Technology as a Double-Edged Sword: A Socio-Technical Grounded Theory of 4IR Adoption for Sustainability Compliance in Namibia’s Mining Industry

Context and Gap: The mining industry in Namibia has struggled with sustainability compliance. Although sustainability has been proposed as a solution to the current problem, there remains a research gap regarding the practical application of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies and the barriers to their implementation, particularly in Namibia. Purpose: This paper sought to determine how the main 4IR technologies, in particular the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and blockchain, could be applied to these long-standing sustainability issues in Namibia’s mining industry. Methods: A pragmatic, socio-technical grounded theory approach was used in the study with a sequential explanatory design. The first step was a survey of 179 stakeholders in the industry, followed by 14 face-to-face interviews. Critical Quantitative Results: The survey indicated high stakeholder confidence in the use of these technologies to achieve regulatory compliance, with AI viewed as most helpful (31%), followed by blockchain (26%) and IoT (25%). However, the survey also identified serious obstacles: lack of technical expertise (28%), prohibitive implementation costs (26%), management resistance (24%), and uncertainties regarding the regulatory guidelines (19%). Qualitative Theme and Contribution: The interviews identified a socio-technical tension, the phenomenon of the Technology as a Double-Edged Sword, in which interviewees expressed a sincere interest in the process of technological change but faced real fears of employment displacement and increased digital gaps. The principal contribution of the study is the introduction of a new socio-technical framework that offers evidence-based guidance to policymakers and leaders in industries to control digital transformation in an equitable manner in the extractive industries.