The moderating role of gender in the effects of perceived digitalization on job satisfaction and motivation: A study on public employees

The aim of this study is to examine the relationships between public employees' perceptions of digitalization, job satisfaction, and motivation, and to determine the moderating role of gender in the effects of digitalization perception on job satisfaction and motivation. The research was designed within the framework of a quantitative relational survey design. Data were collected using a questionnaire method. The participants, determined through convenience sampling, consist of 400 civil servants working in the public sector in Ankara. To identify the relationships among variables, correlation analysis was employed; simple linear regression analysis was used to test the main effects; and Hayes' PROCESS Macro Model 1 was applied to evaluate the moderating role of gender. The results of the analyses indicate that perception of digitalization has a positive and statistically significant effect on job satisfaction (r = .316; β = .423, p < .001). Similarly, digitalization perception was found to have a positive and significant effect on motivation (r = .379; β = .356, p < .001). When the gender variable was included in the research model, no significant moderating effect of gender was detected in the relationship between digitalization perception and job satisfaction. Likewise, gender was found to have no moderating effect on the relationship between digitalization perception and motivation. These findings suggest that perceptions of digitalization produce similar functional outcomes for both genders. The standardized nature of digital processes in the public sector, the lack of gender-based differentiation in job descriptions, and the relatively equal access to digital tools may be considered as possible factors explaining this result. Based on these findings, digital transformation can be regarded not merely as a technological renewal but also as a strategic phenomenon that influences employees' behavioral and psychological processes. In this context, it is recommended that public institutions adopt a human-centered approach when planning digital transformation policies. Keywords: digitalization perception, moderating effect, job satisfaction, public sector employees, motivation