Leadership and automation: towards an understanding of the leader role when implementing robots and AI in social care

Maria Forsgren, Andreas Stenling and Susanne Tafvelin

Chapter 14 in Research Handbook on Leadership in Social Work and Social Care, 2025, pp 177-188 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Demographic changes and the high pace of technological development are placing new demands on leaders in social care. These leaders must play key roles in efforts to ensure that advances in automation, particularly the use of robots and artificial intelligence (AI), benefit social care clients, employees, and society at large. In this chapter, we outline central leadership challenges and the roles that leaders in social care will need to assume as automation is integrated into employees’ work procedures. We explore the utility of the ‘implementation leadership’ concept for addressing needs to align leadership at all levels, and specific issues connected to first-line managers’ behaviours related to implementation of automation in social care. We also highlight the importance of leadership development and basic technical literacy for managers and students in social care to enhance their capabilities to address challenges associated with the implementation of automation.

Keywords: AI; Robots; Social work leadership; Implementation leadership; Leadership development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781035314485
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