The Fourth Industrial Revolution has disrupted our traditional world of work through
the introduction of advanced technology. The way in which workplace diversity in the
form of age, gender, and education of people affect their ability to function in the Fourth
Industrial Revolution era is largely unknown. The study aimed to explore the impact of
Industry 4.0 on the workplace diversity traits of age, gender, and education in the South
African workplace. An interpretivist study using a qualitative methodology was
undertaken. Nineteen in-depth semi-structured interviews and observations were
conducted online and face-to-face at three organisations in the Gauteng province.
The results of the study showed that technology has removed mundane and
repetitive tasks to simplify work and improve time of task completion in the workplace;
however, the integration of robots into the workplace has raised concerns of
increased job losses. The study further indicated that robots will not take over jobs
completely but will require the workforce to be enhanced, thus calling for reskilling
and upskilling of existing and future employees. Job roles will continue to change as
technology is updated. The older generations are resistant to technological changes,
but they should not be alienated because of their vast knowledge and experience.
The younger generations embrace diversity, are flexible, innovative, and competitive.
These characteristics allow for managers to utilise their strengths to drive the
organisational goals and vision. Gender was not a determining factor as to which
gender adapts better to technology. However, more males occupy senior positions in
the three sample organisations as opposed to females, which points to gender
inequality at higher levels in the sample organisations. A formal qualification is a good
foundation to have; however, self-education through informal learning avenues can
assist willing individuals to upskill themselves through online resources. There needs
to be collaboration between the industry and universities to ensure better
employability and training of graduates to convert theoretical knowledge into practical
skills in order to solve real-world problems in the modern workplace.
This study contributed to filling a gap in the literature by combining the Fourth
Industrial Revolution with workplace diversity, focusing on the specific diversity traits
of age, gender, and education. The findings were used to make recommendations to
industry, government and theory. Industries who have employed Industry 4.0
technologies, can utilise this study to benchmark with other organisations to gain
knowledge from different perspectives and to share their knowledge to manage their
employees better. Government needs to encourage innovation, allow for investment
into education and training around Industry 4.0, and update policies and other
requirements as technology changes. The study will facilitate an understanding of
how resources can be used to optimise the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution
on major organisations as well as the impact thereof on employees in the
workplace. It is recommended that the organisations focus on the internal resources
and utilise their resources better by means of the resource-based view.
Die Vierde Industriële Revolusie het ons tradisionele wêreld van werk ontwrig deur die
bekendstelling van gevorderde tegnologie. Die manier waarop werkplekdiversiteit in
die vorm van mense se ouderdom, geslag en opvoeding hulle vermoë beïnvloed om
in die era van die Vierde Industriële Revolusie te funksioneer, is grootliks onbekend.
Die studie het ten doel gehad om die impak van Industrie 4.0 op die
werkplekdiversiteitseienskappe van ouderdom, geslag en opvoeding in die Suid Afrikaanse werkplek te verken. ’n Interpretivistiese studie is met behulp van ‘n
kwalitatiewe metodologie onderneem. Negentien diepgaande semi-gestruktureerde
onderhoude en waarnemings is aanlyn en van aangesig tot aangesig gevoer by drie
organisasies in die Gautengprovinsie. Die resultate van die studie het getoon dat
tegnologie alledaagse en herhalende take verwyder het om werk te vereenvoudig en
tyd van taakvoltooiing in die werkplek te verbeter; die integrasie van robotte in die
werkplek het egter kommer oor verhoogde werkverliese laat ontstaan. Die studie het
verder aangedui dat robotte nie werk heeltemal gaan oorneem nie, maar gaan vereis
dat die arbeidsmag verbeter word, wat dus ’n beroep doen op heropleiding en
vaardigheidsverbetering van bestaande en toekomstige werknemers. Werkrolle gaan
aanhoudend verander soos tegnologie verbeter. Die ouer generasies bied weerstand
teen tegnologiese veranderinge, maar hulle moet nie vanweë hulle uitgebreide kennis
en ervaring vervreem word nie. Die jonger generasies aanvaar diversiteit, en hulle is
buigsaam, innoverend en mededingend. Hierdie eienskappe laat bestuurders toe om
hulle sterkpunte te gebruik om die organisasiedoelwitte en -visie te bevorder. Geslag
was nie ’n bepalende faktor van watter geslag beter by tegnologie aanpas nie. Meer
mans beklee egter senior posisies in die drie steekproeforganisasies in teenstelling
met vroue, wat dui op geslagsongelykheid op hoër vlakke in die
steekproeforganisasies. ’n Formele kwalifikasie is ’n goeie grondslag om te hê;
selfopvoeding deur informele leerweë kan egter gewillige individue help om hulle
vaardighede deur middel van aanlyn hulpbronne te verbeter. Daar moet samewerking
wees tussen die bedryf en universiteite om beter indiensneembaarheid en opleiding
van gegradueerdes te verseker om teoretiese kennis in praktiese vaardighede om te
skakel en sodoende werklike probleme in die moderne werkplek op te los.
Hierdie studie vul ’n gaping in die literatuur deur die Vierde Industriële Revolusie met
werkplekdiversiteit te kombineer, met die fokus op die spesifieke
diversiteitseienskappe van ouderdom, geslag en opvoeding. Die bevindinge is gebruik
om aanbevelings vir die bedryf, regering en teorie te maak. Bedrywe wat Industrie 4.0-
tegnologieë gebruik, kan hierdie studie gebruik om saam met ander organisasies
normbepaling te doen om verskillende perspektiewe te verkry en om hulle kennis te
deel om hulle werknemers beter te bestuur. Die regering moet innovasie aanmoedig,
voorsiening maak vir belegging in onderwys en opleiding rondom Industrie 4.0, en
beleide en ander vereistes bywerk soos tegnologie verander. Die studie fasiliteer ’n
begrip van hoe om hulpbronne in te span om die impak van die Vierde Industriële
Revolusie op groot organisasies asook werknemers in die werkplek te optimaliseer.
