Fourth Industrial Revolution: A Readiness Assessment of Project Managers in Tanzania ()
1. Introduction
The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is a technological revolution that merges and is characterised by a fusion of physical, digital, and biological technologies to deliver unprecedented products and services in new and emerging sectors [1] . It has transformed humankind and changed how we live, work and relate to one another [2] [3] . It is a fundamental change in the way goods and services are produced and delivered and it has a significant impact on national and institutional competitiveness, export potential, job creation and socio-economic transformation [4] [5] . It comes with several technologies including artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, the internet of things (IoT), blockchain, autonomous vehicles, virtual and augmented reality, big data, cloud computing, simulation, nanotechnology, biotechnology, materials science, energy storage, quantum computing and additive manufacturing such as 3D printing [1] .
According to [6] , 4IR technologies collectively termed cyber-physical systems (CPS), which are computer systems with mechanisms controlled by computer-based algorithms, are used to monitor, analyse, and automate business to deliver huge socio-economic benefits. Furthermore, these technologies are changing the way projects are developed and implemented in public and private organisations on their planning, organizing, directing, and monitoring from initiation to completion while ensuring the necessary quality and done within time, budget, and scope [6] [7] .
These changes result in the transformation of the entire system of production, service delivery, and governance in the country [1] thus a need for 4IR readiness, which is described as the degree to which organisations can take advantage and precautions of 4IR technologies [8] . Many new and innovative interventions are initiated in the form of projects and traditional project management alone cannot suffice in managing projects in the 4IR era. It entails that project managers need to be aware and ready to embrace these changes including coming up with strategies on how to initiate and manage projects in the 4IR era for survival, efficiency, and competitiveness [7] [8] .
Project managers’ readiness to initiate, implement and manage projects in the 4IR era is still at a lower level in a typical developing country like Tanzania in which also there are still challenges related to digital skills, connectivity, accessibility, and governance [5] [9] [10] [11] [12] . There are limited studies on 4IR-related project management, and no specific study was done on the 4IR readiness of the project managers in Tanzania to embrace these 4IR-related challenges. Such readiness assessment will contribute to this space and drive broader adoption of 4IR in the country.
This study aimed to assess project managers’ 4IR readiness in Tanzania with a research question “Are the project managers aware and ready for the 4IR in Tanzania?”. The assessment is mainly based on four literature-based readiness dimensions: strategy and governance structure, technology awareness, human capital digital skills development and social-economic impact [10] [11] [13] [14] . Further to this introduction, Section 2 covers referred literature review followed by methodology in Section 3. Results are presented and discussed in Section 4 and conclusions are made in Section 5.
2. Literature Review
Organisations have been aligning their business strategy with projects to achieve strategic goals and objectives as well as create business value. However, in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), project management has been disrupted by digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, the internet of things, blockchain, cloud computing and additive manufacturing [1] [15] . These 4IR technologies in specific are forcing changes that bring affect business practices in public and private sector organisations. These changes include the shift in customer expectations, asset productivity, new forms of collaboration and partnerships, and operating models being transformed into new digital models [4] . Consequently, traditional project management should be transformed in alignment with 4IR practices to reap the benefits they bring to organisations and society [8] [16] . Thus, ideally, project managers in this 4IR era are expected to be able to initiate and manage the undertaking of 4IR-related projects. Therefore, there was a need to assess the readiness extent of the project managers to initiate and manage 4IR-related projects in this case, Tanzania, a typical developing country. The 4IR readiness assessment is based on four dimensions determined from literature and the country context i.e., Strategy and governance structure, Technology awareness, Human capital digital skills development, and Social economic impact [1] [4] [5] [7] [9] [10] [11] [13] [14] [16] - [23] .
