Tradition Meets Innovation: How Aging Workers Navigate Technology in Italian Artisanal Businesses

SMEs represent an important asset for the economy of the European Union (Katsinis et al., 2024, p.1). In Italy, especially artisanal SMEs play a crucial role by producing handcrafted goods that reflect the “Made in Italy” label and uphold traditional techniques, representing 21,2% of the overall Italian companies (Centro Studi CAN, 2022, p.1). However, artisanal companies currently face several challenges: the pressure of an aging workforce and the associated risk of losing knowledge of traditional techniques due to a shortage of younger recruits (CENSIS, 2024), as well as the need to stay up-to-date in terms of technological advancement (Luckman & Thomas, 2018; Luckman & Andrew, 2020). In that respect, technology serves a threefold role: contributing to enhance the production; helping preserve the knowledge and expertise of older workers; and, finally, attracting younger workers who are more willing to interact with advanced machineries. As a result, firms face crucial decisions about which technologies to adopt and how to engage older workers - who may be more accustomed to traditional techniques - in innovative production processes, while also being appealing to younger workers who are more familiar with digital devices. Bridging this generational gap is essential to maintaining a cohesive workforce. Therefore, effective corporate management must develop strategies to address these challenges and capitalize on the opportunities presented by the age diversity in the workforce and varying levels of technological engagement (OECD, 2020). Despite growing interest in both technological innovation and craft practices (Gibson, 2016; Luckman, 2015), there is a notable gap in the literature regarding how the role of older workers in artisanal contexts may shift and how their expertise is valued amid these changes. This study addresses this gap by examining two Italian artisanal SMEs, specialized in smoking pipes and high-end furniture. Using a qualitative approach of semi-structured and ethnographic interviews with the workers and the management, along with observations of the shop floor, this research analyses management’s perceptions of the role of older workers on the shop floor in the context of technological advancements. Additionally, it examines how management perceives older workers’ attitudes toward these technological changes. Preliminary findings reveal a dual perspective on the role of these workers. On one hand, older workers are valued as mentors, as they possess knowledge of traditional techniques crucial to the artisanal process; management often seeks their input on production processes, implicitly recognizing their expertise. On the other hand, they can also be seen as a potential burden due to their slower adaptation to innovative changes in production methods that have been established for a long time. In fact, management expresses concerns over the challenge of engaging older workers in learning new practices, as they may be less invested in and less willing to adapt to changes given their closeness to retirement.