Wallo, And eas e al.
A icle
Cha ing he pa h o a sus ainable, compe i i e and g een
indus y in an e a o apid change: p oposing a esea ch
agenda
Cogen Business & Managemen
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
Taylo & F ancis G oup
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Wallo, And eas e al. (2024) : Cha ing he pa h o a sus ainable, compe i i e
and g een indus y in an e a o apid change: p oposing a esea ch agenda, Cogen Business &
Managemen , ISSN 2331-1975, Taylo & F ancis, Abingdon, Vol. 11, Iss. 1, pp. 1-21,
h ps://doi.o g/10.1080/23311975.2024.2344189
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Cha ing he pa h o a sus ainable, compe i i e
and g een indus y in an e a o apid change:
p oposing a esea ch agenda
And eas Wallo, Jason Ma in, Ma ias Elg, Ul ika Ha lin, Ida G emy , Nina
Bozic, Ka in Skage & Anna Williamsson
To ci e his a icle: And eas Wallo, Jason Ma in, Ma ias Elg, Ul ika Ha lin, Ida G emy ,
Nina Bozic, Ka in Skage & Anna Williamsson (2024) Cha ing he pa h o a sus ainable,
compe i i e and g een indus y in an e a o apid change: p oposing a esea ch agenda,
Cogen Business & Managemen , 11:1, 2344189, DOI: 10.1080/23311975.2024.2344189
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2024, VoL. 11, no. 1, 2344189
Cha ing he pa h o a sus ainable, compe i i e and g een indus y
in an e a o apid change: p oposing a esea ch agenda
and eas Walloa , Jason Ma inb , Ma ias elgb , Ul ika ha linc , ida g emy d ,
nina Bozicc , Ka in skage c and anna Williamssonc
aDepa men o Beha iou al sciences and Lea ning, Linköping uni e si y, Linköping, sweden; bDepa men o Managemen
and enginee ing, Linköping uni e si y, Linköping, sweden; cDi ision Ma e ials and P oduc ion, Rise Resea ch ins i u es o
sweden, gö ebo g, sweden; dDepa men o echnology Managemen and economics, Chalme s uni e si y o echnology,
Linköping, sweden
ABSTRACT
global labo ma ke shi s ha e spu ed he need o inno a ions and adap a ions in
wo kplace no ms. his e olu ion demands a wo k o ce wi h echnical and so skills o
mee sus ainabili y and indus y ad ancemen s. he pape aims o elucida e he complex
challenges ela ed o he ambi ion o de elop a socially sus ainable, compe i i e, and
g een indus y subjec ed o an accele a ing pace o change. i ou lines he indings o a
Delphi s udy conduc ed in sweden, which in eg a ed wo kshops, in e iews, and su eys
wi h expe s om a ious sec o s o iden i y 14 key challenges. hese challenges we e
syn hesized in o i e hemes: inno a i e compe ence supply managemen p ac ices,
esilien o ganiza ions and p oduc ion sys ems, analy ics o imp o emen and lea ning,
socially sus ainable wo k, and g een ans o ma ion p ac ices. he s udy p o ides a se
o p oposi ions wi hin hese hemes, o e ing a s a egic oadmap o u u e esea ch o
os e he g ow h o indus ies ha a e socially esponsible, compe i i e, and commi ed
o en i onmen al sus ainabili y. a p ac ical implica ion o he s udy is he ecogni ion o
he la ge compe ence ecosys em o which indus ial companies a e a pa . his
communi y mus wo k oge he o c ea e he knowledge needed o manage he shi o
a g een, sus ainable, and digi al wo king li e.
In oduc ion
in ecen yea s, unp eceden ed challenges and dis up ions ha e ca alyzed ans o ma i e shi s ac oss he
global labo ma ke (Meh a e al., 2024; suciu e al., 2023; a ella, 2022; Venn e al., 2022; Ve ick e al.,
2022). indus ies in e e y sec o a e pu suing he g een ansi ion, an e olu ion necessi a ing echnolog-
ical ad ancemen s o ossil- ee p oduc ion, ca bon emission educ ion, ma e ial de elopmen , and a
s a egic shi owa ds a ci cula economy (alcalde-calonge e al., 2022; ha lin e al., 2022; sindhwani
e al., 2022). he cOViD-19 pandemic has u ned adi ional wo kplace no ms on hei heads, as wide-
sp ead lockdowns and social dis ancing egula ions p opelled us in o he e a o emo e and hyb id wo k-
places (alshibly & alzubi, 2022; Del ino & an de Kolk, 2021; lundq is e al., 2022; Ya be y & sims,
2021). adding o his lux is he ad en o comme cially accessible ai cha models, such as cha gP (lo,
2023). such ad ancemen s ha e added ano he dimension o ou unde s anding o he e ol ing wo k-
place, ma king an exci ing ye challenging junc u e in he wo ld o wo k.
