The New Sociopolitical and Economic Dynamics of Digitalisation and Automation in Romanias Automotive Industry
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The Fourth Industrial Revolution, characterised by the convergence of digital, biological, and physical innovations, is fundamentally transforming industries, economies, and the very fabric of society.This study focusses on the Romanian automotive industry -a sector at the forefront of technological disruption, examining the impact of digitalisation and automation (D&A) on the labour market and the broader societal implications.First, this research examines the perceptions and experiences of employees and trade union representatives within this industry, addressing critical issues such as changes in working conditions, job security, workload, and workplace safety.Second, this study discusses how these firm-level changes in D&A inform the emerging political economy of digitalisation in Romania, with a special emphasis on the ongoing debate between liberalism and statism.The research is based on the analysis of secondary sources, as well as the analysis and interpretation of valuable primary data collected through the semi-structured interview method, explored in depth with the help of latent content analysis.The findings of this study indicate a predominantly positive perception of D&A implementation, but are accompanied by several challenges, especially changes in working conditions and the
Source: Amfiteatru Economic
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
Funder: European Commission
OpenAlex ID: W4407928454