The Impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on Managers’ Sense of Coherence

Claude-Hélène Mayer, Cemonn Wegerle and Rudolf M. Oosthuizen
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Claude-Hélène Mayer: Department of Industrial Psychology and People Management, College for Business and Economics, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa
Cemonn Wegerle: Department of Industrial Psychology and People Management, College for Business and Economics, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa
Rudolf M. Oosthuizen: Department of Industrial and Organisational Psychology, School of Management Sciences, College of Economic and Management Sciences, University of South Africa, Pretoria 0003, South Africa

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 8, 1-13

Abstract: The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) disrupts the world of work, new technologies change the nature of individuals’ work and their tasks, and therefore it is necessary to determine how managers cope with these changes, specifically relating to their salutogenesis. There is a lack of research conducted on the salutogenesis of managers in times of the 4IR. The purpose of this study is to investigate the level of managers’ sense of coherence (SOC) in terms of the adjustments and developments of the 4IR, and their in-depth understanding of their SOC. This study employs a hermeneutical research design with a qualitative approach by using a semi-structured interview. The method used to analyze the data was content analysis. From the data analysis, the findings indicate that a majority of the managers tend to have an understanding of the 4IR and what implications of the 4IR will have on the world of work and their job description, the necessary resources to cope with the 4IR, and find the 4IR meaningful, therefore, managers have a strong SOC level during the 4IR. The recommendations for future studies suggest that research could be conducted how managers and lower-level managers’ SOC differ, which will provide insight into what different methods are required for the different level of managers.

Keywords: Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR); salutogenesis; sense of coherence; mental health; managers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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