The role of leadership in adopting the Fourth industrial era technologies in developing economies

Abstract

The study explored the role of leadership in adopting the Fourth Industrial Revolution
(4IR) technologies in emerging technologies. This was prompted by the fact that in
emerging economies, the adoption of 4IR is at infancy stage and not visible across the
globe. The fourth industrial revolution has the capacity of providing opportunities to
emerging economies. However, there are challenges embedded in new technologies
which might limit the possibilities to operate in an 4IR era. This implies that benefiting
from new technologies will not be automatic, but with competent leadership, emerging
economies can take advantage of digitalisation to fast track their growth and
development. The study utilised a semi-systematic literature review approach. A
qualitative/ narrative approach was utilised to establish themes. A thematic inductive
method was used to analyse the data. The clusters of data pertaining to the subjects
of inquiry served as the basis for the creation of themes. The findings of the study
revealed that the role of leadership in the adoption of 4IR technologies is crucial and
multifaceted. The key aspects of their roles are as follows: vision and strategy; change
management; resource allocation; collaboration and partnerships; risk management
and governance; stakeholder engagement as well as continuous learning and
innovation. In addition, it is recommended that key stakeholders need to support
leadership to become better 4IR-aligned leaders in emerging economies. That is,
leadership upskilling and re-skilling in emerging economies requires an effective
governmental, and institutional framework.