technology in the workplace in the context of industrial revolution 4.0, Amfiteatru Economic, ISSN 2247-9104, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Vol. 27, Iss. 68, pp. 76-92, https://doi.org/10.24818/EA/2025/68/76 This Version is available at: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/318584 Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen: Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. 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If the documents have been made available under an Open Content Licence (especially Creative Commons Licences), you may exercise further usage rights as specified in the indicated licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ AE The Influence of Political, Social, and Economic Factors on the Acceptance of Technology in the Workplace in the Context of Industrial Revolution 4.0 76 Amfiteatru Economic THE INFLUENCE OF POLITICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS ON THE ACCEPTANCE OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE WORKPLACE IN THE CONTEXT OF INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION 4.0 Nicoleta Cristache1, Nicoleta Valentina Florea2, Marian Năstase3, Gabriel Croitoru4, Costinela Fortea5 and Manuela-Violeta Tureatca6 1)5)6)Dunarea de Jos University of Galati, Romania 3)The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania 2)4) Valahia University of Targoviste, Romania Please cite this article as: Cristache, N., Florea, N.V., Năstase, M., Croitoru, G., Fortea, C. and Tureatca, M.V., 2025. The Influence of Political, Social, and Economic Factors on the Acceptance of Technology in the Workplace in the Context of Industrial Revolution 4.0. Amfiteatru Economic, 27(68), pp. 76-92. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24818/EA/2025/68/76 Article History Received: 20 September 2024 Revised: 15 November 2024 Accepted: 19 December 2024 Abstract This article explores the role of Industrial Revolution 4.0 in transforming the labour market, analysing the impact of political, economic, and social factors on the acceptance of technology in the workplace, leading to the demand for new professional skills and the digitisation of traditionally performed jobs. Through an analysis based on a sample of 286 respondents, as well as the use of IBM SPSS Statistics 27 and SmartPLS 4.1.0.8 software, we were able to validate the four formulated hypotheses and gain an in-depth understanding of the interconnections between these factors. The results suggest that political and social factors have a significant impact on technology acceptance, while the influence of economic factors, although essential, is more limited. Furthermore, the strong positive effect of technological factors on labour market performance is highlighted, highlighting the importance of technology adoption to improve organisational efficiency. The study findings suggest the need for an integrated approach that includes supportive policies, educational initiatives, and inclusive social practices to maximise technological benefits. Practical implications for managers focus on developing support strategies for innovation and promoting an organisational culture capable of sustaining continuous learning. Thus, this Corresponding author, Năstase Marian – e-mail: [email protected] This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2025 The Author(s). Transformations of the Socio-Political-Economic Systems at the Confluence with New Technologies: Revisiting the “Liberalism Versus Statism” Dilemma in the Context of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 AE Vol. 27 • No. 68 • February 2025 77 study contributes to understanding of the complex dynamics of technology acceptance and labour market performance in the era of Industry 4.0. Keywords: Industrial Revolution 4.0, political factors, economic factors, social factors, technology acceptance in the workplace, performance JEL Classification: O15, P42, C52 Introduction The contemporary world is undergoing major transformations under the influence of urbanisation, technological progress, population aging (Eberhardt et al., 2017), globalisation and the development of information technologies. Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) introduces smart factories, connected products, and data-driven operations supported by automation and human involvement (Wang et al., 2016). The first three industrial revolutions introduced steam engines, electricity, and IT automation, and IR 4.0 accelerates change by halving the transition time. Industry 5.0 is expected by 2035 (Czeczot et al., 2023). Globalisation catalyses this transformation, influencing working conditions globally. IR 4.0 reduces human involvement in repetitive tasks and supports intellectual work through advanced technologies. Based on essential pillars such as IIoT, additive manufacturing, autonomous robots, AI and cybersecurity, IR 4.0 increases productivity, optimises costs and stimulates innovation (Asadollahi-Yazdi et al., 2020). Although many companies are still at the stage of ad hoc digitisation (Lopez et al., 2023), they are pursuing AI integration and hyperconnectivity to reduce errors and improve quality (Molinie et al., 2023; Ambadekar et al., 2023). Integration actions are essential to meet the requirements of IR 4.0 (Rehman and Alfaify, 2023). IR 4.0 influences many areas, including smart cities, production (Hozdic and Makovec, 2023; Ooi et al., 2023), employment (Polakova et al., 2023), recruitment (Năstase et al., 2024), supply chains agri-food, education, tourism (Gomes et al., 2023), energy (Garcia-Moreno and Lopez-Ruiz, 2023) and the IoT (Ferencz et al., 2024). The current period leverages technological innovations for efficiency and cost reduction (Tang and Hwang, 2023), and AI is reshaping work and production, requiring workers to constantly develop their skills (Corbel et al., 2021). Digitisation, big data, and robotization are transforming logistics, accounting, transport, and healthcare. Tasks involving creativity and social intelligence are less automated, and jobs are constantly changing. In the workforce, Gen Xers, Zers, and Millennials prefer flexible working, with 84% of Millennials adopting the intrapreneurial style while the modern work environment relies on digital skills and “anytime, anywhere” flexibility. New technologies facilitate human-human, human-machine, and machinemachine interactions, promoting the adaptability of organisations and flexible work models (Roth and Armin, 2016). The purpose of this article is to analyse the interaction between political, economic, and social factors in the adoption of technology in the workplace in the context of IR 4.0. Transformation through automation, artificial intelligence, and digitisation requires an assessment of the influence of public policies, economic conditions, and social attitudes on technological implementation and the competitiveness of the globalised labour market. The AE The Influence of Political, Social, and Economic Factors on the Acceptance of Technology in the Workplace in the Context of Industrial Revolution 4.0 78 Amfiteatru Economic study is structured as follows: in the first section, the literature on the influence of political, economic, and social factors on the use of technology at work in the context of IR 4.0 is presented, the research hypotheses are developed, and the conceptual model is built. In Section 2 the research methodology is presented, the results obtained and the discussions in Section 3, and in the final part the conclusions, study limits, implications, and future research directions are presented. Analysis of the impact of political, economic, and social factors is crucial for optimising the integration of technologies in the professional environment. Although research frequently addresses these factors separately, this paper proposes a unified conceptual model, highlighting their interaction and influence on labour market performance, thus providing a solid basis for developing effective technology adoption strategies. 1. Literature review, research hypotheses, and the conceptual model Existing studies highlight the impact of political, economic, and social factors on IR 4.0. Beifer et al. (2018) show that pro-innovation policies, such as subsidies, stimulate technology adoption, while Villemus (2009) argues that restrictive policies can slow down this process, depending on the legislative and cultural context. Regarding economic factors, the works of Nagy et al. (2018) show that globalisation and economic growth support technological integration, while recessions limit the financial resources needed (Demirbag and Yildirim, 2023). Socially, education and social skills facilitate technology acceptance (Deming, 2017), but fear of automation can cause resistance (Del Valle et al., 2024). Although the literature addresses political, economic, and social factors separately, their interaction remains insufficiently explored, especially at the regional level and in emerging economies such as Romania. The present study provides an integrated analysis of these factors and their influence on labour market performance. 1.1. Policy factors and their influence on technology adoption Political factors influence economic stability, recruitment, selection, and career development (Năstase et al., 2024; Modem et al., 2024). IR 4.0 drives policy initiatives for industrial revitalisation (Beifert et al., 2018), and policies on quality, safety, subsidies, and equipment rebates influence technology adoption (Villemus, 2009). Also, political participation, activism, legislation, tax and trade regulations, investment policy, and local constraints have a direct impact on the labour market (Bensoussan and Fleisher, 2013). Thus, policies play a key role in technology adoption and labour market transformation. Thus, the research hypothesis was established: H1Political factors influence the acceptance of technology at the workplace in the context of IR 4.0. 