The Preparedness of Employees for the New World of Work in the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Evidence from South Africa

Abstract

The Fourth Industrial Revolution has become popula around the globe and in almost every industry. Thus, it is set to influence every aspect of the business. While previous theoretical and empirical work documents trends of industrial revoultion, the preparedness of employees for the new world in the Fourth Industrial Revolution remains unchartered territory. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to explore the prepareness of employees for the world of work in the Fourth Industrial Revolution with eThekwini Municipality in South Africa serving as a case study. The qualitative research methodology was selected as a preferred approach because it reinforces an understanding and interpretation of the meaning as well as the intentions underlying human interactions. A cross-sectional research design was used in the study. A final sample size used for this study consisted 10 respondents within the municipality. The findings of the study indicated that both the organisation and its workforce are not adequately prepare for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The research findings provide the leadership and management of the eThekwini Municipality in South Africa with an understanding of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the importance of preparing employees for the new world of work.