Previous Industrial Revolutions Research Articles

Role of Industry 5.0 for driving sustainability in the manufacturing sector: an emerging research agenda

PurposeWith ever-increasing global concerns over environmental degradation and resource scarcity, the need for sustainable manufacturing (SM) practices has become paramount. Industry 5.0 (I5.0), the latest paradigm in the industrial revolution, emphasizes the integration of advanced technologies with human capabilities to achieve sustainable and socially responsible production systems. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the role of I5.0 in enabling SM. Furthermore, the review discusses the integration of sustainable practices into the core of I5.0.Design/methodology/approachThe systematic literature review (SLR) method is adopted to: explore the understanding of I5.0 and SM; understand the role of I5.0 in addressing sustainability challenges, including resource optimization, waste reduction, energy efficiency and ethical considerations and propose a framework for effective implementation of the I5.0 concept in manufacturing enterprises.FindingsThe concept of I5.0 represents a progressive step forward from previous industrial revolutions, emphasizing the integration of advanced technologies with a focus on sustainability. I5.0 offers opportunities to optimize resource usage and minimize environmental impact. Through the integration of automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analytics (BDA), manufacturers can enhance process efficiency, reduce waste and implement proactive sustainability measures. By embracing I5.0 and incorporating SM practices, industries can move towards a more resource-efficient, environmentally friendly and socially responsible manufacturing paradigm.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings presented in this article have several implications including the changing role of the workforce, skills requirements and the need for ethical considerations for SM, highlighting the need for interdisciplinary collaborations, policy support and stakeholder engagement to realize its full potential.Originality/valueThis article aims to stand on an unbiased assessment to ascertain the landscape occupied by the role of I5.0 in driving sustainability in the manufacturing sector. In addition, the proposed framework will serve as a basis for the effective implementation of I5.0 for SM.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution and the New Path of Law

The contemporary accelerating changes in technology lead to drastictransformations in economy, social and political structures, as well as legal practice andthe very essence of law. The present research is a try to bring to the light the evolutionof industrial revolutions and realize the transformations and developments of law andlegal practice throughout the First, Second, Third and Fourth Industrial Revolutions.Taking into account the consequences of the previous industrial revolutions andthe ongoing nature of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the research defines somegeneral developments / paths in the law, especially the transformations in legal practice(Practical Perspective); transformations in teaching law (Educational Perspective) andtransformation in the essence and perception of law itself (Theoretical Perspective).Based on the research two possible social structures, with economic, political andlegal order, have been proposed: negative and positive.

Research trends in industry 5.0 and its application in the construction industry

PurposeIndustry 5.0 provides significant social, environmental and economic benefits over previous industrial revolutions. However, research in the field of industry 5.0 is still at a very nascent stage. Little is known about research trends in the field and its applications in specific sectors as construction which have relatively low sustainability index. Hence, this study aims to explore research trends in industry 5.0 and its applications in the construction industry.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a bibliometric analysis with the use of the vosviewer. The main search words used in the study were “Industry 5.0”, “Society 5.0” AND “Fifth Industrial Revolution”. Initial extracted papers with these keywords were 1036. After refining based on language, document type, key words and timeframe, a total of 188 papers were found suitable for the analysis.FindingsThe most impactful research on Industry 5.0 to date was from the United States, Australia and Sweden while the journal sustainability was found to be the highest document source on Industry 5.0. The application areas of industry 5.0 in the construction industry include health and safety, collaborative working, waste management, measurement of environmental features (indoor air quality, atmospheric pressure, noise, humidity and temperature) and forecasting of environmental, social or financial outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsThe study used review based papers which form the bulk of the existing research on industry 5.0. This limits understanding of the practical applications, benefits and challenges associated with the use of industry 5.0.Originality/valueThis work contributes to the theory and practice of industry 5.0 by providing baseline data for future research directions on industry 5.0. The work specifically highlights the application areas of industry 5.0 in the construction industry and also indicates the need for questionnaire, interviews or case study based research to enhance understanding of the practical applications of industry 5.0.

