Experience over Hierarchy: Industry Tenure, Technology Exposure, and Fourth Industrial Revolution Awareness Among Hotel Managers in Gauteng, South Africa

Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies are resetting hotel operations, guest experiences, and workforce dynamics. This study investigates awareness of 4IR technologies among managerial employees in three- to five-star hotels in Gauteng, South Africa, with particular attention to industry experience, formal job level, hotel star grading, perceived benefits, and direct organisational exposure to implemented technologies. A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional survey used a structured questionnaire completed by 146 managerial employees. Descriptive statistics, cross-tabulations, chi-square tests, and Fisher’s exact tests were used. Years of industry experience were significantly associated with awareness (chi-square(3) = 13.56, p = 0.004), with the 11–15-year group reporting the highest proportion of greater awareness (78.38%). Job level (p = 0.236) and hotel star grading (p = 0.155) were not significantly associated with awareness. Artificial intelligence implementation (p = 0.043), Internet of Things implementation (p = 0.006), and perceived operational benefits (p = 0.001) were significantly associated with awareness. Interpreted through an integrated technology-adoption framework, the findings indicate that mid-career experience and direct technology exposure are more closely associated with awareness than formal hierarchy or luxury classification.