Sociological dimensions of digitalization in the manufacturing sector: The case of a large-scale factory in Bursa

This study focuses on examining the sociological impacts of the Industry 4.0 process on the manufacturing sector. Technological transformation is not merely a process limited to mechanization, automation, and the implementation of digital tools. It also deeply affects the labor structure, working relationships, production culture, and occupational roles. Within the scope of this thesis, a field study was conducted in an automotive supplier company to analyze how this digital transformation, influenced by Industry 4.0, is reflected in everyday life in the manufacturing sector. The research aimed to make the human impact of digitalization visible. Our fieldwork was carried out through semi-structured in-depth interviews with employees from four different occupational statuses: top-level executives (Group A), managers (Group B), white-collar workers (Group C), and blue-collar workers (Group D). The digitalization process was addressed from various human-centered perspectives such as the physical changes experienced in work life, perceptions and attitudes toward digitalization, morale and motivation, emotional responses to the process, adaptation experiences, training needs, and concerns about job security. The collected data aimed to focus not only on the efficiency of digital transformation in the manufacturing sector but also to understand its relationship with social structures and work culture. The findings obtained in the thesis reveal that digitalization in the manufacturing sector, driven by the Industry 4.0 process, creates contradictory effects. On one hand, positive outcomes such as acceleration in work processes, increased precision in quality control, and gains in efficiency were observed. On the other hand, employees frequently expressed concerns such as job insecurity, role ambiguity, lack of training during the adaptation to new technologies, difficulties in adapting, and decreased morale and motivation. It was observed that digitalization was not perceived positively by all levels of employees; in particular, blue-collar workers expressed feelings of being monitored, controlled, and excluded from the production sector. Digitalization is not only a technological advancement but also a structure that transforms labor processes. The field findings demonstrate that while this process can have an exclusionary effect on repetitive tasks, it also has a transformative aspect that introduces new skills and roles. This study, which aims to make the sociological dimensions of digital transformation visible, opens discussions about the need to balance technology-centered production approaches with human-centered adaptations and support mechanisms. The thesis presents a perspective that emphasizes digitalization in the manufacturing sector as not only a technical issue but also a sociological one.