2.1. Strategy and Governance Structure
The 4IR has been progressing with worldwide interest and active response from government and organisations both public and private. The national strategy and governance structure for harnessing 4IR has been and can provide guidance and leadership on how to implement digital technologies to achieve digitally enabled socio-economic development in a country [13] [23] [24] . They can also provide strategic direction to an organisation on how to achieve its goals and strategic objectives as well as how to enable and measure performance. Thus, it is necessary to consider strategy and governance structure when assessing responses to the 4IR. For example, China’s national 4IR policy framework consists of its “Manufacture 2025 and Internet plus strategies, and the promotion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) programs, with a focus not only on promoting investment, but also enhancing firms’ innovation capability to establish incubating facilities, a credit management system, and improving protection for intellectual property rights” [7] . The assessment items in this dimension follow (Table 1).
2.2. Technology Awareness
The 4IR comes with disruptive technologies which have transformed the way we live, do business, learn, relate to each other, and handle socioeconomic development globally and regionally [2] . Greater interaction between industry and the education system is required, as is life-long learning and workplace awareness and training programmes which bring to light and impart new skills at a pace that matches that of technological change [26] . Project managers cannot lag because much development is initiated and implemented in form of projects, and they are responsible for managing their conceptualization and undertaking. According to [11] and [14] , project managers should have skills and reskilling programs and experience to oversee the implementation of new 4IR-enabled products and services. They should also be aware and have the know-how to integrate the existing and new project’s technology in and across the organisations. The assessment items in this dimension were as follows (Table 2).
2.3. Human Capital Digital Skills Development
The “4IR creates the impetus for transformation in people strategies and human resources practices as well as the implications of specific drivers of change for organisations and their workforce” [4] . Human capital digital skills are necessary for creating a digital economy and society. Such skilled human resources are needed in the government and organisations of all kinds globally and regionally [22] .
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Table 1. 4IR readiness assessment items for strategy and governance structure.
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Table 2. 4IR readiness assessment items for technology awareness.
Organisations should also build a culture of lifelong learning to empower the workforce to develop skills to handle digital goods and services to increase productivity and efficiency, create business value and enhance economic growth [29] . Furthermore, digital skills are a prerequisite for a digital economy and society so that individuals and organisations have the appropriate skills to take part in achieving the latter [14] . The assessment items in this dimension follow (Table 3).
2.4. Social-Economic Impact
The 4IR is characterised by the physical, digital, and biological worlds. Its technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, blockchain, digital currencies, big data, virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), drones, internet of things, 3D/4D printing, cloud computing, mobile technologies, and biotechnology among others are enabling a transformation of the entire systems, processes in and across organisations, industries, countries, and societies including contribution to SDGs achievement [1] [30] . This transformation brings social and economic equality, stability, and the shaping of future business in countries and societies. For example, they have resulted in start-up enterprises that create jobs and boost socioeconomic growth globally [29] . The social economic impact was assessed as per Table 4.
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Table 3. 4IR readiness assessment items for human capital digital skills development.
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Table 4. The 4IR readiness assessment items for social-economic impact.
To sum up these four project managers’ readiness dimensions for 4IR i.e., Strategy and governance structure, Technology awareness, Human capital digital skills development and Social-economic impact in our assessment were used as independent variables and Project managers’ 4IR readiness is the dependent variable as the propositions below indicate and research conceptual framework depicts in Figure 1:
1) Strategy and governance structure are requirements for Project managers’ 4IR readiness.
2) Technology awareness is a requirement for Project managers’ 4IR readiness.
3) Human capital digital skills development is a requirement for Project managers’ 4IR readiness.
4) The social economic impact is a requirement for Project managers’ 4IR readiness.
3. Research Methodology
This research aims at assessing the 4IR readiness of project managers in Tanzania, in which the quantitative research method was mainly used in line with [31] .
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Figure 1. Research conceptual framework.
