Automation, Digitalisation, and Technological Autonomy in the Periphery. A Case Study in the Automotive Complex of Argentina

In this chapter, we address the issue of technological autonomy in a peripheral industrial subsidiary through a holistic workplace-level case study at a plant within the automotive complex of Argentina. We ask whether technological change in the subsidiary is autonomous concerning the most relevant automation and digitalisation technologies introduced in the production process and which non-technological factors influence the degree of technological autonomy achieved by the plant. Over the course of a year, we conducted site tours and observations at the shop floor, semi-structured interviews with company executives, workers, union representatives, and public officials, along with the collection of quantitative and qualitative information from various secondary sources. Our main findings indicate that a hypothesis of non-technological dependence tends to prevail: the ability of the local plant to control and adapt the integration of technology into its internal organisational environment depends on intrinsic characteristics of its productive trajectory and organisational culture. These features are, in turn, strongly influenced by institutional and economic factors of the local context beyond the global technological strategies of the parent company. Although the results are specific to a single-case study, its implications might also be relevant in other settings.