Title:
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Gerontocracy and the Fourth Industrial Revolution in the Public Sector Amid the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Perennial Problem |
Author:
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Joseph Mudau; Madikana Jackinah Mokgokong; Mmatshepo Phuti Khanya
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Abstract:
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The COVID-19 outbreak has affected a proliferation of countries in an unimaginable way
and South Africa is no exception. This outbreak demands a shift in knowledge, power
and governance – particularly in how the public sector delivers public goods and services.
The pandemic exposed the reluctance of aging government officials to adopt new ways of
governance aimed at expediting service delivery. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced
governments across the spectrum to introduce policies, adaptations, and innovations to meet
the demands brought about by the pandemic. Government departments are required to be
dynamic in response to the changing needs of the citizenry. Its failure reaffirms the decline
in the running of the affairs of the state. The public sector is designed to be a fruitful agent
of change and development in society. To remain as such, it is pivotal that it adapts to the
dynamic environment that presents unprecedented challenges posed by the pandemic and the
fourth industrial revolution (4IR). The paper uses a literary analysis approach to explore the
readiness of aging public servants in embracing the 4IR. The context of its consideration is the
South African public sector amid the COVID-19 pandemic period. A theoretical framework on
the phenomenon is explored. Summation and recommendations are provided. |
Description:
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Gerontocracy is leadership premised on seniority derived from the age factor. |
URI:
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http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/1531
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Date:
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2021-12 |