1.2. The impact of economic factors on technology adoption Globalisation and IR 4.0 are transforming the economic environment by increasing production, consumption, and living standards (WESOT, 2023). IR 4.0 brings economic and social value through improved communication (Ghislieri et al., 2018), omnichannel operation (Alonso-Garcia et al., 2023), working from anywhere, skill development, and social Transformations of the Socio-Political-Economic Systems at the Confluence with New Technologies: Revisiting the “Liberalism Versus Statism” Dilemma in the Context of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 AE Vol. 27 • No. 68 • February 2025 79 responsibility. Economic factors, such as regionalisation, globalisation, external funds and sustainability, thus influence the performance of the labour market. Economic variables can include interest rate, inflation, GDP, unemployment, supply costs, and energy prices (Villemus, 2009; Bensoussan and Fleisher, 2013). In IR 4.0, companies prefer employees with advanced economic and social skills, essential for integrating technologies and developing information skills (Deming, 2017; Demirbag and Yildirim, 2023). Thus, the following hypothesis was proposed: H2 - Economic factors obviously influence the acceptance of technology in the workplace in the context of IR 4.0. 1.3. The role of social factors in technology adoption Human-machine interaction, started with automation, has evolved, and 34% of tasks are performed by machines, 66% by humans. IR 4.0 is redefining industrial processes, influencing the economy and society. The sociocultural environment, including values, norms, and demographic trends (Ristea et al., 2002), affects the acceptance of technologies in the workplace. Factors such as social inclusion, the role of women (Villemus, 2009), education, age distribution, and migration influence the use of technology (Bensoussan and Fleisher, 2013). IR 4.0 requires companies to adopt flexible working hours, develop new skills, and adapt to economic and social changes. The goal of IR 4.0 is not to cut jobs, but to create more flexible and less physically demanding jobs supported by smart factories. Thus, the following hypothesis was proposed: H3 - Social factors obviously influence the acceptance of technology at the workplace in the context of IR 4.0. 1.4. Technology adoption and labour market performance IR 4.0 is based on technological convergence and human-technology interaction (Farrell et al., 2020), influencing employees’ intention to adopt digitisation through simulation and modelling (Kwarteng et al., 2023). Technology adoption remains crucial to business transformation over the next 5 years. Technological progress improves economic and social performance through new management tools, hybrid solutions, and public-private partnerships (Ristea et al., 2002). Factors such as patents, research budgets, number of universities, and process optimisation support this development (Bensoussan and Fleisher, 2013). Technological progress is driven by inventions, innovations, and rapid technology transfers, but it can generate pollution, damage privacy, and change interpersonal relationships. IR 4.0, as a global challenge, transforms socio-economic environments through efficient processes, optimised relationships, and intelligent products (Roth and Armin, 2016). Organisational performance increases when social skills merge with technological ones (Deming, 2017), and teamwork (Garcia-Garnica et al., 2023) and data processing (Demirbag and Yildirim, 2023) become indispensable. IR 4.0 consists of networks of interconnected systems with workers, smart devices, and cloud platforms. The main components include technologies, management methods, and human skills, all oriented towards efficiency and productivity. More than 85% of organisations anticipate that AI will drive major transformations, and 75% plan to adopt it in the next 5 years (WESOT, 2023). The technology supports digitisation, sustainability and the development of agriculture and digital commerce, AE The Influence of Political, Social, and Economic Factors on the Acceptance of Technology in the Workplace in the Context of Industrial Revolution 4.0 80 Amfiteatru Economic influencing the administrative sector and traditional security. Digital skills will become essential, with tech literacy rising from 6th in 2023 to 3rd in 2027, and AI and Big Data from 15th to 7th (Future of Jobs Report, 2023). Programming remains steady at 22nd, but the growing importance of digital skills in the workplace is inevitable. Labor market performance is supported by the humanisation of artificial intelligence through digital skills, workplace comfort (del-Castillo-Feito et al., 2022), remote work, security (He et al., 2021) and collaboration