Launching Into the Deep in an Age of Industry 4.0: How Ready Is My Ship?

Abstract

Over the years, the Nigerian manufacturing industry has struggled to navigate through the waves of the industrial revolution. The industry 4.0 or fourth industrial revolution (4IR) is believed to have the capability of reinforcing the innovative processes and outcomes of manufacturing organisations if implemented. However, leaders need to fully grasp whether their respective manufacturing organisations are ready to accept and use the constantly evolving technological advancements endemic within the 4IR. This is important, as overall acceptance and efficient use of the 4IR could help manufacturing organisations further bolster innovative outcomes. We, therefore, seek to investigate the readiness of the Nigerian manufacturing industry to accept and use the 4IR. We thus, employ the UTAUT theory to determine the acceptance and use of the 4IR. Results indicate that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions have positive impacts on behavioural intentions to use the 4IR. We find that facilitating conditions does not directly determine the use of the 4IR. Behavioural intention exhibits a large positive impact on the use of the 4IR and positively mediates the impact of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions on use of the 4IR. Policy implications and future directions are subsequently highlighted.

Keywords: Industry 4.0; UTAUT Theory; Nigerian Manufacturing Industry; Innovation