Workforce management aspects are offering tremendous opportunities to create the right premises for the digital and technological change under the I4.0 paradigm. Additionally, adequate human capabilities can help to grasp further opportunities resulting from I4.0, including firm sustainability. This study focuses on the 14 relevant managerial competencies, identified by Shet and Pereira (2021), for a successful I4.0 environment. An empirical analysis is developed to weigh the importance of these capabilities and to understand their implications for sustainability (defined here as corporate sustainability). The focus is specifically on the social dimension of sustainability, firstly identified by Elkington in the Triple Bottom Line. This research aims at identifying human competencies needed for a successful digital transformation and adaptation to I4.0. Further, the goal is to identify synergies between I4.0 and sustainability, which represents a compelling topic in organizational field.

Keywords: Industry 4.0, digital transformation, workforce management, human resource, capabilities, RBV, corporate sustainability, skills, competence, managerial competencies.

Authors: Chiara Mariottini, Anne-Laure Mention, Justyna Dąbrowska.

Abstract presented during the XXXIII ISPIM Innovation Conference “Innovating in a Digital World”, 5-8 June 2022, Copenhagen (Denmark).