THE DOMINANT EMPLOYER’S STRATEGY AS A FACTOR IN DEVELOPING DIGITAL COMPETENCIES AMONG THE POPULATION OF AN ARCTIC MONOTOWN

Abstract

This article examines the challenges in shaping and developing digital competencies among the population during the transition to a digital economy, using the dominant employer in an Arctic monotown as a case study. The impact of digital technologies on the socio-economic aspects of territorial development has not been thoroughly studied, and the development of digital competencies in the population of monotowns remains underexplored and requires further research. The authors highlight the importance of addressing the development of digital competencies among employees and the digital culture of dominant employers, considering regional factors crucial for formulating development strategies for both individual companies and territories (monotowns). The goal of this study is to assess the readiness of executives, managers, and specialists at the dominant company in an Arctic monotown to implement digital processes. The key objectives are to identify and classify the preferences of these executives, managers, and specialists regarding the current level of business digitalization. Our review of studies on the topic confirmed the variation in the development of regional digital infrastructure, influenced by regional development characteristics, the specific labor resources in monotowns, and the impact of dominant employers on digital competency development. To conduct the study, a questionnaire was developed to identify the preferences of senior and middle managers at the company. Electronic document management was chosen as the focus area, as digitalization often begins with this process, leading to varied assessments by employees, including instances of opportunism. Our analysis of the responses revealed a moderate relationship between work experience and preference for electronic document management, as well as a correlation between work experience and the willingness to improve specialized competencies. There was a high overall recognition of the need for continuous development and training. The results identified key areas for digital competency development among the company’s staff.

Keywords

• monotown
• dominant employer
• strategy
• arctic
• digital competencies
• digital environment
• barriers
• communications