Shaking Up the Status Quo? An Analysis of Developments in the Social Context ofWork Stemming from Industry 4.0

Abstract

During the past years, academics have revised their earlier decision to omit the social dimensions of work from work design theory, realising that interpersonal interactions in the work setting are becoming more pervasive. Industry 4.0, however, raises new question marks with respect to this pervasiveness. Terms such as big data, Internet of Things and augmented reality have the potential to lead to shifts in the status quo of the social context of work and implicit issue of thriving. This chapter therefore aims to analyse what developments can be observed with respect to the social context of work as a result of industry 4.0. Findings from thirteen interviews conducted in four different organisations at two levels suggest that social interactions will not give into digital options. More importantly, they provide a wake-up call regarding the adoption of industry 4.0 and highlight two ways in which it influences the social context of work and human thriving.