The impact of the digital workforce on the institutional transformation of Turkish public administration

Throughout the ages, humanity has sought technologies and innovations that facilitate both societal and individual life. This quest for innovation is one of the fundamental reasons for sociological, economic, and cultural transformations. Transformations, ranging from hunter-gatherer societies to agricultural societies, and from industrial societies to information societies are accelerating and covering new distances. Particularly after the recognition that knowledge became the most crucial economic value following the first industrial revolution, the information age was reached. This era not only made it imperative for societies to rapidly adapt to changes but also facilitated this adaptation process. Consequently, the information society has differentiated itself from its predecessors, with its fundamental characteristics being high adaptability, openness to innovations, desire, and speed to access higher technologies. In the information society, especially with the development of Web 2.0 and the establishment of the Internet infrastructure in almost every aspect of life, digital transformation has become inevitable. A significant portion of those who witnessed this transformation adapted to these technologies, while the generation born into the digital world after the transformation manifested itself as the essential elements of the digital ecosystem. The first of these two generations is referred to as 'Digital Immigrants, ' while the latter is termed 'Digital Natives' in the literature. Although digital platforms are common living spaces, differences have emerged between these two generations in terms of culture, perception, and lifestyle. Intergenerational differences are often generalized and explained by giving names such as X, Y, Z, and Alpha to these generations. For example, digital immigrants, considered Generation Y, have a more societal perspective, while digital natives belonging to Generation Z, accustomed to the internet environment minimizing the feeling of loneliness, exhibit more individual approaches. Digital immigrants, experiencing periods when accessing information was relatively more difficult and slower, tend to display a more passive structure. On the other hand, digital natives, who can quickly access perhaps more information than necessary, have developed more questioning and active characteristics. Considering such differences, transformations have been triggered, and even become necessary, in various areas such as social, work, and education. Digital immigrants, with their adaptability features brought about by the information age, have managed to meet basic requirements such as using new technologies and finding a place in digital culture, albeit not as much as digital natives, with the necessary education and support. In this context, organizations comprising different generations of individuals in the dynamic digitalization era have realized the necessity of structural transformation. Particularly, the creation of an organizational structure supporting non-hierarchical team collaborations is envisaged according to the perceptions of digital natives, ensuring digital leadership qualities in management, and providing a working environment where flexibility and creativity are highlighted, as changes. In this regard, it is clear that institutional transformation is necessary in the public sector as well. Therefore, this study aims to examine how well the institutional structure of the Turkish public administration adapts to the requirements of digitization in the context mentioned.