Needs-oriented communication results in positive attitudes towards robotic technologies among blue-collar workers perceiving low job demands

In the times of digital change, ensuring that employees do not resist digital technologies, but are motivated to use them, is crucial for organizational success. Therefore, the purpose of this research is testing a communication strategy to improve the attitude towards new technology (i.e., increase technology enthusiasm and reduce technology-based job insecurity and resistance to change), namely with needs-oriented communication. This communication strategy conveys how a digital technology can satisfy the needs of the recipient and thus illustrates its benefits. The results from an experiment with N ​= ​137 blue-collar workers did not support the expectation that needs-oriented communication improves attitudes towards a robotic technology targeted in the communication among all workers. However, the results showed that needs-oriented communication increased technology enthusiasm among individuals currently perceiving low work demands (and thus felt capable of using the technology), but also increased technology-based job insecurity among workers with high task identity. In sum, these results indicate that needs-oriented communication can improve attitudes towards new technologies among workers with low perceived job demands. We discuss how the current findings can form the basis for further research and for practitioners’ strategies during the implementation of new technologies.