Embracing the sobering reality of technological influences on jobs, employment and human resource development

When young adults preparing to enter the workforce find task support stressful: an investigation on individual differences and implications for human resource management

Purpose

When young employees enter the workforce, young employees typically require extensive task support to perform well and adjust to the workplace setting. However, this support often incorporates controlling supervisor behaviors that can be stressful for them, such as negative feedback, close monitoring and time pressure. This can negatively impact young employees' turnover and work satisfaction. This article presents an empirical investigation of how individual differences related to self-regulation at work determine whether controlling supervisor behaviors are appraised as stressful by young adults preparing to enter the workforce.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 315 university students completed the Survey of Activity Styles (SAS) along with items relating to dispositional traits related to self-regulation in the workplace and appraising controlling supervisor behaviors. A hierarchical regression approach was used to test the study's hypotheses.

Findings

The findings demonstrate that perceiving controlling supervisor behaviors as stressful by young adults preparing to enter the workforce depends on a combination of dispositional traits: emotional reactivity, extraversion and the need for achievement as well as preferences in structuring and completing tasks: multitasking and a methodical approach to tasks.

Practical implications

The study's results suggest that depending on individual characteristics, providing effective task support to young adults entering the workforce may require adjusting how the task support is provided or guiding and training on how to approach and organize work tasks.

Originality/value

Previous studies focused on the organizational and personal benefits of task support provided to young adults entering the workforce; the study demonstrates how individual differences linked to perceiving controlling supervisor behaviors can undermine these benefits.

Indispensable skills for human employees in the age of robots and AI

Purpose

Based on sociotechnical systems theory, social (human) and technological sub-systems in an organization should be taken in account when making strategic decisions and designed to fit the demands of the environment for organizational effectiveness. Yet there is very limited information in literature on whether employees are well equipped with indispensable (human) skills to prepare them combating challenges caused by advanced technology. The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate employees’ human skills that are critical for success in the Age of Robots and Artificial Intelligence from human resource development’s perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was developed for the purpose of this exploratory study. A total of 422 US Midwest employees were surveyed on their human skills level that are critical for success in the Industry 4.0 transformation.

Findings

In general, the respondents could perform all the measured human skills (which can be categorized into social skillset and decision-making skillset) more than adequate but may vary by education level and gender. To strengthen one’s human skills, organizations may begin with facilitating employees on relationship building to create a support system and a strong sense of belonging, which will promote their social sensitivity and collaboration skill development, as well as decision-making skillset.

Originality/value

The findings of this study can be used for techno-structural interventions and employee development programs. This study highlights the importance of investigating human skills to cope with the changing nature of work and make upskilling more feasible and flexible for workers to be robot-proof.

Unconscious system-psychodynamics within a German 4IR engineering company in South Africa

This article focuses on systems psychodynamics and particularly on the CIBART-model which explores conflict, identity, boundary, authority, role and task and how these phenomena work out on an unconscious level. Therefore, this article presents empirical findings on CIBART in a German multinational engineering organization operating in South Africa. For this study, 16 managers where interviewed on their transformation toward Industry 4.0 with special interest in the interconnection how CIBART aspects play out in the South African context. Findings show that all of the CIBART-phenomena are important during the transformation to more advanced technological levels and restructuring processes. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations are given how to deal with systems-psychodynamic influences within the organization.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution - Smart Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Algorithms: Industrial Psychologists in Future Workplaces

In the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), STARA (smart technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, and algorithms) is predicted to replace a third of the jobs that exist today. Almost twice as many current work tasks will be handled by robots. It is forecast that by 2025, 85 million jobs may be displaced by a shift in the division of labor between humans and machines, while 97 million new roles may emerge that are more adapted to the new division of labor between humans, machines and algorithms. Industrial psychologists are playing an increasingly important role in the workplace due to these trends from a strategic intelligence perspective. The objective of this article is to present a critical review of industrial psychologists in future workplaces in the context of the 4IR - STARA. A competence model is posed for industrial psychologists to perform a strategic intelligence role in organizations in the 4IR.

