Social Capital in the Digital Transformation: How Assistance Systems in Production Reshape Communication and Knowledge Transfer

This study explores how digital assistance systems affect social networks and communication in industrial organisations. Based on an embedded single-case study of two production units, qualitative interviews and network mapping were used to examine changes in workplace interaction. The findings show two main effects: greater informational autonomy reduces informal contact, especially with supervisors, while experiential knowledge loses importance relative to system-based expertise. These developments reshape the structural, relational, and cognitive dimensions of social capital. Linking socio-technical systems theory with social capital theory and Coleman’s macro–micro–macro model, the study highlights how digital technologies alter cooperation patterns and informal knowledge flows within production environments.