Daar word aanbeveel dat organisasies moet fokus op interne hulpbronne en dit beter
benut deur middel van die hulpbrongebaseerde siening.
Inguqukazi Yesine Yezorhwebo iyiphazamisile indlela ebekufudulwa kusetyenzwa
ngayo ngenxa yokungenisa ubuchwepheshe obukwizinga eliphezulu. Ifuthe
leyantlukwano ekusebenzeni kwabantu ngokuphathelene nobudala, isini,
nemfundo yabantu alaziwa gokubanzi kweli xesha leNguqukazi Yesine
Yezorhwebo. Esi sifundo sasijolise ekuphandeni ngefuthe leNguqukazi Yesine
Yezorhwebo kwiimpawu zeyantlukwano emsebenzini ngokumalunga nobudala, isini
nemfundo kwiindawo zemisebenzi eMzantsi Afrika. Uphando lwalandela indlela
yophando ngokutolika imeko nangokuzathuza. Iindliwano ndlebe ezilishumi
elinethoba ezingaqingqwanga ngqongqo kunye neengqwalasela zaqhutywa
ngeintanethi nangeendibano zobuso ngobuso kumaqumrhu amathathu kwiphondo
laseGauteng. Iziphumo zesifundo sophando zabonisa ukuba ubuchwepheshe
buyisusile imisetyenzana edikayo nephindaphindayo ukuze umsebenzi ube lula,
kuphuculwe ixesha lokugqiba ekumele kwenziwe emsebenzini. Noxa kunjalo,
ukufakwa kweerobhothi emsebenzini kudale inkxalabo yokuba kungakhula
ukulahlekelwa yimisebenzi. Isifundo sibuye sabonisa ukuba iirobhothi
azizukuyithatha ngokupheleleyo imisebenzi, into efunekayo kukuxhobisa abasebenzi
abakhoyo nabaseza kuqeshwa ngezakhono ezitsha. Iindima zomsebenzi ziza kuthi
gqolo zitshintsha njengokuba ubuchwepheshe buhambela phambili. Abantu abadala
abazithakazeleli iinguqu zobuchwepheshe, kodwa oko akuthethi kuthi mabakheswe
ngoba banolwazi namava abanzi. Abantu abatsha bona bayamkela lula
iyantlukwano, bayithambele inguqu, ba nodla ekuqaleni izinto kwaye bayathanda
ukukhuphisana. Ezi mpawu zivumela ukuba abaphathi basebenzise amandla abo
ekuqhubeleni phambili iinjongo neembono zequmrhu. Isini asibanga luphawu
oluphandwayo kuba asidlali ndima ingako kubuchwepheshe. Kwafumaniseka
ukuba maninzi amadoda ngaphezu kwabafazi kwizikhundla eziphezulu kula
maqumrhu mathathu kwakuphandwa kuwo, nto leyo ibonakalisa ukungalingani
ngokwesini. Imfundo esesikweni sisiseko esomeleleyo, kodwa ukuzifundela
umsebenzi kumaqonga angekho sesikweni kunakho ukumnceda umntu ofuna
ukunyusa umgangatho wakhe njengokufunda kwimithombo yolwazi efumaneka kwi intanethi. Kudingeka intsebenziswano phakathi kwamashishini neeyunivesithi ukuze
kuqinisekiswe ukuqesheka okungcono nokuqeqeshwa kwabafundi abaphumeleleyo
ekuthini baguqule ulwazi olusezincwadini lube lolunokusetyenziswa ngeenjongo zokusombulula iingxaki ezikhoyo kwiindawo zemisebenzi zale mihla.
Esi sifundo sifake igxalaba ekuvaleni isikhewu kuluncwadi ngokudibanisa
Inguqukazi Yesine Yezorhwebo kunye neyantlukwano emsebenzini, kugxininiswa
kwiimpawu zeyantlukwano ezibubudala, isini nemfundo. Okufunyanisiweyo
kwasetyenziselwa ukufaka iingcebiso kumaqumrhu ezoshishino, kurhulumente
nakubaqulunqi beengcingane. Amaqumrhu asebenzisa ubuchwepheshe ekuthiwa
bobeIndustry 4.0, angasisebenzisa esi sifundo ekuzithelekiseni namanye amaqumrhu
ngenjongo yokufumana ulwazi oluvelelwe kwiinkalo ngeenkalo kunye nokwabelana
ngolwazi ngenjongo yokuphucula indlela yokulawula abasebenzi. Urhulumente udinga
ukukhuthaza umdla wokuziqalela, atyale imali emfundweni nakuqeqesho malinga
neIndustry 4.0, kwaye aphucule imigaqo nkqubo nezinye iimfuno njengokuba
ubuchwepheshe buguquguquka. Esi sifundo siza kuququzelela ukuqonda ukuba
imithombo inokusetyenziswa njani ekomelezeni ifuthe leNguqukazi Yesine
Yezorhwebo kumaqumrhu amakhulu nakubasebenzi. Kucetyiswa ukuba amaqumrhu
aqwalasele imithombo yangaphakathi, ayisebenzise ngcono loo mithombo
ngokuyibona ngenkalo yokuqonda esekelwe kwimithombo.
