Digitizing firms: skills, work organization and the adoption of new enabling technologies

New enabling technologies are shaping the transformation of production activities. This process of change is characterised by growing digitization, inter-connectivity and automation. The diffusion of new technologies is, however, very uneven, and firms display different adoption patterns. By using the panel component of the RIL-Inapp survey wave of 2018, we explore the patterns and determinants of new technology adoption in a large representative sample of Italian firms. We build our theoretical framework on the nexus between technology and the quality and organisation of work. We then provide novel econometric evidence on the positive effects of human capital and training. Labour flexibility does not seem to help adoption, whereas second-level collective bargaining plays a positive role in the process. Results also show heterogeneous effects between large vs. small and medium-size firms, and between manufacturing and service sectors.