Change Resistance and Acceptance in Digital Transformation of Manufacturing Industry: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract : The Fourth Industrial Revolution requires manufacturing companies to implement digital transformation through effective change management. Employee resistance to change is one of the critical factors affecting change acceptance and digital transformation success. This study aims to examine change management strategies, driving and inhibiting factors with emphasis on resistance to change, and the impact of resistance on change acceptance in digital transformation of manufacturing companies. This research uses the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method with the PICO approach and PRISMA method on 25 selected articles published between 2021-2025 from Scopus, Web of Science, and other reputable databases. Research findings indicate that resistance to change significantly influences change acceptance, with main sources including fear of job loss, lack of digital skills, comfort with status quo, and inadequate communication. Effective change management strategies through strong leadership commitment, comprehensive training programs, participatory approaches, and effective communication can reduce resistance and increase change acceptance. However, organizational culture that is not adaptive, limited resources, and digital skills gap remain major obstacles. These research findings indicate the need for companies to proactively manage resistance through people-centric approaches so that digital transformation can run optimally.