Generational Perspective of Digital Technologies at Work: A Topic Modelling Approach

Abstract

The advent of digital technologies has revolutionized the modern workplace and brought about profound changes in the way work is performed, communicated, and conceptualized across different generations. This manuscript addresses the cross-generational perspectives of digital technologies at work, employing a topic modeling approach to analyze an extensive body of academic literature. Our aim is to uncover the intellectual structure of the literature and understand the subtle ways in which different generations interact with digital technologies at work, identifying both shared and distinct experiences, challenges and opportunities. Through the application of topic modeling, we have identified key thematic topics that capture the complex relationship between digital technologies and the workforce, encompassing areas such as workplace communication, digital skills acquisition, work practice development, intergenerational collaboration, and the digital divide. Our analysis highlights the complexity of integrating digital technologies in the workplace and how different generational groups are adapting to and being shaped by these changes. This study underscores the importance of understanding the generational perspective in the digital transformation of the workplace and provides valuable insights for organizational leaders, policy makers and technology developers. Ultimately, our work highlights the dual role of digital technologies as catalysts for innovation and as areas that require careful consideration to address the ethical, inclusivity and sustainability challenges they present in a multigenerational workforce.