3.1. Research Method and Data Collection
The research was done based on a quantitative research method with the diffusion of innovations theory perspective on how innovation in this case 4IR do spread interactively within social systems throughout a profession, organisation, and society [31] [32] . This is done through survey research specifically using a questionnaire to collect data [33] . The survey questionnaire was based on a conceptual framework in Figure 1 and associated research propositions drawn from literature with the perspective of the referred theory and aim to answer the research questions concerning project managers’ readiness for the 4IR widespread in Tanzania. The five-point Likert scale was used with weights ranging from 1 “Not at all” to 5 “Very Great Extent” in all 34 items of the 4 applied dimensions i.e., 11 on Strategy and governance structure, 11 on Technology awareness, 7 on Human capital digital skills development and 5 on Social-economic impact. The respondents used the scale to rank the awareness and readiness of 4IR concerning projects. The survey instrument was pre-tested to assess content validity, results reviewed and changes incorporated into the final questionnaire. It was distributed online and offline using convenience sampling and 50 of them were filled out by project managers in Tanzania who in a way influence, conceptualize, implement, and manage projects.
3.2. Reliability Tests
Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used to test the reliability of the questionnaire that constituted 11, 11, 7 and 5 items in assessment dimensions respectively and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was calculated accordingly. The results in Table 5 show that Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was above 0.7 meaning that there was internal consistency and good reliability of tests and measures that indicate how response values for each participant across a set of questions were consistent [34] .
4. Results and Discussion
The survey results and associated discussion are presented in generic information descriptive analysis which is the process of using current and historical data to identify trends and relationships as well as the specific Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) readiness assessment that in this case focuses on four (4) readiness dimensions.
4.1. Generic Information Descriptive Analysis
The results in this dimension involved respondents’ demography on gender, industry distribution and years of experience in managing projects. It also involved generic awareness and initiated projects on the 4IR technologies.
4.1.1. Respondents—Gender Distribution
A total of 50 responses were received from project managers in Tanzania. A profile of the respondents indicated that 62% were male and 38% were female.
4.1.2. Respondents—Distribution by Industry
Figure 2 summarises the responses by industry with respondents’ organisations, which shows that most of them were from the banking/financial industry with 22% of total respondents. This was followed by those from education and training as well as ICT/Telecommunication each representing 16%. Few respondents were from the agriculture and manufacturing industries each with 2%. These results indicated that most of the respondents were from the banking/financial, education/training, and ICT/Telecommunication industries.
4.1.3. Respondents’ Years of Experience in Managing Projects
Figure 3 shows that 34% of the total respondents had less than 5 years of experience in managing projects, 42% had 5 to 10 years and 24% had more than 10 years. Generally, results show that most project managers had 5 to 10 years of experience in managing projects.
4.1.4. Respondents’ Awareness of the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Figure 4 shows that 64% of the total respondents were aware of the 4IR while 36% of the total respondents were not aware of it. This result indicated that awareness initiative on the 4IR is still required to increase the 4IR in Tanzania and it is in line with a study in South Africa by [11] that indicated the overall project management change readiness to be 67.76%.
The results also indicated that 4IR technologies that respondents were aware of included artificial intelligence, the internet of things, big data/data analytics, blockchain, robotics, cloud computing, 3D printing, virtual and augmented reality, smart mobile devices, chatbots, drones and digital currencies such as cryptocurrency. This awareness of these 4IR technologies can be capitalised on and developed further into implementable value-added projects which could contribute to the advancement of these organisations and the socio-economic development of
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Figure 2. Respondents’ distribution by industry.
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Figure 3. Respondents’ years of experience in managing projects.
the country. This includes agriculture such as helping farmers to optimize productivity and reduce waste through data-driven “precision farming” techniques and in the financial industry such as contributing to more financial inclusion in the digital economy [3] . Others could be in education such as empowering engaged skills development with VR/AR and 3D printing, and in-service delivery with new biometrics that improves identification for a variety of uses [16] .
4.1.5. Initiated Projects Using the 4IR Technologies
In this item, 20% of the total respondents-initiated projects using the 4IR technologies while 80% were yet to initiate a project using the 4IR technologies. Also, respondents were asked to specifically mention the initiated projects using these 4IR technologies, which were indicated to be few, including cloud computing, machine learning, supply chain digitization, drones, 3D printing and artificial intelligence. These results are also in line with a study by [11] that showed 80% of project managers not prepared yet to adopt and incorporate smart and autonomous technologies into the projects. This shows that more effort is needed to initiate more 4IR technologies-related value-added projects to advance these organisations and socio-economic development in the country.
