Enhancing employee wellbeing in industry 4.0
Dear prospective Participant
You are invited to participate in a study conducted by Dr Melissa du Plessis, who is employed as a senior lecturer in the Department of Human Resource Management at the University of South Africa (Unisa).
The title of the study is Enhancing employee wellbeing in industry 4.0: Exploring the relationship dynamics between several antecedents of positive coping.
The study aims to construct and empirically validate a conceptual framework for enhancing individual wellbeing (emotional, psychological and social) in industry 4.0. This aim will be achieved by exploring the relationship dynamics between several personal attributes (namely, emotional intelligence, social connectedness and work-family conflict and flourishing, as mediated by positive coping behaviour. The study further aims to determine if individuals from different demographic backgrounds differ significantly in relation to these variables. You were chosen to participate in this survey because you are a knowledge worker at a large organisation in the South African labour market.
The researcher anticipates that this study will yield important findings that could have important theoretical and practical implications. Based on the findings of the intended research, human resource practitioners and industrial psychologists can identify and develop wellness interventions that could contribute to positive coping behaviour of employees dealing with change and distress in the workplace brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). The findings may also be used by future scholars who are interested in the constructs under investigation. This is essential research ground since there is no present research on the relationship dynamics between these variables especially within a South African context.
The researcher recommends that you access the survey using either Google Chrome or Firefox as your web browser.
You are, however, under no obligation to complete the survey and you can withdraw from the study at any time prior to submitting it. The survey is anonymous, meaning that the researcher will have no way of connecting the information that you provide to you personally. The researcher furthermore undertakes to keep any information provided confidential. Only the researcher and the statistical analyst will have access to the data.
If you choose to participate in this survey, it will take no longer than 30 minutes of your time. Although you will not personally benefit from your participation, it is envisioned that the findings of this study will contribute towards the existing body of knowledge on coping effectiveness and employee flourishing to adapt to the ongoing digital transformation brought about by the 4IR.
The researcher does not foresee that you will experience any negative consequences by completing the survey, and you will not be required to incur any costs to participate. You will not be reimbursed or receive any incentive for participating in this study.
By completing this survey, you agree that the information you provide may be used for research purposes, including dissemination through peer-reviewed publications and conference proceedings. Interested participants will be required to obtain a copy of the articles from the primary researcher.
All records will be kept for five years for auditing purposes whereafter it will be permanently destroyed. No hard copies will be available as the data collection is completed electronically. Future use of the stored data will be subject to further Research Ethics reviews and approval if applicable.
The research was reviewed and approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the College of Economic and Management Sciences of the University of South Africa. A copy of the approval letter can be obtained from the primary researcher if you wish to peruse it.
The primary researcher, Dr Melissa du Plessis, can be contacted at
By clicking on the link to participate in the study, informed consent is given. You are free to withdraw from the study at any time prior to clicking the send button.
Thank you for participating in this study.
Dr Melissa du Plessis