ABSTRACT
Introduction: The inception of Industry 4.0 (which includes smart digital technologies and intelligence), as well as the rapidly enforced adoption of the technological revolution due to the lockdown regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic, brought new situational demands, challenges and opportunities for both employees and organizations across the globe. Individuals are required to develop personal enablers (both intrapersonal and intradigital attributes) to optimize their psychological fortitude. Research on the intrapersonal resources needed by employees to have the fortitude to adapt to remote working conditions as a result of the digital era, is currently lacking. The igital era brought about the question of how individuals' career adaptability and career wellbeing (as a set of agile adaptable attributes) relate to their perceptions of the value-oriented psychological contract, and whether these intrapersonal resources can contribute to a psychological fortitude model for remote working employees. Method: This study utilized a survey method to investigate the correlations between agile adaptable attributes and the valueoriented psychological contract of global digital-mindset human resource and financial service organizations. Based on further canonical correlations, structural equation modeling was conducted to develop and recommend a psychological fortitude model for remote working adults in the digital age. Results: Close theoretical and empirical associations were found between career adaptability and career wellbeing (as agile adaptable variables) and the perceived value-orientated psychological contract. Discussion: This study proposed a psychological fortitude model (consisting of intrapersonal resources) that organizations and career practitioners can use as a basis to enhance employees' psychological fortitude in the digital age, as well as for further career research.
ABSTRACT
The inception of Industry 4.0 has forced us to rethink the HR function and human capital management. Futurists predict that more than half of the jobs we are doing today will be replaced by smart technology, artificial intelligence and robots. The onset of the Covid-19 epidemic has accelerated the adoption of technology in the workplace. In this changing world of work, the only thing that we can count on is change. Limited research is available on how employees perceive and cope with these technological advancements and changes within the working environment, and specifically how it influences their jobs and careers. Positive coping strengths are essential personal resources which help employees in dealing constructively with the changes in the workplace as well as the complex interaction between the individual and the environment. Advancing research and knowledge in the psychosocial variables that influence the agile coping behaviour of employees has become important to help employees to be able to survive in the digital era. This chapter explores the agile coping dynamics within this future workplace by looking at the relationship between positive coping behaviour, workplace friendships and career adaptability. Based on these findings and recommendations, HR practitioners can utilise the information to assist employees in building agile coping mechanisms to survive and excel in the changes brought by the digital era. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)