Introduction to the Supplement: Advancing the practice of operations management and innovation to drive Africa forward in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)

Abstract

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is paving the way for new and disruptive approaches to managing operations, innovation, and supply chains. Africa cannot ignore this revolution and afford to stand by while the rest of the world moves forward. In this paper, I invite scholars in the broader field of operations management and innovation to take part in the dialogue, undertake research to advance Africa in the 4IR era, publish their work to ensure that what happens in Africa does not remain in Africa, and inspire or be inspired by others around the world. Consequently, I provide an overview of four papers that were presented at the second African Operations Management Conference in 2019. The conference was hosted by the University of South Africa in partnership with the Africa Automation Fair. These papers focus on the readiness of academic institutions to produce graduates that possess 4IR skill sets, the options available to firms to manage their dependency on suppliers’ supply chain innovation, the design dimensions that impact a supply chain network to perform effectively and operate with resilience while facing disruptions, and the individual components of contractor commitment to incorporate into the decision-making process to deliver road infrastructure projects in a sustainable and socially responsible manner.