Applying ethics to AI in the workplace: the design of a scorecard for Australian workplace health and safety

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is taking centre stage in economic growth and business operations alike. Public discourse about the practical and ethical implications of AI has mainly focussed on the societal level. There is an emerging knowledge base on AI risks to human rights around data security and privacy concerns. A separate strand of work has highlighted the stresses of working in the gig economy. This prevailing focus on human rights and gig impacts has been at the expense of a closer look at how AI may be reshaping traditional workplace relations and, more specifically, workplace health and safety. To address this gap, we outline a conceptual model for developing an AI Work Health and Safety (WHS) Scorecard as a tool to assess and manage the potential risks and hazards to workers resulting from AI use in a workplace. A qualitative, practice-led research study of AI adopters was used to generate and test a novel list of potential AI risks to worker health and safety. Risks were identified after cross-referencing Australian AI Ethics Principles and Principles of Good Work Design with AI ideation, design and implementation stages captured by the AI Canvas, a framework otherwise used for assessing the commercial potential of AI to a business. The unique contribution of this research is the development of a novel matrix itemising currently known or anticipated risks to the WHS and ethical aspects at each AI adoption stage.

Working With Robots: Human Resource Development Considerations in Human–Robot Interaction

Advancements in robotic technology have accelerated the adoption of collaborative robots in the workplace. The role of humans is not reduced, but robotic technology requires different high-level responsibilities in human–robot interaction (HRI). Based on a human-centered perspective, this literature review is to explore current knowledge on HRI through the lens of HRD and propose the roles of HRD in this realm. The review identifies HRD considerations that help implement effective HRI in three human-centered domains: human capabilities, collaboration configuration, and attributes related to contact. The eight HRD considerations include employees’ attitudes toward robots, their readiness for robot technology, communication with robots, human–robot team building, leading multiple robots, systemwide collaboration, safety interventions, and ethical issues. Theoretical implications, practical implications, and limitations are discussed. This paper contributes to HRD by introducing potential areas of multidisciplinary collaborations to help organizations implement robotic systems.

Preparing Workplaces for Digital Transformation: An Integrative Review and Framework of Multi-Level Factors

The rapid advancement of new digital technologies, such as smart technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, robotics, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things (IoT), is fundamentally changing the nature of work and increasing concerns about the future of jobs and organizations. To keep pace with rapid disruption, companies need to update and transform business models to remain competitive. Meanwhile, the growth of advanced technologies is changing the types of skills and competencies needed in the workplace and demanded a shift in mindset among individuals, teams and organizations. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated digitalization trends, while heightening the importance of employee resilience and well-being in adapting to widespread job and technological disruption. Although digital transformation is a new and urgent imperative, there is a long trajectory of rigorous research that can readily be applied to grasp these emerging trends. Recent studies and reviews of digital transformation have primarily focused on the business and strategic levels, with only modest integration of employee-related factors. Our review article seeks to fill these critical gaps by identifying and consolidating key factors important for an organization’s overarching digital transformation. We reviewed studies across multiple disciplines and integrated the findings into a multi-level framework. At the individual level, we propose five overarching factors related to effective digital transformation among employees: technology adoption; perceptions and attitudes toward technological change; skills and training; workplace resilience and adaptability, and work-related wellbeing. At the group-level, we identified three factors necessary for digital transformation: team communication and collaboration; workplace relationships and team identification, and team adaptability and resilience. Finally, at the organizational-level, we proposed three factors for digital transformation: leadership; human resources, and organizational culture/climate. Our review of the literature confirms that multi-level factors are important when planning for and embarking on digital transformation, thereby providing a framework for future research and practice.

An empirical study of displaceable job skills in the age of robots

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the literature on issues regarding the influence of skill-polarized workplace on jobs, human capital and organization from human resource development’s (HRD’s) perspective, this research identified 30 displaceable skills from endangered jobs and examined 423 adult employees’ awareness and level of technological redundancy based on the displaceable kills.

Design/methodology/approach

By using survey methodology, the findings discovered four displaceable skill sets – repeated physical motion and performance, information process and analysis, repeated physical control of equipment, and individual affective performance – existing in 23 occupations with varying degrees.

Findings

Evidently, about half of the respondents were not aware of their level of technological redundancy and the current changes caused by automation and advancing technology in the job market. Proper HRD interventions are needed to assist employees to adjust the job changes and coexist with machines and robots in the technologically dynamic workplace. Specific approaches and strategies to help employees to become robot-proof were provided and discussed.

Originality/value

This research offers important insights for HRD professionals to understand the phenomena of the current skill-polarized workplace and to potentially address the related issues of talent shortage, endangered jobs, and technological unemployment.