Into IR4.0: Charting the Social and Occupational Changes in Industrialised Malaysia

The COVID-19 pandemic may have disrupted the socioeconomic fabrics of the world, but it also has spurred the incorporation of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4.0) technologies into organisational operations, work settings, service deliveries and our everyday life. The workability and cost-effectiveness of these technologies will motivate companies to enhance their incorporation into respective organisational and operational designs. This will subsequently change our employment and the way we work as evident in the technological changes throughout previous industrial revolutions. This overview aims at charting out the universal societal changes, particularly changes in work aspects, corresponding to industrialisation; and how IR4.0 may alter current social and occupational landscapes in the near future. These universals are then used to contextualise the social and occupational changes during Malaysian industrialisation. The challenges and some suggestions for the direction of future research on work/ occupation as Malaysia ventures into IR4.0 are presented at the end of this overview.

Can green finance facilitate Industry 5.0 transition to achieve sustainability? A systematic review with future research directions.

Most of the world's rising carbon emission results from industrial activities. Previous industrial revolutions did not put much thought into safeguarding the natural world. Governments worldwide have been continuously implementing regulations and policies for the mitigation of climate change to promote sustainable development. To achieve decarbonization, the climate change discussion is merged with Industry 5.0 (I5.0) where green finance (GF) plays a crucial role. This technological metamorphosis of transition from Industry 4.0 (I4.0) to I5.0 will affect humans and their society. I5.0 forms a symbiotic relationship with different aspects of Society 5.0 (S5.0) such as social (human‒machine centricity), ecological (zero emissions), and technological (green innovations). Thus, the I5.0 transition prioritizes greening the economy in pursuit of achieving S5.0. Through a systematic review of 196 articles, this research study concisely summarizes the rapidly expanding body of information. The research domain gave six major themes: Green Innovations (GI), Green Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Circular Economy (CE), Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM), Emerging Economies, and Net Zero Economy (NZE). Finally, a framework has been provided that illustrates the supporting role of GF for the I5.0 transition eventually followed by S5.0. This study provides an overview of these themes with their propositions and future research directions. The present study addresses the knowledge gap by providing valuable contributions to the burgeoning research domain of I5.0 and GF. Moreover, it aims to garner the attention of different stakeholders to integrate these two concepts of research to attain the goal of sustainable development.

Stylised-facts view of fourth industrial revolution technologies impacting digital learning and workplace environments: ChatGPT and critical reflections

When the 21st century was ushered in, and in the period following its inception, there was a lot of hype about how 21st-century skills, especially the 4Cs (critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity), were going to play a pivotal role for digital learning and workplace environments. Two decades later, these environments are still grappling with the specific changes brought about and the actual role played by these skills in their respective facets. Within these two decades, though, a new hype has emerged about how fourth industrial revolution (4IR) technologies are likely to affect and change the future of digital learning and workplace environments in ways never seen in previous industrial and digital revolutions. Amongst these technologies, artificial intelligence and automation are touted as some of the technologies that will change the future of digital learning and work. Against this background, this paper sets out to critically reflect on the prospects and challenges these two 4IR technologies have for digital learning and work as the 21st century is on the cusp of the third decade. It does so by analysing and discussing AI−/machine−human fused stylised facts based on ChatGPT-generated responses and on a human distillation and reworking of those responses.

