INDUSTRIAL-ORGANISATIONAL PSYCHOLOGISTS ENGAGING WITH THE NEW WORLD OF WORK The unfolding challenge of future-fitness for the 4th Industrial Revolutio
Theo Veldsman
Work Psychologist, Visiting Professor in Work Psychology: University of Johannesburg, Extra-ordinary Professor: USB
THE CONTEXT
The world is in the throes of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). This revolution embraces the systemic, intelligent/smart integration of multiple disciplines (e.g., biotechnology, information technology, engineering, nanotechnology) and sectors of society into a seamless, whole new world. This is a revolution that aspires to enhance and transform the mode of existence, functioning, and delivery capacity of our society and of people, in radically new and different ways. 4IR also applies to the world of work. By all accounts, and from all perspectives, the future will look fundamentally and radically different from the present.
Against the backdrop of relentless, disruptive (and even destructive) innovation, which is predominantly triggered and fueled by 4IR, the pressing imperative of the future will be the virtuous, humane optimisation of the people–technology interface, and interaction in the 4IR-infused workplace, in a manner that benefits everyone. Some refer to this optimisation - or, to put it strongly, the seamless, virtuous integration of the people–technology interaction - as the emerging Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR).
The ambit of Industrial-Organisational Psychology (IOP) as a science and a practice embraces the psychology of work, the working person, the workplace, and the reciprocal fit between all these elements. In short, it is the psychology of people at work. The future, unfolding challenge confronting IO Psychologists will be how to conceive of, design, and implement, enabled, productive, humane workplaces within the context of 4IR, to not only invoke but also contribute to 5IR. Rising to this challenge will probably be the future remit and task of every IO Psychologist.
The humane workplaces of both the present and the future must be built on the premise that humans are complex, multidimensional, holistic beings: (i) whose basic needs (for meaning/purpose, actualisation, competence, autonomy, belonging, and security) must be satisfied; (ii) accompanied by a growth in maturity and well-being across all of their dimensions of being/becoming (physical, physiological, psychosocial, socio-cultural, spiritual, and religious); (iii) allowing them to shape well-crystallised, distinct, integrated, authentic personal identities; (iv) in such a way that they will flourish and thrive, and hence feel fulfilled.
OBJECTIVE OF THE FUTURE-SEARCH PROJECT
The objective of this eighteen-month, future-search research project – conducted under the auspices of the Society of Industrial-Organisational Psychology of South Africa (SIOPSA) - was to discover and explore – five to ten years from now, and using an IOP perspective – the workplace of the future, given emerging trends associated with 4IR in particular, and also with the unfolding 5IR. The overall thrust of this future-search project was to uncover what a humane workplace of the future could and should look like within the framework of 4IR, while contributing insights to the emerging world of 5IR around virtuous, optimised, people–technology integration.
In the process the aim was to concurrently re-imagine the necessary realignment of IOP in all its facets – its intent, focus, content, and mode of delivery – to the future workplace, with a view to making and keeping IOP as a science and a practice both future-ready and future-fit. In what follows, the science and practice of IOP will be referred to by using the shorthand ‘field’, except where a more specific term is called for.
This project resonates strongly with the South African Government’s national initiative, led by a Presidential Commission on 4IR, whose report was completed during 2021. The intended outcome of the project was inter alia to explicate how IOP can complement this national drive in a significant way, by being directly involved in envisioning and designing humane workplaces. The project dealt with IOP generally and globally, and was not South Africa-specific, although in some instances reference is made to Africa as a specific point in case.
RESEARCH STREAMS WITH TEAM
This research project consisted of five reciprocally interdependent research streams which were concurrently pursued, in an interactive fashion, to build a coherent, in-depth story about IOP’s future-readiness and future-fitness, five to ten years into the future. Over period June 2020 to Augustus 2020 five, two-hour, future-search zoom sessions were conducted, each attended by between 40-45 participants, focusing on a research stream. All-in-all, an estimated 150 persons plus partook in the sessions.
Subsequent, and parallel, to the Zoom sessions, the research workstream teams conducted smaller, separate, focused work sessions; consulted with subject experts; and conducted literature reviews around their assigned workstream topic. Within the framework of the dialogical, future-search conferencing process, the research streams also deployed specific research methodologies, such as focus groups, grounded theory, and the Delphi technique, to arrive at their final insights.
The future-search conferencing research process concluded with an in-person, face-to-face in combination with some team members joining via zoom, four-hour work session, which took place in November 2020. There, insights gained from the preceding steps were validated, enriched, and deepened. This session was attended by around 20 IO Psychologists, but invited IOP stakeholders were also present, either physically or virtually.
