Managers in the Era of Digital Transformation: Navigating the Dual Realities of Time

In a professional world that demands instantaneity and immediate availability, digitalization affects not only the way we work, but also the way we think about work. In this article, we explore how the introduction of new technologies in Belgian companies specialized in different sectors impacts managers as regards their concept of time. We do so by analyzing in-depth interviews and providing qualitative evidence of managerial perspectives. In particular, we investigate the extent to which digital tools generate changes in time in relationship to work. We find that, on the one hand, digitalization i) decreases time available due to the rising levels of work pace, workload, and people management. On the other hand, digitalization ii) increases time available due to major managerial tasks being substituted by the technology itself. The time saved transforms into either productive and creative time, or ‘emptiness’ for managers.