in o de o s ay ahead o hese apid changes, indus ies mus wo k as o de elop and implemen
new echnologies and en i onmen ally iable solu ions. howe e , his shi equi es new knowledge and
© 2024 he au ho (s). Published by in o ma uK Limi ed, ading as aylo & F ancis g oup
CONTACT and eas Wallo and eas[email p o ec ed] Depa men o Beha iou al sciences and Lea ning, Linköping uni e si y, Linköping,
se-581 83, sweden
h ps://doi.o g/10.1080/23311975.2024.2344189
his is an open access a icle dis ibu ed unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons a ibu ion License (h p://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by/4.0/), which
pe mi s un es ic ed use, dis ibu ion, and ep oduc ion in any medium, p o ided he o iginal wo k is p ope ly ci ed. he e ms on which his a icle has been
published allow he pos ing o he accep ed Manusc ip in a eposi o y by he au ho (s) o wi h hei consen .
ARTICLE HISTORY
Recei ed 15 sep embe
2023
Re ised 10 ap il 2024
accep ed 13 ap il 2024
KEYWORDS
indus ial ans o ma ion;
g een ansi ion;
compe ence supply
managemen ; social
sus ainabili y; Delphi s udy
REVIEWING EDITOR
Pablo Ruiz, Uni e sidad de
cas illa-la Mancha, spain
SUBJECTS
Wo k & O ganiza ional
Psychology; educa ion –
social sciences;
sus ainable De elopmen ;
Business, Managemen
and accoun ing; adul
educa ion and li elong
lea ning; educa ion
2a. WallO e al.
expe ise in a eas such as enewable ene gy, g een building design, sus ainable supply chain manage-
men , g een human esou ce managemen (hRM), quali y managemen , and was e educ ion s a egies,
bu also so e skills such as c ea i i y, c i ical hinking and he abili y o os e employee empowe men
(ha lin & Be glund, 2021; Ma in e al., 2023; Modgil e al., 2023; Rashid e al., 2023; suciu e al., 2023).
Un o una ely, many o ganiza ions do no ha e he necessa y s a o ill hese oles, making hem less
esilien in e ms o being able o adap o complex changes (Flo ez-Jimenez e al., 2024) by access o
expe ise in sus ainabili y- ela ed a eas. hus, his leads o a compe ence gap ha can hinde p og ess
owa ds sus ainabili y goals and indus y 4.0 and 5.0 (ansha i & hamdan, 2022; Whysall e al., 2019).
he e o e, in cu en esea ch and policy discussions, he need o compe ence is equen ly cas as a
cen al ac o d i ing sus ainable de elopmen . in sweden, his need is mi o ed in policy ini ia i es such
as he g een ansi ion leap (hal a sson lundq is e al., 2022), decla ing ha compe ence supply man-
agemen is one o he mos c i ical issues du ing he nex cen u y. a su ey by he Royal swedish
academy o enginee ing sciences (iVa, 2021) showed ha he numbe o companies conside ing i di -
icul o ind pe sonnel in esea ch and de elopmen is inc easing, pa icula ly in g owing echnology
a eas such as ai, digi aliza ion, g een echnology, and elec i ica ion. simila ly, a ecen in e iew s udy
wi h 1300 swedish indus ial small and medium-sized en e p ises poin ed ou ha issues conce ning
employee compe ence a e c i ical o add essing u u e de elopmen ini ia i es (hedman, 2022).
Fu he mo e, he compe ence sho age can also ha e signi ican social sus ainabili y impac s, i.e. a ec
indi idual and collec i e human beha io in o ganiza ions (c . Fabe e al., 2010). employees who lack he
necessa y skills and knowledge o implemen sus ainable p ac ices may ace challenges in hei wo k
en i onmen ha a ec hei heal h and well-being (e.g. ame s e al., 2020). in addi ion, a lack o oppo -
uni ies o employee g ow h and de elopmen could lead o job dissa is ac ion and high u no e a es,
nega i ely impac ing he communi y (e.g. Ku niawa y e al., 2019; Ruiz-Palomino e al., 2021). he e o e,
in es ing in employee compe ence de elopmen bene i s he o ganiza ion’s sus ainabili y goals and con-
ibu es o sui able wo k en i onmen s ha s eng hen heal h and well-being (e.g. Wikhamn, 2019).
he pape aims o elucida e he complex challenges ela ed o he ambi ion o de elop a socially
sus ainable, compe i i e, and g een indus y subjec ed o an accele a ing pace o change. he pape
p esen s and discusses challenges iden i ied in a Delphi s udy o a i e a speci ic p io i ies and gaps ha
guide p oposi ions o u u e esea ch.
