Features of Perception of Social and Psychological Safety by Railway Workers during the Period of Transition to the Digital Economy
Based on the synthesis of sociological, psychological and pedagogical sciences the authors consider issues related to the perception of social and psychological safety by railway workers in the context of the digital transformation of the modern society. The analysis of the literature allowed the researchers to formulate the content of the concept of “the perception of a person's social and psychological security” as a continuous operation of two interrelated and interdependent processes - cognitive and evaluative. The indicator of the cognitive process is the awareness of an individual through a continuous analysis of information flows, the indicator of the evaluation process is the readiness for changes and the loyalty of employees to their enterprise. The article presents the data of an empirical study on the example of the work of train crews during the period of introduction of digital technologies. The study showed that train crew workers (guards and electricians) currently have a low level of awareness of the upcoming changes in their professional activities due to the introduction of digital technologies in railway transport. Insufficient awareness of railway workers, in particular, of train crews, about the essence of digital technologies creates conditions for reducing the level of their social and psychological safety, as workers associate the introduction of digital technologies with an increased level of social and psychological danger. At the same time, employees demonstrate a high level of loyalty to the company, which can serve as the basis for their adaptation to the upcoming changes. The article proposes specific measures to reduce the level of socio-psychological tension at enterprises during the transition to the digital economy, primarily the inclusion of additional modules containing information on the meaning, role, and use of digital technologies in the workplace in professional retraining programs.