A Conceptual Analysis of the Technology, Organisation, Environment, Readiness and Industry 4.0 Adoption in Malaysia Small and Medium Enterprises

Technology advancement is a primary element in differentiating Industry Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) from previous Industrial Revolutions. This revolution changes the nature of workforces, and the way people work. As a result of rapid technological advancement through Industry 4.0, SMEs are finding it more difficult to innovate and adopt. SMEs have difficulty adopting Industry 4.0; hence they tend to remain inactive. They can, however, reap greater benefits if they are more active and open to this new revolution. The current paper aims to examine the potential for reviewing to investigate, in the context of Malaysian SMEs and the adoption of Industry 4.0, whether the relationships between technology, organisations, environment, and Industry 4.0 adoption are mediated by readiness. Also, the paper analysed the various issues and concepts related to the study through various literatures. The study's results are expected to demonstrate that the relationships between technology, organisations, and environmental aspects are mediated by a readiness to adopt Industry 4.0. This finding will provide information to SMEs on which aspects for the company to improve to be ready and adopt Industry 4.0. It will also be useful to policymakers who create strategies and support systems to encourage the growth of Malaysian SMEs. 

Twenty-First Century Learning (21 CL) – South African Private Secondary Schools in KwaZulu-Natal

Globally, many educational systems were designed to produce a labour force to meet the requirements of previous industrial revolutions. Currently, in the fourth industrial revolution, the world is undergoing profound changes in all spheres. Learners need to be prepared for a future with novel jobs, radical information and communication technology (ICT), and global problems never previously encountered. Many countries have therefore, moved from traditional approaches to education, to 21 CL. 21 CL is application-driven, student- focused;, and it incorporates intellectual, social, and emotional aptitudes. The purpose of this research is to provide an in-depth analysis of the 21 CL pedagogy. The study, therefore, investigates how some private South African secondary schools interpret and enact with 21 CL. The research is embedded in the positivist and interpretivist paradigms. The study utilizes a mixed-method research approach, because both quantitative and qualitative data are required to achieve the research objectives. The research strategy used was a case study, specifically a multiple-case study design. This research provides a more theoretical and practical information regarding the successful interpretation and enactment of 21 CL, in private secondary schools in KwaZulu-Natal. The research also provides current information on 21 CL globally. The research findings revealed that private secondary schools in KwaZulu-Natal were only in the initial stages of changing to 21 CL. The findings also revealed that the change to 21 Cl can be facilitated by the design of a sustainable vision and well-defined plan of execution, as well as the effective training of school leaders.

Biopolitics and a right to tourism

ABSTRACT Tourism as a right was officially stated in the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism (1999) and it would be granted normative status once the Framework Convention on Tourism Ethics (2020) is legally binding. As such, the importance of the rights discourse in tourism has been largely acknowledged and its status is increasingly being reinforced. The rights discourse of tourism is particularly important as the world is facing at the Fourth industrial revolution, which can lead to a societal transformation like previous industrial revolutions. However, the position of tourism as a right has still been confronted with an ambivalent conjuncture and it still requires the relevant etudes to provide diverse perspectives for its justification or its discursive construction within a philosophical approach. By applying a Foucauldian discourse analysis for a close reading of international statements and demonstrating the relevance and applicability of biopolitics to the rights discourse in tourism, this article argues that a fuller understanding of the discourses and arguments made regarding a right to tourism is possible through a deeper consideration of biopolitics and that its legitimation needs to take place within the realm of biopolitical production.

Opportunities for Older Employees during the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Given the fact that worldwide the aging population continues to reach new peaks, there is a pressing need to explore if the labor force frame can be extended for older employees reaching 65 and beyond. Mandatory age retirement dominated the previous Industrial Revolution. From this point onwards, the Fourth Industrial Revolution will question for sure if a potential context for facilitating longer careers is necessary on one hand or if postponing retirement is realistic on the other hand or not. The present article explores in some manner certain answers to these questions by taking into account the rise of flexible work arrangements and their daily impact and by also taking into account the changes visible today when it comes to work-related skills.

