An Assessment of The Use of Quality 4.0 Trends in Higher Education Institutions in South Africa

Abstract

The fourth industrial revolution (4IR) has brought many changes in our lives, and we must adapt in different ways. Quality 4.0 is also part of the change. 4IR affected how organizations perceive quality; how has it affected the higher education sector in South Africa? This is the question this study attempts to answer. The study aimed to assess the use of quality 4.0 trends in higher education institutions in South Africa. To best achieve the study, The following objectives were listed: (1) To identify the most used quality 4.0 trends in higher education institutions in South Africa;(2) To highlight the respondents' perspective on quality 4.0 and finally; (3) To recommend ways to a successful implementation of quality 4.0 in higher education institutions. The study followed a quantitative approach using a questionnaire to collect data from 300 respondents mixed between staff and students from higher education institutions. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data. To assess the reliability of the questionnaire, Cronbach's alpha was used. The study revealed that quality 4.0 is a relatively new field in South Africa, both on the business and academic levels. In addition, most of the respondents are not familiar with the quality 4.0 concept but are familiar with its trends. From the most used trend in higher education institutions, the top five were: Online social platforms (YouTube, WhatsApp, Zoom, etc.), IoT, Simulation, AR and Big data analytics.