Beyond resistance: an integrated psychological organizational model of employee response to digital transformation

Organizational competitiveness increasingly depends on successful digital transformation, yet employee resistance remains a critical barrier. This study develops an integrated framework grounded in Innovation Resistance Theory and Social Cognitive Theory to investigate key drivers of resistance. It examines the effects of technology anxiety, perceived risk, and change fatigue on employee resistance, while incorporating digital competence as a mediator and perceived organizational support as a moderator.

A quantitative methodology was employed to gather data from employees in organizations experiencing digital transformation, which was subsequently analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Results show technology anxiety increases resistance, while digital competence reduces it. Perceived risk and change fatigue act indirectly through competence.

Organizational support strengthens these relationships, highlighting key pathways to manage resistance and improve digital transformation outcomes. The results confirm both the mediating role of digital competence and the moderating role of organizational support. The model demonstrates strong explanatory and predictive power, offering a comprehensive framework and actionable insights for reducing resistance and improving digital transformation outcomes.

China National Aviation Fuel Group Dalian Petroleum Co., Ltd, Dalian, 116033, Liaoning, China Hailey College of Banking and Finance, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences, Apeldoorn, Netherlands UE Business School, University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan College of Economics and Management, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124, PR China The authors declare no competing interests. This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Hailey College of Banking and Finance, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan (Approval No. All participants provided informed consent before taking part in the interview.

They were assured of voluntary participation, confidentiality, and the use of data solely for research purposes. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Employee resistance to digital transformation (ERD) ERD1: I feel reluctant to adopt new digital technologies at work ERD2: I prefer traditional ways of working rather than new digital systems ERD3: I feel uncomfortable when organizational processes become digital ERD4: I try to avoid using new digital tools whenever possible ERD5: I find it difficult to adapt to new digital systems introduced in my organization TNA1: I feel anxious when I have to use new digital technologies at work TNA2: I worry that I might make mistakes when using new digital systems TNA3: I feel uncomfortable when learning new digital tools TNA4: I hesitate to use unfamiliar technologies at work PRR1: I believe digital technologies may threaten my job security PRR2: I am concerned that using new digital systems may reduce my work performance PRR3: I feel that digital transformation may lead to a loss of control over my job tasks CFA1: I feel exhausted due to frequent changes in my organization CFA2: Continuous changes reduce my motivation for new initiatives CFA3: I feel overwhelmed by the number of changes taking place in my organization CFA4: I am less willing to support new digital initiatives due to past changes EDC1: I have the necessary skills to use new digital technologies in my job EDC2: I feel confident when using new digital tools EDC3: I can easily learn and adapt to new digital systems EDC4: I can solve problems related to digital technologies at work ORS1: My organization values my contribution during digital change ORS2: My organization provides support when I face difficulties with new technologies ORS3: My organization cares about my well-being during organizational change ORS4: My organization provides sufficient training for digital transformation Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material.

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