Relationship between employees’ demographic and attitude towards digitalization readiness: the case of AEON Co. (M) Bhd. / Anuar Fariz Shuaid, Khadijah Meor Ahmad Fadzil and Khairina Ahmad Khir

In recent years, we have seen a huge shift in the retail industries where e-commerce has been growing rapidly. Industrialization 4.0 has further pushed companies to become more technology savvy by adopting the latest technology in business processes for better efficiency and for the convenience of customers. With the increase of e-commerce giants into Malaysia’s retail market, it has become crucial for companies such as AEON to adapt to the digital wave by adopting the latest technologies in its business. However, adopting the business with digital technology can only be effective if the employees are well prepared and equipped with the right mind-sets and tools. Therefore, this study helps AEON to identify the dominant attitudinal factors in influencing employees’ digitalization, as well as examining the effect of demographic as moderating factors towards employees’ digitalization readiness. The research methodology involves surveys conducted among 166 employees at the AEON HQ followed by quantitative analysis. In depth personal interviews and situational analysis are also performed to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of AEON. This study has adopted the Technology Readiness Index (TRI) and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) in developing the theoretical framework. Towards this end, AEON can be informed of the readiness level among its employees and strategize to meet the digitalization adaptation. This can be achieved by strengthening the Human Resources practices, enhancing leadership role in cultivating new organizational culture, and enabling sufficient IT infrastructure for its employees.