Digitisation has an impact on human capital as their skills become redundant (Rana & Sharma, 2019). Industry 4.0 presents the challenge of unemployment, although it has the potential to open Orientation: Organisations are at the forefront of industry 4.0 and employees are witnessing the changes it brings. Research purpose:The objective of this study was to explore the role of human resource (HR) professionals in navigating industry 4.0.Motivation for the study: There is scant scientific research on the role of HR professionals in industry 4.0 within the South African context, although there are workshops and seminars in the field.Research approach/design and method: A qualitative research approach is used within an interpretivist research paradigm. We interviewed a purposive sample of 12 HR professionals. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to capture perceptions of HR professionals, and a thematic analysis was used to extract themes. Main findings:Seven prominent themes emerged revealing that HR professionals need to assume roles as strategic business partners and talent managers, necessitating HR competencies such as creative innovator, change agent, strategic partner and people enablement to take advantage of the opportunities of industry 4.0 and mitigate the associated challenges.Practical/managerial implications: HR professionals can use the findings as a basis for considering their role in industry 4.0. We propose a preliminary holistic model for navigating industry 4.0. Future researchers may use this study as a point of departure within the South African context. Contribution/value-add:There is limited research on this topic matter and is a response to this. The study makes an important practical and scientific contribution to understanding the role of HR professionals as it affirms their function has become an essential part of industry 4.0.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between employee retention and job security and the impact of retention factors on the job security of nurses in public hospitals in South Africa. The retention of nurses is essential in public hospitals in South Africa. It is therefore critical that retention strategies are primed to ensure the job security of nurses. Design/methodology/approach The study is quantitative in nature, adopts a cross-sectional approach and is set within a positivist research paradigm. Pre-established questionnaires were used to collect data. Non-probability sampling was used to select a convenience sample. Questionnaires were distributed to three public hospitals in Johannesburg and 202 responses were received. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were established through validity and reliability. Inferential and descriptive statistics were deployed to analyse data. Findings The study established that there is a relationship between retention factors and job security. The study further identified retention factors as predictors of job security and noted that training and development was the strongest predictor of job security amongst nurses. In addition, the study contributes towards research on retention practices of nurses from a South African perspective. Practical implications The study recommendations are diagrammatically represented. If implemented by human resource practitioners and nursing management, they are likely to enhance job security. Originality/value The study provides insights on the retention of nursing professionals in public hospitals in Gauteng and identifies retention factors which contribute most towards job security.
Orientation: Over the past two decades, since the advent of democracy in South Africa, the country has undergone transformation in virtually all sectors of society. Education is no exception, with higher education institutions (HEIs) also experiencing change. The transformation of HEIs has brought about many new challenges, demands and stresses that may hinder the work performance of academics.Research purpose: This study seeks to determine the ‘hindrance demands’ unique to the South African context by developing and validating the Higher Education Hindrance Demands Scale (HEHDS). This scale includes a set of demands placed on academics’ experiences in this context.Research approach, design and method: Data were collected from 184 academic staff members from HEIs based on a quantitative research design using a cross-sectional survey. Data were analysed through exploratory factor analysis (EFA), while the reliability of the scale was obtained through Cronbach’s coefficient alpha.Main findings: The results produced, as anticipated, a six-factor model consisting of: (1) workload, (2) higher education unrest, (3) change management, (4) decolonisation, (5) online teaching and learning and (6) psychological safety. The findings indicated excellent reliability, ranging between 0.74 and 0.90.Practical and managerial implications: Taking into consideration the context in which HEIs operate in South Africa, it is noteworthy that the recommendations in this article will assist in identifying the hindrance demands placed on academic staff. Researchers in the field are therefore called to validate the instrument developed through the use of confirmatory factor analysis.Contributions or value-add: This study adds to the limited research on hindrance demands placed on staff in HEIs.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations –citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.