Human Robot Collaboration in Industry 4.0: a literature review

Technological developments through the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) jointly with the global COVID-19 pandemic have brought about a change in life and work of almost all existing professionals. Some researchers argue how the fifth industrial revolution will approach the fourth much sooner than all previous industrial revolutions. In fact, several sources start talking about the fifth industrial revolution, although the paradigms that will define its context and areas of development are still unclear. This research study focuses on one of the foundational aspects of the fourth industrial revolution and which already has the basis for being projected into the fifth industrial revolution and thus the possibility to be taken to the next level: Human-Robot Collaboration. A state-of-the-art study and a bibliometric analysis have been carried out in order to identify research trends related to this paradigm. In addition, the authors present a definition of HRC trying to describe its main characteristics and the key aspects that identify it. In the second part of the paper, a summary of the main research trends is presented, reporting some significant case studies.

Impact of the main workplace components on employee satisfaction and performance in the context of digitalization

In the time of digitalization within the framework of the fourth technological revolution, it is necessary to return the human being to the first place in the science of management. Men and women as the performers of activities should be on the pedestal of all modern processes that take place in society and business, to avoid the problem in which the society was “trapped“, during the previous industrial revolutions. The application of information technology in general and artificial intelligence in particular affects the design and content of the main components of job design, which inevitably leads to a reflection on the satisfaction and performance of employees at the workplace. The paper aims to explore the impact of specific workplace components on employee satisfaction and performance, further recognizing which components contribute the most in the context of digitalization and 4IR. From Hackman and Oldham’s job design theory and Mintzberg’s organizational structure framework, we propose and test a research framework that investigated the impact of technical system, work assignment and worker features on employee satisfaction and performance in a contemporary context. The research was conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina on a random sample of 125 respondents from public and private sector organizations, different industries and companies’ sizes. The analysis was realized through hierarchical multiple linear regression model and the key findings revealed that the task and knowledge characteristics of artificial intelligence-enabled jobs are vitally important for inducing innovative work behaviour among employees.

The current status of hydrogen energy: an overview.

Hydrogen is the most environmentally friendly and cleanest fuel that has the potential to supply most of the world's energy in the future, replacing the present fossil fuel-based energy infrastructure. Hydrogen is expected to solve the problem of energy shortages in the near future, especially in complex geographical areas (hills, arid plateaus, etc.) and harsh climates (desert, ice, etc.). Thus, in this report, we present a current status of achievable hydrogen fuel based on various scopes, including production methods, storage and transportation techniques, the global market, and the future outlook. Its objectives include analyzing the effectiveness of various hydrogen generation processes and their effects on the economy, society, and environment. These techniques are contrasted in terms of their effects on the environment, manufacturing costs, energy use, and energy efficiency. In addition, hydrogen energy market trends over the next decade are also discussed. According to numerous encouraging recent advancements in the field, this review offers an overview of hydrogen as the ideal renewable energy for the future society, its production methods, the most recent storage technologies, and transportation strategies, which suggest a potential breakthrough towards a hydrogen economy. All these changes show that this is really a profound revolution in the development process of human society and has been assessed as having the same significance as the previous industrial revolution.

Izazovi četvrte industrijske revolucije, transformacija savremenih oružanih snaga i moralna dilema u vezi sa robotizacijom

Introduction/purpose: The first industrial revolution used the power of steam and water for the mechanization of manufacturing. The second one used electricity for mass production. The third one used electronics and information technologies for the automation of production, while the fourth industrial revolution aims to enable erasing of the boundaries between the physical, digital and biological spheres in order to reach smart automation and increase the interconnection of system elements. Thus, previous industrial revolutions changed the way we work, the next one is changing the way we think. Our generation is privileged of being a contemporary of tectonic technological changes, a witness to changes that fundamentally convert production processes and relations in production, but also a witness to the changes that those products bring to the functioning of the mankind, from individuals to state organizations, including the military as well. The main goal of this paper is to indicate to the wider military academic community the need for coordination and interdependent development of combat systems, doctrine and structure of defence organizations. Methods: This paper will use general scientific methods that are used, or can be used, to acquire scientific knowledge in all scientific fields and disciplines. We highlight the hypothetical-deductive method, the analyticaldeductive method and the comparative method. Results: (Increased) Equipping with weapons and military equipment generated from the current technological revolution requires radical changes in the defence area, both in the combat component, i.e. changes of basic combat units that should optimally use these weapons (their doctrines, tactics, organization, training, etc.) as well as the administrative-bureaucratic component of the national defence system that deals with the procedures of weapons development, production and procurement, which should follow the fastest pace of innovation ever in the commercial industry area. Conclusion: The authors would like to point out the interdependence between the emerging challenges of the 4IR and the directions of transformation of modern armed forces.

