Shaping and improving new technologies using Digital Dignity Cards
A case study conducted with EDGE Digital Manufacturing
Case Study Authors
Ravi Gidoomal, EDGE Digital Manufacturing, Dr Karen Lancaster (University of Nottingham)
Context
Any responsible employer will aim to protect and uphold the dignity of everyone in the workplace. However, without a people-led approach to digitalisation, one risks compromising dignity, with knock-on effects for equality, wellbeing, or even fundamental human rights.
Starting conversations about dignity in manufacturing settings is not always straightforward, however. It can be hard to know where to begin, and there is often a worry that such discussions might become uncomfortable, confrontational, or overly personal.
The Dignity at Work discussion cards offer organisations a way to approach these sensitive topics in an accessible and engaging manner. Using fictional scenarios, they encourage reflection on dignity, equality, wellbeing, and human rights, while highlighting the need to carefully balance these values with technological innovation.
EDGE Digital Manufacturing specialises in digital readiness diagnostic tools, strategy and roadmapping services. EDGE’s diagnostic tools are used by the Made Smarter Adoption programme and have supported over 1,000 manufacturers with their digital adoption journey.
Recent research led by EDGE and funded by Made Smarter Innovation’s Smart Manufacturing Data Hub reinforced the importance of people-led factors on Digital Readiness and business performance. EDGE has been developing new approaches to explore these factors in greater depth with their clients.
Objective
EDGE identified the Dignity at Work discussion cards as a potential tool to support initial discussions about people-led factors with their clients. EDGE wanted an easy-to-use approach which would stimulate thoughtful and engaging conversations without being too prescriptive or “leading the witness”. The priority was to help client teams to explore and uncover relevant issues through a consultative, facilitated discussion rather than being told what to do.
Approach
The cards were developed by Dr Karen Lancaster at the University of Nottingham, and have been tested in focus groups prior to being used by EDGE.
The pack consists of 36 Scenario cards, each detailing a dignity-based dilemma, where an employer has introduced a digital / AI technology, but an employee is concerned about a dignity-related matter. For example, a facial recognition system which doesn’t recognise darker skin-tones very well; an AI monitoring system which monitors people’s conversations and activities, but employees feel they are being spied upon; an AI system which has replaced teams, leaving the remaining workers feeling threatened and alone. There are also 20 cards with discussion prompts such as “Suggest one way in which the technology could be used without compromising anyone’s dignity.”
The cards are intended for use in small groups, to foster collaborative discussion and to prepare a business - and its employees - for the potential challenges of implementing digital / AI technologies, and to ensure that digitalisation can proceed without undermining dignity
Insights
EDGE tested the cards as part of a Digital Readiness and Human-centric AI expert workshop with The Turing Way Practitioners’ Hub. Attendees were senior leaders from a diverse cohort of innovative SMEs all contributing to decision-making and strategy within their respective organisations and with a particular focus on challenges and goals related to improving technology, AI adoption and data practices.
EDGE invited participants to select 2-3 of the dignity cards and facilitated a discussion with small groups of 4-5 people. The conversations initially explored the scenario outlined on each card and from there each group considered wider issues and practical applications of each scenario within their own business. Consistent themes emerged from all the groups including the importance of clear communication and change management processes within digital transformation; and the role of people within the adoption of technology.
Feedback from participants was extremely positive: the cards helped to shift the dialogue from technical and operational matters to organisational strategy and values. Most participants acknowledged the importance of people’s dignity and wellbeing as critical to ensuring that technology adoption projects succeed in the long run, and the risks of failing to involve people in the change process. This was especially important when considering the increasing use of AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) and how to align technology with human-centric practices.
EDGE plans to incorporate Dignity at Work discussions within future workshops with manufacturing clients. It is difficult to cover all the scenarios included within the discussion cards, but they provide a helpful framework and potentially a useful tool that can be revisited by clients in their future team meetings. It would be good to explore how the cards could also help with strategy discussions that explore an organisation’s culture and values.
Impact
“The digital dignity cards provoked some of the most honest and inspiring discussions I have facilitated when exploring digital readiness. They helped us look beyond the technology and consider its impact on everyday users and the people within our organisations. I look forward to similar high impact conversations with our clients in the future.”
Ravi Gidoomal, CEO, EDGE Digital Manufacturing
For further information on this case study please contact the P-LD at P-LD@bath.ac.uk
Acknowledgement
This work was supported by the Innovate UK led Made Smarter Innovation Programme: People-Led Digitalisation Engagement and Impact Acceleration [Grant Reference UKRI1436] Centre for People-Led Digitalisation, at the University of Bath, University of Nottingham, and Loughborough University.