The research stream were:
The figure below depicts the five research streams. Note the reciprocal, organic interdependencies of the respective streams.
The Future-search Research Team – led by Theo H Veldsman - is shown in the photo below. The team was intentionally composed of older (more experienced) and younger (slightly less experienced) IO Psychologists from both academia and practice (corporate and consulting), with a representative diversity in terms of gender and race.
INSIGHTS GAINED FROM OUR FUTURE-SEARCH JOURNEY
Two types of insights were gained from our journey, qualitative and substantive in nature, and are discussed below.
Qualitative, future-fit and -ready insights
Qualitatively, in our endeavour as IO Psychologists to be future-fit and -ready, what have we discovered about the future which is rushing towards us? At least five critical insights were gained:
Substantive, future-fit and -ready insights
Substantively, our future exploration has led to at least the following deep, but high-level, reciprocally interdependent, insights per research stream.
Research stream 1: The changing world of work facing IO Psychologists
(Team: Ruwayne Kock – lead - with associates Ester Kruger & Dieter Veldsman)
The world in general, including the world of work - as illustrated in the figure below - is moving from the knowns to the unknown knowns, through the unknown unknowns, and even the unknowables. It is shifting from the domain of best practice through the domain of experts, to the domains of emergence and rapid response, towards confusion. We are facing a wide array of known, unknown and unknowable wicked challenges, issues, and problems, resulting in accelerating pendulum swings between order and chaos, tearing-apart dilemmas, apparently irreconcilable paradoxes, and unpredictable/inconceivable black swans.
The accelerating, relentless search is on for different questions and/or new answers regarding the changing world of work. This will necessitate a questioning of accepted boundaries, and the traversing of known horizons into the unknown, turning the seemingly impossible into the possible, and constant future-probing experimentation. In some instances, even the questions to be asked, will have to be questioned.
Future-fit IOP Principle 1: At the coal face, IO Psychologists must at all times be in touch with, and immersed in, the radically and fundamentally changing world of work. From a future-referenced vantage point, IO Psychologists must demonstrate – visibly and concretely – their proactive ability to constantly ask new questions and find new answers, and to do so systemically, critically, and creatively, in an agile, responsive and flexible manner.
Research stream 2: A future-fit Moral-Values-Ethics base for IO Psychologists
(Team: Sharon Munyaka – lead - with associate Ravi Guiness, assisted by Somona Kabemba)
With respect to the exponentially accelerating 4IR innovation, two critical, reflective questions come to the fore. First, how must people–technology integration be done virtuously, in order to ensure that technological innovation serves humanity, in a humane way, through humane work? At present there are strong indications that the humaneness of work is being relegated to a minor, subservient position, and not given an equal, on-par position next to technology and technological innovation.
Second, although 4IR technological innovations and developments may have significant beneficial outcomes, who is to benefit from such outcomes? Is it for the greater good of all stakeholders, a country, and society at large, and does it unfold in a balanced, fair, and equitable way? Or do these outcomes aim to only benefit those who have the means to attain them? There are undeniable signs that, in many cases, 4IR technological innovations are turning into biased, self-serving and -centric innovation for a select, powerful few, the emerging threat of techno-feudalism.
Future-fit IO Psychologist s will have to operate from an explicit, uncompromising, credible and shared Moral-Values-Ethics (MVE) base, to be able to render robust value judgements regarding 4IR innovations: what is important/unimportant, right/wrong, good/bad? Such a base will enable IO Psychologists, as assertive activists, to design, implement, and support humane 4IR work and workplaces, and to direct and guide the unfolding world of 5IR. Moreover, IO Psychologists from their deliberate MVE base, will have to assume a more pronounced role in resolving the injustices and inequalities of the world, by extending their focus on humanness from organisations, to communities and society. In this way, they will contribute by bringing into being a better world for all.
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As a departure point and concrete example, such a future-fit MVE base was proposed, indicated by Ubuntu-Harmony/Authenticity/Justice-Ethics (U-HAJ-E), made up of three central aspects, namely the core moral principle of ubuntu, the participants of me and we, guided by the values of harmony, authenticity, and justice. Within the frame of reference of these aspects, specific ethical guidelines have to be formulated to cover people as people, and working people in the DIVAS-enabled 4IR workplace. The proposed future-fit Ubuntu-Harmony/Authenticity/Justice-Ethics (U-HAJ-E) base is depicted in the figure below.