Factors influencing sustainability in start-ups operations 4.0

Given that the previous industrial revolution brought about significant and occasionally unanticipated changes in the “economy,” “the environment,” and “society,” industry 4.0’s sustainability effects deserve all of academia's attention. The study of the start-up operations 4.0 sustainability effects is in its infancy, and more research is needed to fully understand the sustainability implication of start-up operation 4.0 in terms of the influence of digitization on the economy, the environment, and society. Though research on sustainability in industry 4.0 has been performed, a study on the factors influencing start-up operations 4.0 to achieve sustainability has not received the necessary attention. To address this issue and gap, the current study models the factors influencing start-up operations 4.0 to achieve sustainability. Through review of literatures and experts’ opinion, ten factors have been identified. To identify how the factors interact, the “Modified-Total Interpretive Structural Modelling (M-TISM)” technique is employed, and the “MICMAC method” is used to “rank and categorize” the factors. The findings shows that the key importance should be given to the “management support for sustainability adoption,” “decentralized system,” “green design,” and “machine learning system.” The developed hierarchical link between variables provides a comprehensive understanding of how sustainability helps start-ups competitiveness and what elements are responsible for this impact. The management of the start-ups can utilize this framework to enhance start-up operations 4.0 since our study uses factors often studied separately but not combined. This study will help academics, and key stakeholders understand the aspects that lead to sustainability in start-up operations 4.0.

The perceived societal impact of the fourth industrial revolution in South Africa

Societal impact reflects the changes that transform the society which affect the well-being of individuals and their families. This study aimed to understand the perceived societal impact of the fourth industrial revolution in South Africa. The investigation used an exploratory mixed research method, with six experts in round table discussion (focus group) and a survey questionnaire with 1,1105 responses. The findings of the study confirm the existential relational proposition that the fourth industrial revolution has a societal impact in South Africa. It is influenced by socio-demographic (province, age) and socio-economic (education and employment) factors. The findings also revealed that the perceived highest impact of fourth industrial revolution’s will be on improved re-industrialisation (RII = 68.6 percent), increase in work mobility (RII = 68.1 percent) and improved service delivery (65.1 percent). Regarding benefits, if correctly leveraged, these new disruptive technologies create a significant opportunity to leapfrog the advancements made in the previous industrial revolutions and help develop society. However, this might widen socio-economic gaps further, especially if there is no action to change the status quo of the highly unequal society in South Africa.

The Road to Industry 4.0 and Beyond: A Communications-, Information-, and Operation Technology Collaboration Perspective

The fourth industrial revolution, that is, Industry 4.0, is evolving all around the globe. In this article, we introduce the landscape of Industry 4.0 and beyond empowered by the seamless collaboration of communication technology (CT), information technology (IT), and operation technology (OT), that is, CIOT collaboration. Specifically, CIOT collaboration is regarded as a main improvement of Industry 4.0 compared to the previous industrial revolutions. We commence by reviewing the previous three industrial revolutions and we argue that the key feature of Industry 4.0 is the CIOT collaboration. More particularly, CT domain supports ubiquitous connectivity of the industrial elements and further bridges the physical world and the cyber world, which is a pivotal prerequisite. Then, we present the potential impacts of CIOT collaboration on typical industrial use cases with the objective of creating a more intelligent and human-friendly industry. Furthermore, the technical challenges of paving the way for the CIOT collaboration with an emphasis on the CT domain are discussed. Finally, we shed light on a roadmap for Industry 4.0 and beyond. The salient steps to be taken in the future CIOT collaboration are highlighted, which may be expected to expedite the paradigm shift towards the next industrial revolution.

