The role of AI and Humans in the organisational decision-making process within the manufacturing sector of Wales

Rapid revolution in technology has influenced every field, including the manufacturing sector, where digitalisation becoming an essential factor in industrial transformation. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how the impact of smart technologies will transform leadership decision making in the coming decade. It is anticipated that the leadership style will change from egocentric to altrocentric. This study will focus on the role of leadership in the future using artificial intelligence and smart technologies in the manufacturing sector of Wales, considering how current leaders may utilise applications of AI to achieve organisational goals (revolution 4.0). This research will follow a pragmatic approach. The convergent design of mixed methods will be used for collecting quantitative and qualitative data. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews will be conducted to collect data from up to 20 managers in the manufacturing sector of Wales. Additionally, this study will use survey method to collect data from approximately 150 participants involved in decision making role in the manufacturing sector of Wales, including supervisors, assistant managers, and managers. Thematic analysis will be used to analyse qualitative data and SPSS to analyse quantitative data. This study is at an early stage, and data still needs to be collected. Organisations are hesitant to use AI in decision making because they believe it is not entirely reliable for all types of decisions in organisations (Guszcza et al., 2017; Dejoux & Léon, 2018; Jarrahi, 2018; Guszcza et al., 2017; Parry et al., 2016; Sadler-Smith and Shefy, 2004). Therefore, if we can overcome these fears, AI could be a key component of competitive advantage for manufacturing firms operating in Wales, and could empower the decision making for leaders/managers.