Me hod
he Delphi me hod was used o iden i y and explo e he challenges o a sus ainable indus y by each-
ing a g oup opinion among a panel o expe s (Okoli & Pawlowski, 2004).
he panel in his s udy was a g oup o expe s wi hin s a egic unc ions ha could p o ide pe spec i es
om indus y, labo ma ke o ganiza ions, he public sec o , and academia. he pa icipan s held key manage-
men o expe posi ions in la ge and medium-sized indus ial companies as well as in e media ies such as
educa ional ac o s and labo ma ke o ganiza ions, and go e nmen al agencies. he Delphi me hod o his
s udy was s uc u ed in h ee s eps: an ini ial wo kshop, indi idual in e iews, and a su ey.
he i s s ep was o a ange an ini ial wo kshop o iden i y wha key s akeholde s pe cei e as c i ical
knowledge gaps in ela ion o he p ojec heme, i.e. o es ablish a socially sus ainable, compe i i e, and
g een indus y a an accele a ing pace o change. he wo kshop was conduc ed online ia Ms eams by
he esea ch eam, oge he wi h pa icipan s ep esen ing 14 o ganiza ions in sweden. he esea ch
eam documen ed he esul s om his wo kshop o o m a basis o u he inqui y and o de elop an
in e iew guide o in e iews aimed a u he cha ing he pe cei ed knowledge gaps.
he second s ep in he Delphi s udy was o map knowledge gaps, needs, and challenges h ough
indi idual semi-s uc u ed in e iews wi h esponden s (n = 24). each in e iew las ed app oxima ely
30–45 minu es and was conduc ed digi ally ia Ms eams o physically a he company p emises. he
in e iewees we e p o ided wi h all he challenges iden i ied in he i s s ep, and he in e iews e ol ed
a ound he ques ion, ‘Wha a e he mos c i ical challenges o achie ing a socially sus ainable, compe -
i i e, and g een indus y (a an accele a ing pace o change)?’ he in e iews we e ansc ibed and ana-
lyzed using he QsR nVi o so wa e p og am o quali a i e analysis (Jackson & Bazeley, 2019). he
quali a i e da a analysis was conduc ed i e a i ely by a eam o wo designa ed esea che s who
cOgen BUsiness & ManageMen 3
ollowed an abduc i e i e-s ep analy ical p ocess: (1) eading and e- eading he ansc ip s; (2) da a
educ ion by coding; (3) compa ing, ela ing, and in eg a ing codes; (4) hema ic analysis; and (5) d aw-
ing conclusions by es ablishing cen al hemes oge he wi h illus a i e quo es. he coding in nVi o was
conduc ed in an open, da a-d i en manne , aligning wi h he p inciples ou lined by Miles and hube man
(1994) ega ding a ibu ing speci ic phenomena o ex segmen s (p. 57). wo esea che s independen ly
coded he da ase using he ‘codes’ and ‘nodes’ ools in nVi o. he sepa a e coding schemes we e com-
pa ed and e alua ed be o e me ging in o one cohe en coding scheme. Following his ini ial phase, he
coded da a unde wen hema ic analysis, whe ein a iables we e o ganized in o o e a ching hema ic
codes h ough clus e ing. his was also pa ly done manually, on a physical whi eboa d, du ing se e al
wo kshop sessions in ol ing se e al esea che s in he eam. Based on hese wo kshops, a cons uc
able in nVi o was es ablished, acili a ing a compa a i e examina ion and c i ical e alua ion o he iden-
i ied hema ic codes.
he esul s om he nVi o-suppo ed analysis we e hen alida ed in a second analysis p ocess con-
duc ed by o he esea ch g oup membe s. Finally, all esea ch membe s in he eam pa icipa ed in in e -
p e a ion, whe e s ep 2 esul ed in 14 iden i ied key challenges along wi h addi ional sub-challenges.
