The main purpose of this study is to examine how the use of management tools supports the readiness of manufacturing organizations for the implementation of Industry 4.0. The originality of the research is reflected in the exploration of the relationship between the use of the selected well-known management tools and their readiness for the implementation of Industry 4.0, which was assessed using a combination of two models—one developed by the National Academy of Science and Engineering (Acatech) and the other by the University of Warwick. The relationship was assessed by applying structural equation modeling techniques to a data set of 323 responses from employees in manufacturing organizations. The results show that the use of six sigma, total quality management, radio frequency identification, a balanced scorecard, rapid prototyping, customer segmentation, mission and vision statements, and digital transformation is positively associated with Industry 4.0 readiness. Inversely, outsourcing and strategic planning are negatively associated with Industry 4.0 readiness, while lean manufacturing, which is often emphasized as the cornerstone of Industry 4.0 implementation, is not associated with Industry 4.0 readiness in our study. These findings can help organizations to understand how to consider and measure readiness for the implementation of Industry 4.0 more comprehensively and present guidelines on how the use of management tools in manufacturing organizations can foster their implementation of Industry 4.0 principles.

This study combines two main challenges for organizations today, as it examines the alignment between personal values of future leaders and the values needed in the Industry 4.0 workplace. Based on the movement of the organizational environment toward a more multidisciplinary, open, collaborative and multicultural environment, we presuppose that the Industry 4.0 workplace requires a more benevolent, universally oriented and generally self-transcended leaders. Drawing upon Schwartz’s value theory, we examine the impact of Generations Y and Z’s personal values on their leadership inclination. The results from the survey of 371 young participants from Generations Y and Z reveal that self-enhancement (i.e., power and achievement), openness to change and conservation values most significantly affect leadership inclination. Meanwhile, benevolence, universalism and general self-transcendence values—cornerstones of the Industry 4.0 workplace—show negative effects on leadership inclination in the frame of the Industry 4.0 workplace. This indicates a poor fit between the values of future leaders and the values of the Industry 4.0 workplace. These findings have significant implications for human resource management in future organizations and contribute to the understanding of future leaders. In addition, the findings can help organizations to manage sustainable workings in an Industry 4.0 environment.

The main purpose of this paper is to assess a possible impact millennials will have on the future business environment of Industry 4.0, based on their personal value orientations. Millennials are taking over important roles in organizations, but their personal values are significantly different from those of older generations. This paper shows that, based on the Schwartz's value survey with N=371 Slovenian respondents, millennials are in general more inclined toward values connected to personal growth and freedom from anxiety, emphasizing self-transcendence and openness to change, than toward self-protection and anxiety avoidance, understating conservation and self-enhancement values. These cognitions can have significant implications in shaping the future business environment of Industry 4.0, as it can become more open, understanding, collaborative, accepting, and generally more supporting, thus creating the evident millennials' effect. Even though millennials are in general well prepared for the future business environment, organizations will have to, in order to retain the millennials, reshape their current organizational environment to better reflect the millennials' views.

It is commonly held that new technologies improve the productivity of organizations. However, technology acceptance does not happen instantaneously—it depends on complementary, non-technological changes in organizational behaviour. The lack of the latter may present a barrier to technology implementation and could even result in adverse effects on productivity. This is often the case in emerging economies that are deeply embedded in mature technological frameworks and with limited readiness for the adoption of new technologies. Using data from organizations in the manufacturing sector of an emerging European economy, we empirically tested the effects of technological and non-technological factors of the organizational implementation of Industry 4.0 principles on productivity. The results of the investigation, based on structural equation modelling, reveal the positive effects of technology-related Industry 4.0 factors—such as the Internet of Things, cyber-physical systems, and cloud computing—on productivity. The findings also reveal that these effects are enhanced by the mediating effect of non-technological changes to business models, organizational structures and cultures, strategies, and shifts in focus regarding customers, products, and services. This study adds to the existing body of knowledge in this area by revealing the relevance of the individual channels through which transitions towards Industry 4.0 can be enhanced, using traditional manufacturing environments often neglected in studies within this research field. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11846-022-00543-7.

The main purpose of this chapter is to examine two widely used knowledge management strategies and propose to each strategy complementary knowledge management tools that can help to encourage innovation, especially in the future Industry 4.0. Organizations are currently facing dynamic transitional changes and are becoming increasingly knowledge-based. Knowledge is an essential driver of innovation. Therefore, strategies must be implemented to support the knowledge management process. Strategies for knowledge management can be frequently oriented towards ICT or towards interpersonal relationships. For the support of knowledge management strategy, organizations may use technologies, techniques, and methods that are often referenced to as knowledge management tools. In Industry 4.0, strategically focused knowledge management could prove to be a critical component in securing the relevant knowledge to help foster innovation. Furthermore, the implementation of knowledge management strategies is shown to have a direct positive impact on organization's performance.