Future-fit IOP Principle 2: IO Psychologists must act uncompromisingly, from a deliberate, solid, and relevant IOP MVE base, whilst serving the world of work, and humanity at large
Research stream 3: Future-fit response of the IO Psychologist to the changing world of work
(Team: Natasha Winkler-Titus - lead - with associate Kim-Lee Wentzel-Ricketts)
The future-fit response of the IO Psychologist to the changing world of work was explored in terms of the figure given below.
Without a well-crystalised, authentic IOP identity, energised by activist agency, and a legitimate, up-to-date statutory demarcation (all being assertively, socially visible as stable reference points), IO Psychologist s will be “lost at sea” within the radical turbulence of a rapidly changing world, and cast adrift. Simultaneously, in this constantly changing world, IO Psychologists must adopt a critical, reflective attitude to interrogate all three the me elements – identity, agency, statutory demarcation – on a continuous basis, to ensure a goodness-of-fit with the context at all times.
The adopted purpose of IOP, of being the steward of humane (meaningful) work - infused by the quest for sustainability in organisations, communities and society - will give IO Psychologists social legitimacy, and demonstrate their aspirations to be good social citizens who leave a lasting, worthy legacy. Ultimately, IO Psychologists must contribute to unleashing 5IR – a technology-enabled, humane society. In the future, in preparing persons for entry into the IOP profession, a deliberate, mediated, and facilitated process must be followed, to enable all aspiring, entry-level IO Psychologist s to find their personal calling with respect to the purpose of IOP, and to take ownership of IOP’s MVE base.
In the changing world of work there is an explosion of a much wider range of diverse stakeholders, with interdependent, multiple needs/interests, all claiming their interest/stake in humane work. Future-fit IO Psychologists will have to extend their range of stakeholders, to secure broader societal visibility and impact. They must be comfortable enough to engage optimally with the full range of IOP stakeholders as prospective clients. In this way, IO Psychologists will become more relevant as active social citizens, and have a far greater impact – from a psychological vantage point – as the stewards of humane work.
The clues from the changing world of work are clear: to be future-fit, IOP will have to reimagine its foci, which need to be populated by practice areas that will enable IO Psychologists to be (and become) future-ready. At least three future-fit foci appear to be critical in this regard: a seamless scientist-practitioner model; reimagined IOP sub-fields (such as policy engagement and formulation; Humanitarian Work Psychology); and integrated multidisciplinary solutions which are aligned to deeper specialisation, and wider, multi-disciplinary collaboration.
In addition, IO Psychologists will have to critically re-examine the appropriateness of the adopted engagement mode they use in interacting with the world, given the changing world of work. Expected with respect to all three components of the IO Psychologist’s engagement mode, are a move to a complexity/social constructivist world view; a decision-making approach premised on a revolutionary, unpredictably, rapidly changing world; and a value orientation of stewardship.
Framed by the appropriate engagement mode, engagement as a way or means of delivery in the changing world of work, cannot rely on a fixed recipe. Each situation must be assessed on its own merit, to arrive at a fit-for-purpose way of engaging with others. In a given situation, a blended approach to engagement may be used, comprising differentially weighted engagement dimensions, and options. The DIVAS features of 4IR have opened up vastly different ways of engagement. In the final instance, the adopted engagement process must, in its very essence, demonstrate humaneness.
The changing world of work also presents critical questions about the appropriateness of the name awarded to the field of IOP, given its present context and content at this point in history, and going into the future. The suggested name for the field was “Work Psychology”.
Future-fit IOP Principle 3: A strong, distinct ‘me’ as scientist-practitioner, being an assertive, purpose-driven, social citizen, in passionate pursuit of sustainable, humane work for multiple stakeholders within a different engagement mode (world view, decision-making approach, and value orientation), and humane, fit-for-purpose engagement delivery
Research stream 4: The capabilities, and Education, Training and Development required to make IO Psychologists future-fit
(Team: Shirleen Titus – lead - with associate Natacha Starke, assisted by Lynette Siziba)
The changing world of work will demand overall, synergistic IOP excellence, the product of the meta-capability of thinking and acting as an IO Psychologist. An outside-in, integrated, holistic profile of IOP mastery is thus imperative for future-readiness and -fitness – something which may not be available at present. This profile was future-researched in terms of the figure below.
A proposed future-fit profile was explicated in the form of an IOP capabilities framework, made up of seven capability domains, each populated by domain-specific capabilities. The reciprocally interdependent domains are: personal attributes and abilities; frame of reference; knowledge, expertise and skills; personal, interpersonal and organisational abilities; leadership abilities; style/attitude; and conduct. Ideally, this capabilities framework, with its commensurate capabilities, must be converted into a capabilities maturity curve.
