The Fuel to Organizational Conflict or A Boon for Teamwork?
The 18th century witnessed a watershed event in the history of the world's industries. The time was ripe for something revolutionary, and Great Britain.
Updated
On this page
Key takeaways
- The 18th century witnessed a watershed event in the history of the world’s industries.
- Lastly, a considerable amount of R&D is necessary to implement the concept at a ground level and establish a data pool that everyone can refer to.
- Addressing these issues should solve the prevailing problems and enable a smooth transition to industry 4.0.
The 18th century witnessed a watershed event in the history of the world’s industries. The time was ripe for something revolutionary, and Great Britain provided the right platform, abundant with natural resources, capital, labor supply and technology. Thus started the industrial revolution with Great Britain as its flagbearer. Consequently, the country also became one of the leading economies of the time. Essential inventions of the era, such as the steam engine, internal combustion engine, and electricity production, formed the backbone of most technological developments. Steam power enabled the development of power looms and better techniques of steelmaking. The century also witnessed the invention and evolution of power tools. The first industrial revolution started a paradigm of mechanization that improved the workers’ output by more than 40%. This formed a baseline for further industrial innovations and the coming centuries saw the second and third iterations of revolution.
The second industrial revolution was marked by the use of oil and gas to power industrial processes. This era also witnessed the development of better communication technology like the telephone and telegraph. The entry of computers marked the third industrial revolution into the system, and a new era of automation started. Today, we are in a transition phase where industry 4.0 is the next big thing. Industry 4.0 uses the power of data analytic and more automation through AI, IoT, the involvement of smart machines, supercomputers, cloud storage, etc. However, with each one of these revolutions, we have seen significant changes in labor laws and workplace dynamics as well. After the Covid-19 pandemic, we are seeing more cases of moonlighting and quiet quitting; workers, having realized the importance of personal life and being there for the family, are opting for a better work-life balance. Hence, it is yet to be seen whether industry 4.0 fuels organizational conflict or is a boon for teamwork.
Industry 4.0 Implementation #
The first industrial revolution came as a drastic change, but industry 4.0 cannot be separated by a well-defined line. It is a gradual change and, if seen broadly, an evolution of industry 3.0 with the latest technologies. It represents an ever-increasing efficiency, collaboration and integration within the industrial processes. However, considering that most industries already have a fixed workflow, it is hard to evolve and implement new technologies without interrupting that workflow. SaaS, ML, and AI integration primarily establish a software infrastructure. However, the application of advanced robotics and implementation of the IoT framework does need an overhaul of the physical infrastructure. There are many levels to an industry 4.0 overhaul.
Firstly, the company should have an excellent understanding of ICT and industry 4.0. Secondly, they need to make sure that the necessary hardware infrastructure is in place. These include components that enable autonomy in the process - RFID, network connections, sensors, microprocessors and actuators. These are programmable components and can be left alone once programmed according to workflow, which also helps standardize the processes. We are talking about infinite possibilities here; industrial processes can be connected to the cloud and can be controlled from a centralized system. This makes the work easier for the administration when controlling multiple factories or offices. Lastly, a considerable amount of R&D is necessary to implement the concept at a ground level and establish a data pool that everyone can refer to.
Industry 4.0 Limitations #
Integrating ICT within the industry requires changes in the whole ecosystem – from workers to upper management. Effective decision-making and adaptability at the apex level can serve as a model for holistic application for better skill development of lower-level workers. Similarly, a bottom-up approach can lead to better administrative decisions.
This is because there are several limitations; the workers who look up to higher management should feel confident about the leadership, and inversely, the leadership should consider the workers’ concerns before making a decision. Industry 4.0, with its greater-than-ever automation, means robots will take the place of unskilled/low-skilled workers, creating a vacuum of employment opportunities. Mid-level employees who operate the machines need to be technically adept, and higher-level officers need to have theoretical and technical knowledge of ICT. This leads to expenditure on training costs not only at the corporate level but also at the government level because they will have to focus on making policies that promote skilled labor, increased expenditure on skill development, etc.
Finally, an associated risk with greater “ICTization” is data security. The increased implementation of cloud computing and processes being done through software means they are more vulnerable to caber-attacks.
The Human Factor #
Teamwork plays a crucial role in making all the value chains of an industrial system work in tandem. This boosts efficiency and ensures that the organization works at its best capacity. However, Covid-19 has created disruption in that area. With work-from-home and hybrid modes being increasingly popular, peer connect has taken a toll and relationships between co-workers have degraded.
When we talk about algorithms and software replacing humans, it is extremely necessary to consider the human factor. As of 2020, approximately 44% of the global workforce still lies in the low-skilled or unskilled category. Moreover, among the skilled workforce, very few are employable as they don’t have specialized skills. When the paradigm shift happens, these workers, who otherwise were an indispensable part of the industry, will be replaced by computer programs. Companies will focus on hiring programmers, data scientists and domain experts, and governments will focus on feeding these needs. This will lead to financial and social degradation, envy and demotivation among low-skilled and unskilled workers. For some, it will be too costly to upskill and, for some, too late. Although, the concept of this latest industrial revolution is aimed at increasing collaboration, it also brews a dangerous concoction of workplace conflict.
Conclusion #
Industry 4.0 is the next big thing and the rapid technological advancement year after year makes its scope really wide. However, we need to understand the current shortcomings and act accordingly. As of now, Switzerland is the only country fully prepared for an upgrade to industry 4.0. We need to keep in mind that Covid-19 has delayed the process of implementation by many years. A lot of industries have taken huge hits. For the companies to recover from this hit first, then put money into modernization, will take a lot of time. For now, we should focus on two important things - First, do not hurry; gradual adaptation is the key to a successful implementation. Second, a gradual shift to “back to the office” or hybrid models of work and third, promote team building exercises to encourage peer-to-peer and even subordinate-boss bonding. Addressing these issues should solve the prevailing problems and enable a smooth transition to industry 4.0
Related reading