Abstract
Orientation
Work identity is defined as a “work-based self-concept, comprised of a combination of organisational, occupational, and other identities that affect the roles people adopt and the corresponding ways they behave when performing their work” (Walsh & Gordon, 2008, p. 5). We form our identity through the work that we do. During the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the COVID-19 pandemic, we experienced unprecedented change in the way we live and work. This gave rise to new ways of working, in part due to technology, impacting all aspects in the workplace, including leaders. The purpose of the study is to understand the work identity of leaders in the midst of the Covid 19 pandemic during the rise of the fourth industrial revolution.
The Research Design
A qualitative approach was used in the study. The study sample consisted of eight (8) leaders who have been in a senior management role for a period of 5 to 10 years and more, from a variety of sectors. The data for this study were collected using semi-structured interviews. Additional questions were posed to some participants to probe and obtain in-depth information, where this was required. Some interviews were conducted in person. However, the majority of the interviews were conducted virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. The virtual and in-person interviews were recorded.
Research Findings
The work identity of leaders has been impacted since leaders had to lead themselves and their teams differently to adapt to new ways of working. The main finding of the study is that leaders occupy multiple roles during the 4IR and COVID -19 pandemic in order to keep up with the change. Leaders assume various roles during 4IR, namely, building a customer-centric workplace, managing performance (of the organisation and individuals), building effective teams, and building a digital culture. Leadership work identity was altered and re-formed during 4IR. Leaders were challenged to be more resilient, agile, adaptive, and innovative to respond to the constant change experienced in their organisations, their job roles, and the job roles of their teams. They must lead in new ways and in new functional areas. Leaders must learn new skills and re-invent themselves continuously, adopting multiple roles...