The Fourth Industrial Revolution: Reshaping organizational strategies and success

As technology evolves, so should strategic leadership and organizational strategies, says Zeki Simsek, Gressette Endowed Chair of Business Strategy and Planning at the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business. Simsek is ranked among the top 2% of management researchers worldwide based on the "World's Top 2% Scientists" list released by Stanford with over 15,000 citations.

Simsek's research demonstrates that we are experiencing a socio-technological transformation that blends the physical, digital and biological systems, which some experts call The Fourth Industrial Revolution. "We're seeing Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, and the Internet of Things (IoT) come together to change everything from how businesses make decisions to how they interact with customers," Simsek says. "It is vital that companies learn how to adapt to this new landscape."

He says that, based on his research, a range of companies have successfully used these transformative technologies. Some examples include banks like JP Morgan Chase and Capital One, which offer mobile banking, AI-powered chatbots and personalized financial advice. Companies like Siemens use digital twins to create, optimize and introduce new products, processes, and systems. While Ant Financial leverages data on consumer behavior to build more inclusive and accurate credit.

Simsek notes that, across various cases, companies often adopt more open strategy processes with flatter structures to enhance collaboration by forming cross-functional teams to tackle dynamic, complex challenges. Companies can also offer flexible work options such as remote or hybrid arrangements and restructure their leadership teams to include roles like Chief Digital Officers or emphasizing digital savviness among existing executives.

In addition to industry leaders making organizational changes, business schools also need to adapt to how they prepare future leaders. Dean York shares her thoughts on this topic in Simsek's new book Handbook of Research on Strategic Leadership in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. "Educating the leaders of tomorrow will be more about teaching students how to think than specifically what to "know." For business schools, the challenge is being able to adapt in order to be flexible and economically viable in the new future of students' needs."

As the Fourth Industrial Revolution changes the business landscape, Simsek advises organizations and business schools to adopt a strategic approach to leverage enabling technologies while mitigating associated constraints and risks. "Embracing these technologies demands continuous learning and adaptation," he notes. "Start by thoroughly diagnosing your current situation. Then, assess how these technologies can transform your industry and market while anticipating potential constraints and risks. Finally, develop an integrated action plan with clear success metrics and leverage data to track progress, enabling informed decision-making throughout the process."