Abstract
This study intends to contribute to the limited body of knowledge on the influence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on organisational culture at a South African university. The study uses Edgar Schein’s theoretical framework to explore the organisational culture at a university in Gauteng, how 4IR technology and principles are understood and applied within the university, and to investigate to what extent the 4IR is reflected upon or embedded in the university’s culture. A qualitative research design and semi-structured interviews gather data from seven purposively selected academic and senior management staff members. Using thematic analysis, the study found that the university’s ambitious and competitive culture contributed to a positive uptake of 4IR technology and principles, even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the specific influence of the university’s Vice-Chancellor to build 4IR thinking into the university had triggered policy-making and strategy renewal. This influence helped shape more 4IR thinking and technologies, such as artificial intelligence, whilst still considering the existing disparities within the South African context. The findings contribute to understanding the influence of organisational culture on the uptake of 4IR technology within higher education in South Africa during a pandemic.
Keywords: 4IR, South African higher education, organisational culture, COVID 19.