The Importance of Social Sustainability in Digital Transformation: A New Definition Proposal

Abstract

Social effects caused by digital transformation technologies are spreading to all areas of life with new technological developments. Digital transformation fundamentally changes people's habits and determines the life style and quality of future generations. With the emergence of the digital society, social sustainability gains a special importance in digital transformation. The fact that the Industry 5.0 vision of the EU Commission is focused on sustainability and people along with flexibility emphasizes the increasing importance of social sustainability in the digital age. The positive connection of digital transformation with social sustainability is clearly expressed in scientific studies. However, despite this positive relationship and the increasing importance, it is seen that social sustainability is not included in the digital transformation definitions in the literature. This study, based on literature research, provides a new definition by examining the social sustainability dimension of digital transformation within the scope of sustainability. The proposed new definition emphasizes the importance of the social sustainability dimension together with the strategic dimension of digital transformation.