Deskilling, up-skilling or reskilling? Effects of automation in information systems context

The benefits of automation lead to increase levels of technology intervention. However, automation can have negative effects, such as reducing employee knowledge (deskilling). Other authors claim that automation may also raise knowledge (up-skilling). This study analyzes the effect of automation on an employee's knowledge to determine the presence of deskilling - if the knowledge of the task decreases-, up-skilling - if the knowledge of information system increases- or reskilling (a simultaneous effect of decreasing the knowledge of the task and increasing the knowledge of the information system). By using a survey, we gathered data from 125 users and used partial least squares for the analysis. The results show that if the automation levels vary, presence of reskilling is evident in an individual. The design of information systems should take into consideration automation will finally result in reskilling, simultaneously impairing knowledge of the task but increasing knowledge of the information system.