The Ability of Project Managers to Implement Industry 4.0-Related Projects

Abstract

The 4th Industrial Revolution is challenging the ways we are working at all fronts. Its impact is felt in families, organisations and communities. The impact on organisations and particularly working environments is still largely an unknown. Part of the working environment entails the way project teams should be managed. Speed and agility are required to implement the various technologies that form the underlying basis of the 4th Industrial Revolution. This requires project teams and project managers to adjust their behaviour. This article focuses on the various leadership styles and those that are more appropriate for the implementation of these new technologies. A survey was conducted amongst South African project managers to determine their level of servant-leadership and 621 responses were analysed. The analysis focused on servant-leadership attributes. The results determined that five attributes of the servant-leadership style are important but that in general, South African project managers still focus on a 'command and control' type of leadership. The article contributes to the current debate on the best ways to manage project teams during the 4th Industrial Revolution. The jury is still out on the best working environment and the results indicate that a servant-leadership style is most appropriate but that project managers are not embracing this leadership style. This might have to do with training that they have had. Current project management best practices and competencies do not focus on this new way of working and organisations and project management bodies need to address this concern.