opportunities in team and individual work (Bluma, 2021). Innovation, creativity, flexible organisational culture (Harris, 2022), development of human potential, and effective talent recruitment (Chanda and Goyal, 2020; Năstase et al., 2024) contribute significantly to performance. “Smart” automation responds to the challenges of competition and staff shortages (Åström et al., 2022) through talent retention, autonomous production (Sobhani et al., 2021), optimisation in times of crisis (Malik et al., 2022) and effective processes. Although automation may replace certain human tasks, human involvement remains essential, supported by corporate social responsibility (Abralava and Javelidze, 2021) and the constant integration of employees into the work flow (Akter et al., 2022). Thus, the following hypothesis was proposed: H4 - Technology acceptance in the workplace in the context of IR 4.0. positively influence labour market performance. Figure no. 1 presents the conceptual framework that explores the role of the fourth industrial revolution in the transformation of the labour market, highlighting how political, economic and social factors influence the acceptance of technology in the workplace in the context of IR 4.0. This visual representation not only summarises the fundamental theoretical concepts, but also facilitates the understanding of the complex interactions between the investigated variables. Figure no. 1. Conceptual model PES-T-perf IR 4.0 Transformations of the Socio-Political-Economic Systems at the Confluence with New Technologies: Revisiting the “Liberalism Versus Statism” Dilemma in the Context of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 AE Vol. 27 • No. 68 • February 2025 81 2. Research methodology The research analyses the influence of political, economic and social factors on technology acceptance in IR 4.0, focusing on their impact on labour market performance. The main objective is to assess the interaction between factors and technological integration in the economic and social fields. Specific objectives include examining each factor and the relationship between technology acceptance and organisational performance. Our study examines the influence of political, economic and social factors on the acceptance of workplace technologies in the context of IR 4.0. Political factors establish the normative framework, economic factors determine access to resources, and social factors shape employee perception. In Romania, the variability of these factors highlights their important role in the integration of modern technologies. Technological and environmental factors were excluded for clarity, being considered the result of the interaction between political, economic and social factors. This approach allows for a focused analysis, and future studies can investigate the influence of technological and environmental factors. The model is based on international reports (WESOT, 2023) and studies that highlight that IR 4.0 brings economic and social value (Ghislieri et al., 2018), as well as support for policy initiatives (Beifert et al., 2018 ). The model analyses the influence of political, economic and social factors on the acceptance of technology in the workplace, a dynamic internal factor essential for the integration of advanced technologies (Singla et al., 2024). The quantitative study uses an online questionnaire with a Likert scale (1-5), applied to a sample of 286 respondents from various economic sectors in Romania. The main objective is to assess the influence of political, economic and social factors on technology acceptance and analyse its impact on labor market performance. The analysis was performed by descriptive, inferential, and multiple regression statistics to identify relationships between variables. The reliability of the questionnaire was verified by the Alpha Cronbach coefficient, with Table no. 1 showing the profile of the respondents (age, gender, education, position, field of activity). Table no. 1. Demographic characteristics of respondents Variable Categories Frequency % Variable Categories Frequency % Gender Level of education a. Masculine b. Feminine High School Bachelor’s Degree Master’s Degree Doctorate 139 147 70 72 87 57 48.6 51.4 24.5 25.2 30.4 19.9 Field of activity Education HoReCa IT Production Health 59 66 53 53 55 20.6 23.1 18.5 18.5 19.2 Age a. Under 25 years b. 25-35 years c. 36-45 years d.46-55 years e. 56 years and over 65 53 49 73 46 22.7 18.5 17.1 25.5 16.1 Function Management Execution 145 141 50.7 49.3 AE The Influence of Political, Social, and Economic Factors on the Acceptance of Technology in the Workplace in the Context of Industrial Revolution 4.0 82 Amfiteatru Economic The majority of the respondents (25.5%) are between the ages of 46 and 55, indicating a significant participation of experienced employees. In terms of gender, 51.4% are women and 48.6% are men, providing a balanced perspective. A percentage of 30.4% of respondents have master's degrees, and 50.7% hold management positions, while 49.3% hold execution positions, reflecting a balanced distribution between managers and operational employees. The HoReCa sector registers the largest share of respondents (23.1%), but other fields are also represented, with percentages between 18.5% and 20.6%, guaranteeing the diversity of the sample. 