The Fourth Industrial Revolution : developing innovation capabilities through smart technology adoption

Abstract

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is quickly changing the world we work in, affecting not only what we do, but how we do it. One of several resulting problems is that actors across academia, business and government often struggle to leverage the technologies brought on by this paradigm, negatively affecting their ability to innovate and strategize. One way to address this is to ensure effective adoption of smart technologies pertaining to the 4IR, as technology remains a critical pillar in the innovation landscape. This is not to say that information systems research on technology adoption is poor, quite the opposite, as this is one of the most mature branches in the field. Despite this, the pervasive nature of this paradigm has triggered arguments as to what is the most viable model or framework to leverage resulting smart technologies. Furthermore, the existing literature has not produced as much on developing regions when compared to its western orientated counterparts. The aim of this thesis is to address this gap by furthering the current understanding of the 4IR paradigm and smart technology adoption to develop innovation capabilities within various contexts, specifically within the developing region of South Africa. This study provides its findings through five sequential parts in article format. The parts encompass a usage case of technology adoption in the region (Part 1), insights into supportive mechanisms to do so (Part 2), a tangible artefact to support technology adoption by leaders (Part 3) and global trends on technology adoption models within the 4IR (Part 4). From these investigations, the primary contribution is formulated, the conceptual Smart Technology Adoption Model (STAM) that is grounded on global trends pertaining to 4IR technology adoption (Part 5). However, as noted, there is a need for further investigations within developing regions. Consequently, the model was empirically tested to ensure its validity within a South African context. A key finding is that the tested STAM model aligns strongly to the original TAM model in terms of simplicity and subsequent ease of understanding, with contextual additions including smart technology aspects, perceived risk, technological capabilities and relative advantage being identified as fundamental in smart technology uptake in the region. The thesis is based on action research to provide several considerations and practical insights towards the enablement of innovation, by adopting smart technologies across sectors to create new forms of value. Each investigation addresses a different aspect of the research questions posed while maintaining coherent contributions within the thesis. The reason to leverage this knowledge is to strengthen innovation capabilities of individuals and organisations alike through technological advancements, such as those brought on by the 4IR. This in turn, can support decisions by leadership who can now better understand the possibilities and relate it to return on investment, protecting financial performance and drive needed economic development. Moreover, the findings presented offers a starting point to leveraging symbiotic collaboration points of individuals in varying contexts through technology adoption, albeit in academic or business environments, to rapidly advance innovation capabilities to navigate this paradigm towards a future ready workforce.