Developing and evaluating a people capability maturity model for a South African automotive manufacturing organisation

Abstract

The automotive manufacturing industry is among the sectors most affected by the ongoing digital transformation driven by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). This rapid digital transformation significantly affects assembly employees' ability to keep pace with technological trends. Many assembly workers in the automotive manufacturing industry are not yet benefiting from digital transformation and innovation because of the high demand for new skills introduced by the 4IR. It is essential for automotive manufacturing organisations to equip their assembly employees with the capabilities necessary to adapt to 4IR digital assembly plant operations. Additionally, the 4IR digital era requires assembly employees to develop new capabilities in human-machine interaction and cyber-physical production systems (CPPS) for smart automotive manufacturing, including autonomous and hybrid vehicles. Line managers in the automotive manufacturing industry are currently not experiencing the same benefits as managers in other sectors, due to strong competition and the substantial impact of the 4IR-driven digital transformation on the capabilities of assembly employees. Line managers should be involved in developing People Capability Maturity Models (P-CMMs) for automotive manufacturing organisations to facilitate innovative programmes for the ongoing development of assembly employees' skills and the prioritisation of their capability development. Together with process improvements, this will enable smooth adaptation to the 4IR. Furthermore, it is crucial to evaluate P-CMMs as implementation guides for automotive manufacturing industries to meet the growing demand for new capabilities among assembly employees driven by the 4IR. The objective of this research project was to explore the perceptions of assembly employees regarding the capabilities needed for the 4IR in a South African automotive manufacturing organisation. A further objective was to examine line managers' perceptions of the capabilities and talent development required for the 4IR among assembly employees. Additionally, the study sought to develop and evaluate a P-CMM for the 4IR capabilities required by assembly employees in a South African automotive manufacturing organisation. xiv This study employed a qualitative research design grounded in constructivism. Purposive sampling was utilised during data collection. Firstly, data for research article 1 were gathered from assembly employees (N=13) currently employed in an automotive manufacturing organisation in South Africa. Secondly, data for research article 2 were collected from line managers (N=7) working in the same industry and country. Thirdly, data for research article 3, which involved the development of a P?CMM, were obtained from line managers (N=7) in a similar setting. Lastly, data for the evaluation of the P-CMM were collected from a panel of talent development experts and the advisory board in an automotive manufacturing organisation in South Africa (N=9). Data were gathered through face-to?face, semi-structured interviews. ATLAS.ti 23 software was used to organise and code the data and thematic analysis was employed to interpret it. First, this study found that assembly employees would need a range of essential capabilities to adapt to the 4IR. The required 4IR capabilities were categorised into areas such as skills, knowledge, behaviours, attitudes, equipment, physical workplace changes, training opportunities, and support. The capabilities required for the 4IR and how assembly employees in an automotive manufacturing organisation could acquire them were discussed in detail. Second, this study highlighted the importance of inclusive talent development for assembly employees to adapt to the 4IR in an automotive manufacturing organisation. The study found that assembly employees would require several significant capabilities across the following categories: skills, knowledge, behaviours, attitudes, equipment, physical workplace changes, training opportunities, and support. Third, various essential capabilities that underpin the P-CMM and would enable assembly employees to adapt to the 4IR in an automotive manufacturing organisation were identified and discussed. The findings for the development of the P-CMM were derived from its five Maturity Levels, revealing that assembly employees would require diverse critical capabilities presented under different categories such as skills, knowledge, behaviours, attitudes, equipment, physical workplace changes, training opportunities, and support. Furthermore, the evaluation of the P-CMM highlighted the main pathways for adopting and applying this model through policy, process, decision-making, and recommendation categories. The findings of this study provide a deeper understanding of the capabilities needed for the 4IR and how to support assembly employees to develop new skills in an automotive manufacturing assembly xv plant. Recommendations to improve the efficiency of capabilities development programmes are based on the perspectives of assembly employees and line managers, and practical implications for South African automotive manufacturing organisations are discussed. Recommendations for future research and practice are offered, and a P-CMM conceptual model and evaluation are proposed to serve as a framework for capabilities development programmes for assembly employees and for enhancing practices in South African automotive manufacturing organisations