scholarly journals E-COMMERCE IN THE LIGHT OF THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (25) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sreten Ćuzović ◽  
Bojan Labović

A new industrial revolution has begun. The development of digital technology as well as the implementation of advanced technologies, primarily in the manufacturing processes of the industry, all with the changes that are taking place at the global level of the economy imposed by the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0). The fourth industrial revolution implies changes in artificial intelligence, automotive industry, robotics, nanotechnology, quantum computers, e-commerce, etc. Also, the fourth industrial revolution means changes in the sectors of economy that use or produce innovative or new technologies, and where information-communication technologies are tools in creating virtual-digital channels of trade in which the trade is performed without business partners ever seeing each other. It took 75 years for the phone to start being used by 50 million people around the world, for the television it was about 13 years, while the Internet took only 4 years. The aim of the paper is to show that the successful functioning of the concept of e-commerce in the era of daily changes on a global level requires understanding of Internet technology, as well as Web and mobile platforms that make up the electronic commerce infrastructure. From the spectrum of innovations brought by Internet, the authors have chosen to explore the Internet as a platform for relocating trade to the digital network, on the one hand, and as a foundation for the development of new models of trade, better known in theory and practice as virtual trade, e-commerce, on the other hand.

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 ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhoydah Nyambane

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to establish the place of the printed book in the era of technological advancement with the assumption that the print media is facing imminent death in the face of readily available and convenient online information. Also the paper aims to assess how the development of new technologies have affected the production, circulation and readership of the printed book, especially among the young generation. Design/methodology/approach Explanatory study was used with closed-ended approach to collect data from 50 students of the Technical University of Kenya and 5 key informant interviews with selected book publishers in Nairobi. The uses and gratification theory was used to explore the knowledge-seeking behavior among the respondents. Findings Findings showed that more than 80% of the respondents preferred the internet to the printed book, which, according to them, has no future in the face of technological advancement. Book publishers, on the other hand, felt that the printed book has a bright future among specific audiences who are committed to it, and especially those in the rural areas who have no access to the internet. While they agreed that the internet has posed a major challenge to the sales and readership of the printed book significantly, it is helping in marketing the printed book as opposed to killing it. New bookshops in Nairobi and modern libraries in high schools, tertiary institutions and universities demonstrate that the printed book is not dying soon. Research limitations/implications The researcher experienced challenges in data collection as the respondents were busy preparing for final examinations and hence many of them were not willing to spare time to fill the questionnaire. To solve this, the researcher had to spend more time to collect data as opposed to if the students were free and ready to participate in the study without any pressure. Practical implications The findings can be used as a basis for further research to widen the scope that can help bring a wider perspective to the topic. The results can also inform policy guidelines on the topic and also contribute to the body of knowledge. Social implications The topic touches on social phenomena that are affecting a number of young people and their information-seeking habits in the era of digital revolution. The way the young generation seek and use information should be of interest not only to academic staff but also to policymakers. Originality/value The paper is original based on primary data that was collected by the researcher from the respondents. It is backed by secondary data to bridge the gap between theory and practice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 10448
Author(s):  
Riccardo Karim Khamaisi ◽  
Elisa Prati ◽  
Margherita Peruzzini ◽  
Roberto Raffaeli ◽  
Marcello Pellicciari

The fourth industrial revolution is promoting the Operator 4.0 paradigm, originating from a renovated attention towards human factors, growingly involved in the design of modern, human-centered processes. New technologies, such as augmented reality or collaborative robotics are thus increasingly studied and progressively applied to solve the modern operators’ needs. Human-centered design approaches can help to identify user’s needs and functional requirements, solving usability issues, or reducing cognitive or physical stress. The paper reviews the recent literature on augmented reality-supported collaborative robotics from a human-centered perspective. To this end, the study analyzed 21 papers selected after a quality assessment procedure and remarks the poor adoption of user-centered approaches and methodologies to drive the development of human-centered augmented reality applications to promote an efficient collaboration between humans and robots. To remedy this deficiency, the paper ultimately proposes a structured framework driven by User eXperience approaches to design augmented reality interfaces by encompassing previous research works. Future developments are discussed, stimulating fruitful reflections and a decisive standardization process.


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.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 42-48
Author(s):  
Yulia Matyuk

The article analyzes the risks and new opportunities that arise before man and modern society in the light of the development of artificial intelligence and robotics in the conditions of the fourth industrial revolution. The rapid development of AI indicates the absence of uniform approaches to assessing the risks and prospects associated with the use of AI. Using PESTEL analysis, the article examines the key areas of interaction between AI and humans, new challenges and prospects that open to humanity in the era of new technologies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 84-92
Author(s):  
Lo Thi Hong Van ◽  
◽  
L. Guzikova ◽  

