With the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), many
industries find themselves having to identify, select, acquire, exploit,
and protect their 4IR technologies. However, 4IR technologies are
unique when compared with those of the preceding industrial
revolutions, in that they are evolving at an exponential rate, and they
are complex because they integrate the physical, digital, and biological
spheres. Owing to the ‘newfangledness’ of 4IR, limited empirical
references, the agility of 4IR technologies’ encroachment, rapid
technological changes, high levels of uncertainty, the premise that 4IR
induces radical changes to business models, and the realisation that 4IR
transformation has long-term consequences for businesses, there is a
need for businesses to adopt 4IR transformation using a strategic
management approach. The main objective of this paper is to report the
findings from an integrative literature review to determine what existing
systematic approaches different industries and businesses follow to
formulate 4IR technology/transformation strategies. The findings of this
study outline some important key principles underlying the formulation
of 4IR transformation strategy.
Met die koms van die Vierde Industriële Revolusie (4IR) vind baie
nywerhede dat hulle hul 4IR-tegnologie moet identifiseer, kies, bekom,
ontgin en beskerm. 4IR-tegnologieë is egter uniek in vergelyking met
voorafgaande industriële revolusies deurdat die tegnologieë teen 'n
eksponensiële tempo ontwikkel, en kompleks is omdat hulle die fisiese,
digitale en biologiese sfere integreer. As gevolg van die 'nuutheid' van
4IR, beperkte empiriese verwysings, die behendigheid van 4IRtegnologieë
se indringing, vinnige tegnologiese veranderinge, hoë vlakke
van onsekerheid, die uitgangspunt dat 4IR radikale veranderinge aan
sakemodelle veroorsaak, en die besef dat 4IR-transformasie lanktermyngevolge
vir besighede, is daar 'n behoefte vir besighede om 4IRtransformasie
aan te neem deur 'n strategiese bestuursbenadering te
gebruik. Die hoofdoel van hierdie artikel is om die bevindinge van 'n
integrerende literatuuroorsig te rapporteer om te bepaal watter
bestaande sistematiese benaderings verskillende industrieë en
besighede volg om 4IR-tegnologie/transformasiestrategieë te formuleer.
Die bevindinge van hierdie studie skets 'n paar belangrike
sleutelbeginsels onderliggend aan die formulering van 4IRtransformasiestrategie.
