Charting the path to a sustainable, competitive and green industry in an era of rapid change: proposing a research agenda

Abstract

Global labor market shifts have spurred the need for innovations and adaptations in workplace norms. This evolution demands a workforce with technical and soft skills to meet sustainability and industry advancements. The paper aims to elucidate the complex challenges related to the ambition to develop a socially sustainable, competitive, and green industry subjected to an accelerating pace of change. It outlines the findings of a Delphi study conducted in Sweden, which integrated workshops, interviews, and surveys with experts from various sectors to identify 14 key challenges. These challenges were synthesized into five themes: innovative competence supply management practices, resilient organizations and production systems, analytics for improvement and learning, socially sustainable work, and green transformation practices. The study provides a set of propositions within these themes, offering a strategic roadmap for future research to foster the growth of industries that are socially responsible, competitive, and committed to environmental sustainability. A practical implication of the study is the recognition of the larger competence ecosystem of which industrial companies are a part. This community must work together to create the knowledge needed to manage the shift to a green, sustainable, and digital working life.

Keywords:

• Industrial transformation
• green transition
• competence supply management
• social sustainability
• Delphi study

Reviewing Editor:

• Pablo Ruiz, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

Subjects:

• Work & Organizational Psychology
• Education – Social Sciences
• Sustainable Development
• Business, Management and Accounting
• Adult Education and Lifelong Learning
• Education

Authors’ contributions

This article represents a collaborative effort among all listed authors, each of whom has significantly contributed to the successful completion of this work. The conception and design of the study were led by Wallo, Martin, Elg, Harlin, Bozic, Williamsson, and Skagert. Martin, Elg, Wallo, Harlin, and Bozic handled the analysis and interpretation of data. The manuscript was drafted by Wallo, Martin, Elg, Gremyr, Harlin, Bozic, Williamsson, and Skagert. Every author has critically revised the manuscript for important intellectual content, ensuring the integrity and accuracy of the work. Additionally, all authors have given their final approval of the version to be published, signifying their collective responsibility and endorsement of the content presented.

Disclosure statement

There are no financial or non-financial competing interests to report.

Data availability statement

Data available on request from the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by Vinnova, Sweden’s innovation agency with additional funding from the XPRES (Initiative for Excellence in Production Research).

Notes on contributors

Andreas Wallo

Andreas Wallo, Senior Associate Professor at the Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning at Linköping University. His research interests include competence supply management, workplace learning, hybrid work, and human resource management.

Jason Martin

Jason Martin, Associate Professor at the Department of Management and Engineering at Linköping University. His research focuses on management practice and how organizations can manage adaptation and development sustainably and successfully.

Mattias Elg

Mattias Elg, Professor at the Department of Management and Engineering at Linköping University. His research interests include sustainable development in organizations, organizational change, performance measurement practices, and data analytics.

Ulrika Harlin

Ulrika Harlin, Lic.Eng. and Senior researcher at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden. Her research focuses on production system development and integration of human and organizational aspects in the change process and design phases of greenfield and brownfield production development projects.

Ida Gremyr

Ida Gremyr, Professor at the Department of Technology Management and Economics at Chalmers University of Technology. Her research focuses on quality management practices, integration of quality management and sustainable development, and service management.

Nina Bozic

Nina Bozic, PhD and Senior researcher at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden. Her research includes new ways of working in the hybrid work model, helping organizations navigate complexity and becoming resilient through new management models, self-leadership, and self-organized teams.

Katrin Skagert

Katrin Skagert, PhD and Senior researcher at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden. Her research concerns how work can be organized so that employees want and can do a good job and have a sustainable working life.

Anna Williamsson

Anna Williamsson, PhD and Senior researcher at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden. Her research concerns working life and work system sustainability, interactions between humans, technology and organization during change and work-life learning.