Conceptualising self-reflexive practice as transformational competence: Exploring relationships and relatedness in a fourth industrial revolution technological environment

Abstract

In the author’s exploration of the literature, little seems to be known regarding the potential value of self-reflexive practice in exploring the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) and its related phenomena. The thesis is presented in narrative format and based on personal experience and insights, supported by a non-systematic review of the literature on self-reflexive practice and the 4IR. This perspective argues that one of the most impactful transformational competences in the context of the 4IR, is arguably what is known as self-reflexive practice (SRP). Through this practice we elucidate our conscious and unconscious assumptions and orientations towards the 4IR and associated phenomena. The aim of this article was to highlight the importance of self-reflexive practice as a critical skill for navigating the complexities and challenges presented by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In this article SRP is conceptualised as the critically informed stance of reflexive dialogue with the self, regarding conscious and unconscious realities. It is argued that the value of SRP lies in its capacity to a) foster critical thinking, b) manage paradoxes, dilemmas and complexities that are characteristic of the 4IR, and c) create psychological “containing spaces” for complexity, ambivalence, and ambiguity. Thus, reflexivity as a way of being, could help us reshape and reorient how we relate to the 4IR and enable practitioners to learn from experience (through deep reflection) about themselves, their work and the way they relate.