4.2. Fourth Industrial Revolution Readiness Assessment
The results in this dimension are in 4 readiness dimensions, i.e., Strategy and governance structure, Technology awareness, Human capital digital skills development and Social economic impact.
4.2.1. Strategy and Governance Structure
This dimension comprised 11 items as it was shown in Table 1 and Figure 5 summarises the responses. 27 respondents who represented 54% of the total respondents had not established a governance structure for 4IR (ST3). This also applies to 22 (44%) that indicated the government to not have in place a National related plan for 4IR (ST5), 21 (42%) had not assessed organisational readiness for 4IR (ST4), 14 (28%) had not seen the budget allocated for adopting 4IR technologies, and 44 (88%) had not developed a strategy for 4IR.
The results generally indicated that there is little on the 4IR strategy and governance structure in Tanzania. At the national level, there is a limited 4IR-related plan and a body spearheading 4IR and most organisations had limited 4IR-related readiness, budget, governance structure, leadership, policy, and innovations. However, through a desk/literature review, the national vision 2025 and ICT policy showed the need for a Digital based or ICT-driven economy that could be a starting point for national-oriented development and application of 4IR technologies [35] . This also applies to the president and minister of this portfolio’s willingness to embrace 4IR and encourage further the digital economy to accelerate socio-economic development in the country [36] [37] . Moreover, we found a Digital transformation strategy in action and a roadmap towards the 4IR in Africa [38] [39] , a South Africa 4IR strategy in our SADC region [40] and a Uganda 4IR strategy in our EAC region [41] as examples of a benchmark.
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Figure 5. Strategy and governance structure results.
4.2.2. Technology Awareness
Project managers’ technology awareness to develop and implement 4IR products and services was analysed using 11 items as shown earlier in Table 2. The results in Figure 6 show that to some extent respondents were aware of the emerging/smart technologies in the 4IR (TA1). Few also showed the ability to integrate the project’s technology within the existing business and technology in practice (TA2) as well as a focus on long-term plans in this item (TA10). However, a strong understanding of how to integrate existing solutions within the cloud computing, IoT and data analytics space is required (TA7). Furthermore, having a strong business case for adopting the 4IR technologies as part of the awareness (TA9) was noted as a necessity as also indicated by [42] and [43] on Africa’s development adapting to the 4IR.
4.2.3. Human Capital Digital Skills Development
Human capital digital skills development for the 4IR is important in the country’s social economic development. It was analysed using the seven items indicated in Table 3. The results shown in Figure 7 generally indicate that most organisations have inadequate human capital digital development skills for the 4IR as fewer respondents indicated having a program in place to develop skills and awareness of employees about 4IR technologies (HC1). Also, fewer respondents indicated having no strategies in place to retain employees in the 4IR technologies
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Figure 7. Human capital skills development results.
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Figure 8. Social economic impact results.
(HC3) and to have them equipped with the necessary skills and awareness ready to implement the 4IR technologies (HC2). However, there is an indication of management to support a culture of lifelong learning (HC4) and willingness to learn and be trained for embracing the changes that 4IR brings (HC5). Also, there are some innovative IT integration and application culture (HC6) and dynamic recognition mechanisms to capture and optimise employees’ talents and experience (H7). These items should be capitalised on as also indicated by [43] , [44] and [45] on digital citizens and the skilled workforce needs to embrace 4IR.
4.2.4. Social-Economic Impact
The organisation’s social-economic impact on the 4IR in the country was analysed using the five items as shown in Table 4. Figure 8 represents findings, which generally indicate some readiness towards the social-economic impact of the 4IR in society (SI1 to SI3). However, the impact can be concretised and expanded much further by ensuring the alignment of 4IR with the best cyber-ethics practices (SI5) and a focus on opportunities to create new business values for the organisations and society (SI4) as also emphasized by [13] , [14] and [46] .
