TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE AND WORKFORCE COMMITMENT IN NIGERIA’S MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECTOR – International Journal of Social Sciences and Management Review

TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE AND WORKFORCE COMMITMENT IN NIGERIA’S MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECTOR

Authors: Mercy Godwin Daniel Okon*, PhD & Ogbuluika Tobiah Monday

ABSTRACT

Technological change is transforming the mobile telecommunications sector, yet its effects on employee attitudes remain insufficiently understood, especially in emerging economies like Nigeria. The researchers investigated how digital service transformation and work process automation, two key dimensions of technological change influence workforce loyalty and workforce engagement as critical dimensions of commitment within MTN Nigeria and Airtel Nigeria. Grounded in the (Technology Acceptance Model) TAM, the researchers adopted a cross-sectional survey of 414 employees using the structured questionnaire, and analyzed data, using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Results show that both technological change dimensions significantly and positively affect loyalty and engagement, with digital service transformation exerting a stronger influence. These findings extend Technology Acceptance Model by linking perceptions of usefulness and ease of use to commitment-related outcomes and offer new evidence from a high-growth African telecom context. Based on these findings, it was recommended that managers prioritize employee training and participatory communication during digital initiatives to enhance perceptions of usefulness and ease of use, and frame automation as role-enhancing rather than role-replacing to maintain high levels of workforce commitment.

Keywords: Technological change; Digital service transformation; Work process automation; Workforce commitment; Technology Acceptance Model

REFERENCES

Abourokbah, S. H., Mashat, R. M., and Salam, M. A. (2023). Role of absorptive capacity, digital capability, agility, and resilience in supply chain innovation performance. Sustainability, 15(4), 3636.
Agyeman, C. M., and Ponniah, V. M. (2022). Impact of organizational culture and leadership on employee loyalty: Evidence from the telecom sector. International Journal of Human Resource Studies, 12(1), 45–59. https://doi.org/10.5296/ijhrs.v12i1.19511
Ali, M., and Anwar, M. (2021). The impact of digitalization on service quality and organizational performance: Evidence from telecom companies. Telecommunications Policy, 45(8), 102204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2021.102204
Aslam, U., Muqadas, F., and Imran, M. K. (2022). Service automation and employee outcomes: Mediating role of perceived organizational support. Journal of Service Research, 25(2), 205–221. https://doi.org/10.1177/10946705211036473
Çallı, B. A., and Çallı, L. (2021). Relationships between digital maturity, organizational agility, and firm performance: an empirical investigation on SMEs. Business and Management Studies: An International Journal, 9(2), 486-502.
Chen, T., Guo, W., Gao, X., and Liang, Z. (2021). AI-based self-service technology in public service delivery: User experience and influencing factors. Government Information Quarterly, 38(4), 101520.
Creswell, J. W., and Plano Clark, V. L. (2018). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 13(3), 319–340. https://doi.org/10.2307/249008
Demerouti, E., Soyer, L. M., Vakola, M., and Xanthopoulou, D. (2021). The effects of a job crafting intervention on the success of an organizational change effort in a blue‐collar work environment. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 94(2), 374-399.
Demerouti, E., Soyer, L. M., Vakola, M., and Xanthopoulou, D. (2021). The effects of a job crafting intervention on the success of an organizational change effort in a blue‐collar work environment. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 94(2), 374-399.
Ezenwoke, A. A., and Olugbara, O. O. (2024). Employee resilience and engagement during digital transformation in West African firms. Journal of African Business, 25(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228916.2023.2172674
Ghosh, R., and Scott, J. (2021). Technological changes and workplace dynamics: Revisiting TAM in employee settings. Information Systems Journal, 31(4), 562–586. https://doi.org/10.1111/isj.12314
Herbert, S., Do Carmo, F., Gough, J., and Carnegie-Brown, A. (2023). From responsibilities to responsibility: A study of the effects of translation workflow automation. The Journal of Specialised Translation, (40), 9-35.
Herm, L. V., Janiesch, C., Helm, A., Imgrund, F., Hofmann, A., and Winkelmann, A. (2023). A framework for implementing robotic process automation projects. Information Systems and e-Business Management, 21(1), 1-35.
Inegbedion, H., Asaleye, A., and Obadiaru, E. (2023). Competitive behaviour of major GSM firms’ internet data pricing in Nigeria: A game theoretic model approach. Heliyon, 9(1).
Kim, S., Lee, S., and Lee, H. (2021). Employee engagement and innovative behavior: The mediating role of psychological empowerment. Sustainability, 13(6), 3270. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063270
Kraus, S., Schiavone, F., Pluzhnikova, A., and Invernizzi, A. C. (2021). Digital transformation in healthcare: Analyzing the current state-of-research. Journal of Business Research, 123, 557–567. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.10.030
Meyer, J. P., & Allen, N. J. (1991). A three-component conceptualization of organizational commitment. Human resource management review, 1(1), 61-89. https://doi.org/10.1016/1053-4822(91)90011-Z
Okon, M. G. D., John, N. E. and Imagha, O. (2023). Employee Well-Being: Recognition and Non-Academic Staff Performance in Select Federal Universities, South-South Geo-Political Zone, Nigeria. Global Journal of Human Resource Management 11 (1), 13-26. https://doi.org/10.37745/gjhrm.2013/vol11n11326
Ng, E. S., and Sze, C. (2023). Technology-induced stress and employee morale in high-tech firms: The moderating role of perceived organizational support. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 61(1), 75–91. https://doi.org/10.1111/1744-7941.12329
Ogbeibu, S., Senadjki, A., and Gaskin, J. (2021). Technological change and proactive behavior: Evidence from Nigerian service firms. Employee Relations, 43(2), 506–525. https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-04-2020-0180
Omodan, A., Adewuyi, T., and Uduji, J. (2023). Human resource responses to digital shifts in Nigerian telecoms. Global Business Review, 24(4), 1001–1015. https://doi.org/10.1177/09721509221093728
Omotoso, O. (2024, April). Wireless network in Nigeria: Development, growth, challenges and prospects. In 2024 International Conference on Science, Engineering and Business for Driving Sustainable Development Goals (SEB4SDG) (pp. 1-10). IEEE.
Orenuga, D., Worlu, R., Olabode, O., John, N., Ariyo, A., Okon, M.G.D and Tommy, U., 2024. Empowering bank employees for improved job performance: An evaluation of emerging strategies. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 22, p.2464.
Raza, S. A., Umer, A., Qazi, W., and Makhdoom, M. S. A. (2021). Exploring AI readiness and employee commitment through the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM): Evidence from IT-intensive service firms. Computers in Human Behavior, 120, 106761. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.106761
Schaufeli, W. B., Salanova, M., González-Romá, V., and Bakker, A. B. (2002). The measurement of engagement and burnout: A two-sample confirmatory factor analytic approach. Journal of Happiness Studies, 3(1), 71–92. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015630930326
Sharma, A., and Bhatnagar, J. (2020). Employee engagement in the era of digitization: An empirical study of Indian firms. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 33(5), 1041–1058. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-08-2019-0269
Venkatesh, V., and Davis, F. D. (2000). A theoretical extension of the Technology Acceptance Model: Four longitudinal field studies. Management Science, 46(2), 186–204. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.46.2.186.11926
Zayas-Cabán, T., Haque, S. N., and Kemper, N. (2021). Identifying opportunities for workflow automation in health care: lessons learned from other industries. Applied Clinical Informatics, 12(03), 686-697.