The Dynamics of Workplace Relationships, Employee Well-Being, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution

2022 ◽  
pp. 22-35
Author(s):  
Isaac Idowu Abe

Employees globally are expected to flourish amidst the uncertainty, volatility, and complexities of the muddy waters of Industry 4.0. To identify changes in the perceived workplace relationships and consider initiatives that will improve interpersonal relationships at work in the 4IR. A review of literature will be conducted on the following key variables: 4IR. In the 4IR, provision of interpersonal other than digital means of communicating with employees, effectiveness in intra-organizational information sharing among employees, constant training on new and improved technological tools of working will be useful. Human resource practitioners should focus on designing strategies to improve IR at work, in order to minimize interpersonal conflicts, provide social support and improve organisational performance.

Author(s):  
Isaac Idowu Abe

Employees globally are expected to flourish amidst the uncertainty, volatility, and complexities of the muddy waters of Industry 4.0. To identify changes in the perceived workplace relationships and consider initiatives that will improve interpersonal relationships at work in the 4IR. A review of literature will be conducted on the following key variables: 4IR. In the 4IR, provision of interpersonal other than digital means of communicating with employees, effectiveness in intra-organizational information sharing among employees, constant training on new and improved technological tools of working will be useful. Human resource practitioners should focus on designing strategies to improve IR at work, in order to minimize interpersonal conflicts, provide social support and improve organisational performance.


Author(s):  
Klaus Schwab

The rapid pace of technological developments played a key role in the previous industrial revolutions. However, the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) and its embedded technology diffusion progress is expected to grow exponentially in terms of technical change and socioeconomic impact. Therefore, coping with such transformation require a holistic approach that encompasses innovative and sustainable system solutions and not just technological ones. In this article, we propose a framework that can facilitate the interaction between technological and social innovation to continuously come up with proactive, and hence timely, sustainable strategies. These strategies can leverage economic rewards, enrich society at large, and protect the environment. The new forthcoming opportunities that will be generated through the next industrial wave are gigantic at all levels. However, the readiness for such revolutionary conversion require coupling the forces of technological innovation and social innovation under the sustainability umbrella.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 505-525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seeram Ramakrishna ◽  
Alfred Ngowi ◽  
Henk De Jager ◽  
Bankole O. Awuzie

Growing consumerism and population worldwide raises concerns about society’s sustainability aspirations. This has led to calls for concerted efforts to shift from the linear economy to a circular economy (CE), which are gaining momentum globally. CE approaches lead to a zero-waste scenario of economic growth and sustainable development. These approaches are based on semi-scientific and empirical concepts with technologies enabling 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) and 6Rs (reuse, recycle, redesign, remanufacture, reduce, recover). Studies estimate that the transition to a CE would save the world in excess of a trillion dollars annually while creating new jobs, business opportunities and economic growth. The emerging industrial revolution will enhance the symbiotic pursuit of new technologies and CE to transform extant production systems and business models for sustainability. This article examines the trends, availability and readiness of fourth industrial revolution (4IR or industry 4.0) technologies (for example, Internet of Things [IoT], artificial intelligence [AI] and nanotechnology) to support and promote CE transitions within the higher education institutional context. Furthermore, it elucidates the role of universities as living laboratories for experimenting the utility of industry 4.0 technologies in driving the shift towards CE futures. The article concludes that universities should play a pivotal role in engendering CE transitions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 13052
Author(s):  
Marco Bellandi ◽  
Lisa De Propris

The paper is positioned in the emerging debate on the technological change brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, often referred to as Industry 4.0. Our analysis is at the local, sub-national level. The aim is to explore what drivers and barriers local productive systems might face when seeking to embark on transitions that reconcile smart, equitable, and sustainable priorities, under enhanced models called Industry 4.0+. The novelty of the paper is to develop such models by designing a conceptual framework that juxtaposes the drivers and the barriers of sustainability transitions with local productive systems. This novel framework suggests possible pathways that local productive systems can initiate to achieve more equitable and green outcomes for their economy and society by directing the development of digital-related solutions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 137-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucia Kohnová ◽  
Ján Papula ◽  
Nikola Salajová

Radical changes resulting from the Fourth Industrial Revolution strongly affect industrialized European countries. In particular, due to the new technologies that are characteristic of Industry 4.0, it will be essential for companies to make the necessary changes and achieve competitiveness through the implementation of these technologies. In order for companies to be able to make radical changes and innovations, they need to secure all the supporting areas in their organization. This research paper is focused on comparison of companies from Slovakia, Czech Republic, Austria, Germany and Switzerland in the context of readiness for Industry 4.0. This research was part of a research project, while data were collected in the period of 2015–2016. We have analysed companies from selected countries based on 7 areas which are closely interconnected with the business transformation and technology transformation coming from Industry 4.0. The main analysed questions focused on areas such as employee education and training, organizational culture, strategy, or organizational processes, that will be most affected by radical changes in the environment. Research has highlighted the differences between countries as a result of long-standing cultural differences, but at the same time identified the unified influence of the ongoing global debate on the need for technological innovation. With Slovak and Czech companies being below stronger innovators in the maturity of education systems, we strongly advise considering partnering in education which can bring valuable information to businesses that want to take on the wave of innovation.