Industry 4.0 as a Challenge for the Skills and Competencies of the Labor Force: A Bibliometric Review and a Survey

The latest technological development called Industry 4.0, like the previous industrial revolutions, has also brought a new challenge for people as a labor force because new technologies require new skills and competencies. By 2030 the existing generation in the labor market will have a skill gap threatening human replacement by machines. Based on bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review the main aims of this study are, on the one hand, to reveal the most related articles concerning skills, competencies, and Industry 4.0, and on the other hand, to identify the newset of skills and competencies which are essential for the future labor force. Determining the model of new skills and competencies in connection with Industry 4.0 technologies is the main novelty of the study. A survey carried out among the workers of mostly multinational organisations in Hungary has also been used to explore the level of awareness about those skills and Industry 4.0 related technologies, and this can be considered the significance of the empirical research.

Managing Knowledge About Future of Work: A Model for Higher Education Institutions

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is causing considerable changes to the world of work. The interaction between technology and work, which takes many forms such as digitalization, automation, and augmentation, is happening quickly and broadly, impacting economic sectors left almost untouched by previous industrial revolutions. In this scenario, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) must be able to foresee changes to prepare future professionals to match the needs of this new digital age. The professionals that are being prepared today need to learn a new set of skills related to emerging and disruptive technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, and Big Data. In this paper, we propose a Knowledge Management model to help manage the HEIs’ teaching staff knowledge about the future of work, specifically, the expected skills and competencies to be highly demanded from professionals in the future. Therefore, we performed a brief review of related work about Knowledge Management in the context of HEIs, Management of Future-oriented Knowledge, and the application of the Delphi method to studies concerning the Future of Work. Considering this previous work, we propose a Knowledge Management model that combines the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence Model framework with a Delphi process that is used during the Knowledge Generation step of the Knowledge Management process. The proposed model considers that professors are experts in their areas of concentration and, as such, are capable of helping their HEIs with their knowledge that can be used to improve the courses’ curricula. The model also considers that HEIs can help professors make this knowledge explicit, then store, transfer, and apply it. We provide detailed information about how to apply the model, how to deal with potential application problems and the model limitations. The proposed Knowledge Management model can help HEIs to keep up with the trends of demands of the labor market.

Development of a Business Assessment and Diagnosis Tool That Considers the Impact of the Human Factor during Industrial Revolutions

Over time, the satisfaction of needs and the ability to meet them have consistently increased. However, the world of the 21st century is one in which the basic needs of millions of human beings are still not satisfied. Why? To an extent, nonprofit organizations such as charities play essential roles in the needed improvement of this situation. In this regard, the human factor within an organization is key influence in organizational performance and societal impact. Human beings within organizations make decisions based on their own motives, so the ethical values of each person are significantly important. Therefore, it is necessary to use analyze the potential of the human factor in the fourth industrial revolution and to analyze its influence in the previous industrial revolutions. This research was aimed to conduct such analyses for a nonprofit charity. Moreover, the authors of this paper also analyzed the industrial revolution potentials of the charity case study using system dynamics. The relevance of the presented paper was ensured by the aforementioned combination of topics. The results showed how greater impacts, higher expenses, and higher stocks were not necessarily able to quantitatively satisfy food needs in a timely manner if the human factor and global effectiveness and efficiency were not optimized. When these aspects were optimized, our hypothesis was proven, as the models set for further industrial revolutions were shown to provide better results in the satisfaction, efficiency, and economic indicators with a lower financial need; therefore, this model can be used to satisfy other needs of Maslow’s pyramid. In conclusion, this proposed approach empowers welfare organizations to increase their CSR consideration, thus enabling them to use internal mechanisms to secure viability in the pursuit of a high-performance CSR approach.