Source: Adapted from Atzori et al. (2014)©Authors, 2018
Atzori et al., (2014) went further on their analogical evolution ladder toward a new type of object that can be considered as res socialis (i.e., social object). The term they described as an object that is part of and acts in a social community of objects and devices (which, in this case, is a social IoT). The features of the three categories of IoT objects identified by Atzori et al. (2014) are illustrated in Figure 3.
The disruptive nature of IoT technologies and the fast-growing applications is evident in industries from manufacturing to pharmaceuticals and from health care, to our smart homes and workplaces (Atzori et al., 2014; Hoontrakul, 2018; Xu, He, & Li, 2014). Even livestock industries are using these technologies to keep track of their precious assets (Gao & Bai, 2014). In the age of IoT, all of these widely diverse industries are gaining greater efficiency and exponential growth at rapid rates.
Undeniably, these changes in the workplace will have a great impact on education in general and higher education in particular. At the very least, such developments and evolutions in the workplace demand a more educated population. While DeMillo (2011) pointed out that technological advancements, in general, have the potential to be challenging to higher education institutions, Tianbo (2012) asserted that IoT is encouraging changes in higher education and has the potential to create more intelligent systems in these institutions. However, higher education institutions not only have to think about the transformative effects of IoT’s emergence in our society, but are also obligated to rethink how best to educate the coming generation (Kortuem, Bandara, Smith, Richards, & Petre, 2013). Crucially, there is also “need for an education provision that can empower a new generation of a digital citizen who can understand both technologies that underpin the Internet of Things, as well as the societal impacts of widespread adaption of these technologies” (Kortuem et al., 2013, p. 53).
Anticipated impact of IoT on the Internet and economy are staggering, with some projecting as many as 100 billion connected IoT devices and a global economic impact of more than $11 trillion by 2025 (Rose et al., 2015). This is having very significant impact on organizations and human resources, and the role HRD will play may be dramatically altered.