The purpose of the study is to identify the challenges, prospects and ways for the development of the manufacturing industry in Vietnam in the context of Industry 4.0, after COVID-19. The article examines the development of the manufacturing industry in the context of Industry 4.0. The research methodology includes comparative analysis, elements of positive and normative analysis. The study is based on statistical information available within the period of writing the article (till October 1, 2020). The data of Vietnamese and international research organizations and statistics bodies, in particular, the websites of World Bank and General Statistics Office of were used. The leading role of the manufacturing industry in achieving sustainable economic development in developing countries, including Vietnam, was determined. Based on an assessment of the levels of development of the manufacturing industry in Vietnam from 2011 to 2019 and the state of production of the main manufacturing industries under the influence of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, urgent problems of the development of the manufacturing industry in the context of Industry 4.0 in Vietnam were identified. The coronavirus pandemic, on the one hand, is seen as the reason for the slowdown in production growth in the manufacturing industry, and on the other hand, as a condition for accelerating digital transformation in industrial manufacturing enterprises. The article identifies the main challenges and prospects for the development of the manufacturing industry in Vietnam in the fourth industrial revolution. The human resource challenge for the development of manufacturing in the context of the fourth industrial revolution was identified in some specific industries such as textiles, food processing, machinery and equipment manufacturing by analyzing the Report of 2019 about Industry 4.0 Readiness of Vietnam’s industrial enterprises. The main priority areas for improving the production of the manufacturing industry in Vietnam to achieve sustainable industrial development are presented. The results of the work can be used in the development of policies for the development of the manufacturing industry not only in Vietnam, but also in other developing countries


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (6/7) ◽  
pp. 355-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis N. Ocholla ◽  
Lyudmila Ocholla

PurposeIn this paper, we refer to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in 2016, where the concept of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) was coined by Klaus Schwab, with the reference that it would be building on “the Third, the digital revolution” and would be “characterized by a fusion of technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital, and biological spheres”. While acknowledging that the 4IR will impact on everything, everywhere, including research and libraries, we conceptualize 4IR, and we compare current academic library services/trends in South Africa with 4IR requirements, through the analysis of 26 public university library websites.Design/methodology/approachBesides conceptualization of 4IR, a content analysis of websites of 26 public universities’ libraries in South Africa was achieved followed up with verification of the data by respective libraries through a preliminary research report circulated to them by email. 23 areas were identified as the trends in academic libraries, which included free Wi-Fi in the libraries; 24/7 study areas and access to library resources on and off campus; research commons; makerspace; borrowing ICTs (e.g. laptops); e-resources; e-catalogues; research data services (RDS; RDM, IR); open scholarship; information literacy and reference/bibliographic tools, library as a publisher, among others. Data obtained were captured in Excel and analyzed by the research questions.FindingsThe 4IR concept does not occur often in literature, in relation to academic libraries, but it is implied. The findings show that the libraries are responding well to the revolution through their services, with remarkable innovation and creativity on display. There was a 64% presence of the analyzed trends/services in the libraries, with emerging trends/services such as library as a publisher (4%), robotics/AI (4%), makerspace (8%), RDS (27%), borrowing of ICTs/devices (19%) and user experience (19%) scoring low, while information literacy and digital scholarship (e.g. IR) (88%), e-catalogue and e-resources (92%), group study area (85%) and off campus access (77%) scoring above 75%. The scatter of the trends/services among the university libraries is noted for knowledge sharing of best practice.Research limitations/implicationsIn order to improve accordance with trends, academic libraries have to be better resourced, accessed and used, as well as improve web visibility. The study expects library services to be responsive, resourced and accessible anytime and anywhere, and it provides a conceptual framework and a benchmark for further research and exploration in the country, region and perhaps elsewhere.Practical implicationsThe study can be used for benchmarking current and future academic library services in Africa. The conceptual framework provides an agenda for theoretical discussions and deliberations.Social implicationsThe trends, framework and 4IR representations in the study can inform theory and practice in LIS, particularly in Africa.Originality/valueLinking 4IR to current and future library services provides a tool for academic libraries services benchmarking and development and provides a conceptual framework for theoretical and practical debates and implementation. The study is quite current and appropriate for the ongoing discussions of 4IR implications to academic libraries.


History has always been a great indicator of past behaviour as well as of future trends. However, when you think of what future jobs may look like, you do not certainly expect to find a plausible response in the past. Technologies and scientific advancements in general make it almost impossible to predict what you will be required to know in order to get—or maintain—your job in the next six months, let alone in the next couple of years. Whilst disruption seems such a new concept nowadays, we will learn that disruptive innovations have always been part of our story. The authors look at the major industrial revolutions known to humans and discuss patterns to help us prepare for the forthcoming future.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 1067-1073
Author(s):  
Jan Fagerberg ◽  
Bart Verspagen

Abstract According to Christopher Freeman technological revolutions play a key role in capitalist development. In this article, we ask to what extent more recent developments are consistent with the perspective advanced by Freeman. We focus on two issues in particular, the climate challenge and what has been dubbed “A Fourth Industrial Revolution” that is, advances in artificial intelligence and the proliferation of the internet of things.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 48-58
Author(s):  
Huy Minh Lam ◽  
Hue Thi Dang ◽  
Tien Nhut Le ◽  
Ngan Tuyet Huynh

With the development in the fourth industrial revolution, there have been urgent demands for new human resources in the world. The mission set for the education sector is to prepare students with skills and knowledge in line with global standards to keep up with the industrial age 4.0. Among the educational trends that serve the fourth industrial revolution, STEM education has been demonstrating its superiority through various studies. This study applies the STEMTech model, which connects the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics with a central technological factor, to create STEM products in the context of high schools in Vietnam recently. Firstly, the research trains students about STEM education, STEMTech model, and some new technologies; then divides the class into multiple groups of students to conduct a project based on STEMTech model; finally, surveys students. Statistical analysis was used to evaluate STEMTech model, whose results show that STEMTech model can engage students in learning, develop their creativity, and promote other competencies.


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