5. Conclusions
This section consists of the conclusion and recommendations coming out of this study.
5.1. Conclusion
The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has brought changes in the way we live, work, learn and relate to each other. It has been spreading across countries including Tanzania that have started to feel the impact in several sectors of socioeconomic development. Therefore, like other countries, it should be prepared and ready for dramatic transformation in technological environments that involves project managers. The present study assessed the 4IR readiness of project managers in Tanzania mainly through survey research. The main assessment dimensions were four namely strategy and governance structure, technology awareness, human capital digital skills development and social-economic impact of the 4IR.
The results revealed that despite the generally low awareness of 4IR, several project managers in Tanzania have varying awareness of 4IR technologies such as artificial intelligence, IoTs, data analytics, blockchain, robotics, chatbots, cryptocurrency, drones, and other digitalization platforms. The results also showed project managers’ little extent in readiness to initiate, develop and implement 4IR products and services due to inadequate 4IR-related awareness, human capital digital skills development, strategy and governance structure and social-economic impact. The results imply that project managers need to be made much more aware and trained in the 4th Industrial Revolution. They should also align with 4IR’s necessary strategies and structures and how to embrace this revolution for higher social-economic impact.
This study contributes to the body of knowledge on digital transformation and 4IR in specific and what might be done more to tap its opportunities. It provides readiness of project managers that might be useful to 4IR-related social economic development such as policy making, practices, researching and innovation. Therefore, having in place improved 4IR-related strategy and governance, technology awareness, human capital digital skills development and social-economic impact will add value to the country’s industrialisation and drive the achievements of Tanzania’s vision 2025 and SDGs 2030.
5.2. Recommendations
Based on the results of this study and the discussion made, several recommendations are proposed in line with the objective of this study which was to assess the 4IR readiness of project managers in Tanzania in the frame of the four different readiness dimensions: strategy and governance structure, technology awareness, human capital digital skills development and social economic impact.
1) Strategy and governance structure
● Government and individual organisations should have the policy and strategy related to the 4IR, involving coordinated, innovative, and effective 4IR implementation mechanisms, incentives, and sanctions for a widespread social economic impact.
● Government should establish an innovative and effective national governance structure, leadership, plan, budget, and M&E mechanisms for the successful 4IR implementation.
2) Technology Awareness
● Key 4IR technologies, their strong business cases & integration with existing solutions-related awareness critical to project management endeavours to deliver aligned innovative products and services in the industry such as education, health, agriculture, and manufacturing should be further identified and provided for 4IR effective adoption.
● Awareness of the necessary organisations’ internal and external as well as existing and emerging digital and supportive infrastructure to 4IR such as affordable fixed and mobile broadband, integrated digital platforms and devices, power, workforce and partners should be made to project managers and teams for the successful implementation and widespread social economic impact of 4IR.
3) Human capital digital skills development
● Government should develop the necessary 4IR-related digital skills through a futuristic, competency-based, and contextual educational curriculum at all levels and lifelong learning practices (upskilling and reskilling) culture on how technology can be a force for good and not fear and achieve benefits from 4IR.
● Key project management skills critical to 4IR should be further identified and projects-related managers and teams innovatively equipped to use them to tap, conceptualize, develop, and implement 4IR-related business models and opportunities.
● The government and private sector should partner with higher quality professional short courses providers like Coursera to develop 4IR-related projects workforce skills such as data analytics, project management, agile development, and artificial intelligence.
● Organisations should have strategies in place to further motivate, recognize and retain talents and useful experiences necessary in the 4IR era.
4) Social-economic impact
● The organisations should invest in a 4IR broader ecosystem in alignment with corporate and stakeholders’ objectives for higher socio-economic impact.
● The country should have an enforced legal framework to police digital space and for best cyber-ethics practices to ensure the safe and optimal social economic impact of the increased processing, storing, and transmission of data and information in the 4IR era.
● The government and private sector should be encouraged to work in partnership, co-innovate and create new business values and advance, build in and optimise the socio-economic impact of 4IR technologies in organisations and society.