The changing world of work has created a pressing need for the significant re-conceptualisation of fit-for-purpose IOP Education, Training and Development (ETD), to ensure future-fit IO Psychologists by, first, formulating a future-ready ETD philosophy based on principles such as Learning to be; From knowing why/what, to knowing how/when. Second, in terms of ETD types, it means applying DIVAS-enabled, 4IR technologies which are embedded in work-integrated, blended learning, to grow future-ready IO Psychologists.
Third, as regards the responsible ETD partners, the aim is for all currently silo-ed partners to form a real-time, boundaryless ETD community of practice, to collaborate and network through a Gestalt approach, in jointly building the meta-capability of IOP excellence in IO Psychologists. Critical would be deciding who accepts overall custodianship for the IOP capability framework and maturity curve. In the final instance, it involves equipping future-fit IO Psychologists with career navigation (probably the most critical, core capability), to ensure a successful and meaningful career as an IO Psychologist .
Against the backdrop of all of the above, there is an urgency to revise all IOP ETD content-wise, but especially all graduate education curricula and internship programmes, in light of an agreed-upon, future-ready IOP capabilities framework and maturity curve. The issue of curriculum standardisation across the different responsible ETD parties (in particular, universities), will also have to receive serious consideration.
Future-fit IOP Principle 4: An outside-in-generated, integrated, holistic profile of future-fit IOP mastery, translated into an IOP capabilities framework and maturity curve, is imperative for overall, synergistic IOP excellence in the changing world of work. The ETD delivery of this framework requires the formulation of a future-ready ETD philosophy; a reconceptualising of the ETD types, enabled by DIVAS, 4IR technologies; and a moulding of the responsible ETD parties into a tight community of practice, with mutually accepted, clear roles. All of the aforementioned must grow the meta-capability of thinking and acting as IO Psychologists .
Research Stream 5: Critical IOP research regarding the changing future world of work
(Team: Crystal Hoole – lead - with associate Petrus Nel)
Going into the future, IOP cannot function in isolation from society at large, or from the changing world of work. To ensure that all those who are influenced by the changing nature of work (employees, organisations, and society) and by technology are able to keep up, every IO Psychologist must become a real-time, in-time knowledge broker between science and practice, and be an assertive, genuine social citizen, within a multi-stakeholder context.
Future-fitness will require IOP to re-imagine its research agenda from an outside-in, zero base, to fit a multi-stakeholder engagement frame of reference which seeks to balance competing stakes/interests. The field will furthermore have to reinvent its research paradigm, not only to align to the complexity of the world of work, but also to match the rate of change in that world, in order to produce just-in-time, validated evidence for real-time, in-time decision making. The reinvented research paradigm must set the parameters for conceiving new/different research designs and processes befitting the paradigm.
Overall, to be research future-fit, IOP will need to adopt a holistic, systemic, organic research meta-value-chain frame of reference, infused end-to-end, in its totality, by a societal consciousness, given in the figure below. For that reason, IO Psychologists must act as facilitators, also in their research endeavours, in balancing the competing interests of organisations (profitability), employees (humane work), and society at large (sustainability and fairness). Accordingly, IOP research capacity-building programmes will have to become strongly purpose-directed, MVE based, and legacy-referenced.
Note: CSF – Critical Success Factors
Future-fit IOP Principle 5: To be future-fit, IOP in and through its research, must demonstrate societal relevance and value-add, in turn leaving a lasting, worthy legacy for multiple stakeholders. The changing world of work requires a zero-based, reimagination of IOP’s research agenda, paradigm and designs/processes, in terms of content, process, and pace.
RESEARCH OUTCOME: A CALL TO ACTION
The outcome of our future-search project was a book entitled “Industrial-Organisational Psychologists engaging with the new world of work. The unfolding challenge of future-fitness for the 4th Industrial Revolution” (the front cover is given at the beginning of the article) published at the end of 2021. The book is can be ordered at website: www.kr.co.za.
The thrust of the book is to serve as a critical, future-referenced policy document to direct and guide IOP as science-practice – in the academic, research, practice, and professional spheres – into the future. The hope is that our book will serve as a “travel guide” for IO Psychologists - five to ten years out – by offering definitive guidelines for making IO Psychologists future-ready and -fit by directing and guiding the science, practice, and profession of IOP.
Having visited the future in the book, IO Psychologists now can return to the present, and transform IOP to be congruent with the re-imagined, desirable IOP future envisioned in the book in order to enable IO Psychologists to make the humane 4IR workplace of the future a concrete reality.