Author(s):  
Kseniya Reznikova ◽  
Valery Maximov ◽  
Dmitry Popov

Together with the fourth industrial revolution Industry 4.0 in the field of shipbuilding came the concept of Shipbuilding 4.0. Despite its separation from Industry 4.0, the concept also implies the automation of production and implementation of the most advanced technologies. Such technologies include cloud computing, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, augmented reality and blockchain. Today, all these technologies are heard and familiar to a huge number of people. They continue to be actively developed and implemented in various industries and areas of human life. Heavy industry, namely shipbuilding, was no exception. This article examines the concept of Shipbuilding 4.0 and information technology, it characterizes. Examples of the implementation of the above technologies in the shipbuilding industry are given: at shipyards, in design. Applications in logistics and shipping have also been studied. This work considers such a problem of the Russian shipbuilding industry as poorly developed digitalization. With a high probability, these technologies will soon be actively consolidated in this area and will start everywhere, including at Russian shipyards. The use of innovative developments will improve competitiveness and strengthen positions in the state and market economy. Maritime activity is a very responsible field, where the slightest mistake can lead to bad consequences on a colossal scale. Therefore, the advanced technologies considered in the work have yet to be brought to perfection. However, they already have the potential and direction of development.


Author(s):  
Giovanni Carabin ◽  
Erich Wehrle ◽  
Renato Vidoni

We are in the era of the fourth industrial revolution. Which highlights adaptability, monitoring, digitisation and efficiency in manufacturing as a result of the design of new smart mechanical systems. A central role in Industry 4.0 is played by maintenance and, within this framework, we define and review condition-based predictive maintenance. Thereafter, we propose a new class of smart mechanical systems that self-optimise utilising both condition-based maintenance and dynamic system modification. Akin to smart structures, smart mechanical systems will recognise and predict faults or malfunctions and, subsequently, self-optimise to restore desirable system behaviour. Potential benefits include increased reliability and efficiency while reducing cost without the requirement of highly skilled technicians. Thus, small and medium-sized enterprises are a specific target of such technology due to their increasing level of automatisation within Industry 4.0.


2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-48
Author(s):  
Andrzej Sokołowski ◽  
Małgorzata Markowska

The aim of the paper is to propose a composite indicator characterising the level of development of Polish NUTS 2 regions with respect to the implementation and results of the changes the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) entails, and to present a ranking of regions illustrating the degree to which enterprises have adjusted to the requirements of Industry 4.0. Data used for the calculations have been based on the results of an experimental research conducted by Statistics Poland (GUS) in 2019. Two methods for constructing the composite indicators have been used – classical and iterative which is to assess the indicator’s resilience to the influence of any potential outliers. 10 sub-criteria, covered by 21 variables have been taken into account. Opolskie region appeared to be the best NUTS 2 region in Poland in terms of the implementation of the requirements outlined by Industry 4.0. The evaluation of the proposed composite indicator will be possible when comparing it with the results of similar surveys carried out by GUS in the future.


Author(s):  
V.V. Yakhrichev

Along with digital modeling, the key modern technologies include virtual (VR) and augmented (AR) reality, the use of which is a prerequisite for the implementation of the fourth industrial revolution, also known as Industry 4.0. However, at Russian enterprises, these tools have not become widespread yet. The paper analyzes the possibility of using the tools of virtual and augmented reality and introduces the available Russian instruments. Practical examples consider the application in this area of — one of them — the VRConcept system — in detail. The availability of support in the VRConcept system for the data presentation format of the domestic computer-aided design system Compass-3D simplifies its implementation and use at the enterprise.


2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-318
Author(s):  
Sidasha Singh ◽  
Juanitta Calitz

Within the context of the fourth industrial revolution, cryptocurrencies pose several challenges in the framework of corporate insolvency law. In South African law, no statutory framework vis-à-vis cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, currently exists. This has however not prevented entities from engaging in the cryptocurrency market. The specific dilemma is that insolvency practitioners do not have legislative guidelines to assist them in dealing with the subject of cryptocurrencies. Consequently, international judicial developments must be consulted and analysed with the aim to close the gap between the legislature and Industry 4.0. This article unpacks the South African legal position on cryptocurrencies within the context of the statutory powers and duties of insolvency practitioners. It engages in an analysis of selected international courts cases that have dealt with the concept of cryptocurrencies within the context of insolvent estates and continues to make recommendations for the development of an efficient and effective regulatory model.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document