3. Results and discussion In this study, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to assess the validity and reliability of constructs regarding the influence of political, economic and social factors on technology acceptance in IR 4.0 (Table no. 2). Composite reliability (CR) recorded values between 0.7 and 0.9 (Hair et al., 2019), and convergent validity was confirmed by AVE > 0.5 for all constructs. Factor loadings met the threshold ≥ 0.40, according to Gefen and Straub (2005) and Hair et al. (2019), demonstrating the appropriate correlation between the constructs and their indicators. Although some items (FP5 - 0.665, FE3 - 0.693, FE5 - 0.690, FT1 - 0.689 and PP5 - 0.674) have loadings below the 0.7 threshold, they were kept in the model due to theoretical relevance and acceptable loadings (≥ 0.40). Their removal would have compromised the theoretical significance and distorted the conclusions. The analysis of the “Political Factors” construct highlights the importance of policies in the adoption of advanced technologies, having a Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.848 and an AVE of 0.625, which confirms the high reliability and internal consistency of the items. For “Economic Factors”, the Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of 0.848 and the appropriate values of AVE and CR indicate high reliability and close interdependence among items, highlighting the influence of economic variables on the integration of advanced technologies. “Social Factors” play an essential role in the acceptance of technologies in the workplace, especially in the context of IR 4.0. With a Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.863 and an AVE of 0.648, this construct reflects adequate convergent validity and a significant influence on new technology adoption. “Influence of Technology” emphasises the contribution of technological factors to labour market performance, with a Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.882 and an AVE of 0.685, confirming the coherence and consistency of the items used. Labor market performance as a result of technological developments highlights how organisations adapt their human resources and processes. With a Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.869 and an AVE of 0.662, this construct ensures internal consistency and the ability to explain the variation of the items, demonstrating the dynamic link between technology and human capital, the foundation of labour market performance in the context of IR 4.0. Transformations of the Socio-Political-Economic Systems at the Confluence with New Technologies: Revisiting the “Liberalism Versus Statism” Dilemma in the Context of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 AE Vol. 27 • No. 68 • February 2025 83 Table no. 2. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and descriptive statistics Construction Article Measure Average VIF Loading (St.Est.) Chro Alpha AVE CR 1. Political factors influencing the acceptance of technology in the workplace in the context of IR 4.0 FP1 Labour market policies in the IR 4.0 era 3.381 2.340 0.817 0.848 0.625 0.847 FP2 Human rights laws in an online context 3.224 2.916 0.872 FP3 Employee protection and safety 3.661 1.895 0.797 FP4 Salary policies according to the skills held 3.042 1.930 0.788 FP5 Employment policies in the automated sectors 3.776 1.293 0.665 2. Economic factors influencing the acceptance of technology in the workplace in the context of IR 4.0 FE1 The impact of globalization 3.759 2.762 0.856 0.848 0.628 0.852 FE2 Growth 3.745 3.256 0.852 FE3 Maintaining jobs in automated domains 3.783 1.589 0.693 FE4 Motivation and training 3.895 3.302 0.853 FE5 International relations 3.374 1.605 0.690 3. Social factors influencing the acceptance of technology in the workplace in the context of IR 4.0 FS1 Online communication and networking 3.304 2.035 0.737 0.863 0.648 0.871 FS2 Social inclusion 3.731 1.970 0.724 FS3 Attitudes and values 3.175 2.291 0.820 FS4 Level of education 3.517 3.075 0.869 FS5 Social classes 3.486 2.825 0.862 4. The influence of technology in the workplace in the context of IR 4.0 on the performance of the labor market FT1 Employees for technology readiness 3.888 1.400 0.689 0.882 0.685 0.883 FT2 Smart technological processes 3.105 2.049 0.794 FT3 Functionality and compatibility 3.521 2.886 0.868 FT4 Developing and using online skills 3.364 3.397 0.901 FT5 Continuous innovation process 3.388 2.755 0.868 5. 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