Du ing his analysis phase, he esea che s ela ed he challenges o di e en esea ch ields, which
o med he ini ial base o clus e ing and syn hesizing he hema ic codes in o 14 speci ic challenges. as
an illus a i e example, Figu e 1 ea u es an nVi o-based diag am o he hema ic code, which esul s in
challenge no. 5: ‘a ac ing, de eloping and e aining employees wi h he igh skills’. he diag am dis-
plays he sub-codes linked o his hema ic code.
he hi d s ep in he Delphi s udy was a desc ip i e su ey aimed a alida ing he agg ega ed ind-
ings om he digi al wo kshop and in e iews and p io i izing a eas o u he esea ch. he espon-
den s in he su ey s udy we e he in e iew pe sons om he in e iew s udy oge he wi h eigh
addi ional key s akeholde s om in i ed o ganiza ions (n = 32). he su ey s udy was ca ied ou in
Decembe 2022 and was designed and s uc u ed a ound he 14 key challenges iden i ied in s eps 1
and 2 ( he wo kshop and he in e iews). he e we e 13 expe s in he panel ha answe ed he su ey.
in he su ey, he esponden s we e asked o assess each challenge using a 7-g aded like scale om
wo di e en pe spec i es: (1) he cu en abili y o add ess he challenge, and (2) how impo an i is
o he o ganiza ion o inc ease knowledge abou he challenge. he su ey also included an open
ques ion whe e he esponden s we e asked o add any possible addi ional challenges and explain why
i should be added. in he inal ques ion, he esponden s we e also asked o p io i ize wha hey
hough we e he i e mos impo an challenges ou o he 14. he su ey da a was hen analyzed o
ex ac desc ip i e in o ma ion on how he di e en challenges we e alued and p io i ized conce ning
he assessmen o cu en o ganiza ional abili ies and he pe cei ed u u e impo ance o each lis ed
challenge.
in pa allel wi h he design phase o he desc ip i e su ey, he 14 challenges we e syn hesized in o hemes.
h ough i e a i e discussions and mapping o codes, p elimina y hemes we e iden i ied and subsequen ly
e ined o ensu e hey accu a ely ep esen ed he challenges. his e iew p ocess led o he de ini ion and
naming o he inal hemes: ‘inno a i e compe ence supply Managemen P ac ices’, ‘Resilien O ganiza ions and
P oduc ion sys ems’, ‘analy ics o imp o emen and lea ning’, ‘socially sus ainable Wo k’, and ‘g een
ans o ma ion P ac ices’. hese hemes encapsula e he s udy’s indings on necessa y inno a ions in compe-
ence managemen , o ganiza ional esilience, da a-d i en imp o emen , social sus ainabili y, and g een ans o -
ma ion p ac ices wi hin he indus y. a complemen a y heme o ‘Fu u e challenges’ was included, as he
en i onmen is cons an ly mo ing, and new challenges may a ise.
conce ning esea ch e hics, he Delphi s udy concen a ed on ga he ing insigh s abou o ganiza ions
and business en i onmen s a he han collec ing pe sonal da a om he pa icipan s. his ocus nega ed
he necessi y o e hical app o al. ne e heless, we made i a poin o ob ain in o med consen om all
pa icipan s, ensu ing anspa ency and e hical igo . he accumula ed esul s ha e been syn hesized a
a mac o le el, making i impossible o ace hem back o any pa icipan , hus p ese ing hei anonymi y.
Resul s
in his sec ion, he iden i ied challenges ( able 1) a e p esen ed.
4a. WallO e al.
O ganizing and c ea ing condi ions o lexible wo k o all
he i s challenge conce ns c ea ing lexible wo k condi ions o e e yone, including oppo uni ies o
lexible wo king hou s, emo e and on-si e wo k op ions, and an o ganiza ional cul u e ha suppo s
lexibili y. he inc eased adop ion o lexible wo k models b ough on by he cOViD-19 pandemic is
expec ed o con inue in he u u e.
One quali y o lexible ways o wo king is combining, o a highe deg ee, emo e and on-si e wo k,
which opens possibili ies o a ac new alen s om a wide geog aphical pool. i also enables employ-
ees o design hei wo k p ocess mo e based on hei needs and hence imp o es condi ions o balanc-
ing wo k wi h p i a e li e:
Remo e wo k makes i possible o li e a bi u he away om he wo kplace and s ill make you p i a e li e wo k
because you can wo k om home mo e days wi hou a ec ing you wo k pe o mance, which is posi i e. This is a
change ha he pandemic b ough .
howe e , when people wo k mo e om home, e o mus be pu in o suppo ing employees wi h
inc eased sel -leade ship and ime managemen o c ea e he op imum wo k low. he e, an ac i e
Figu e 1. nVi o diag am displaying he hema ic code, oge he wi h sub-codes, o ming challenge no. 5: “a ac ing,
de eloping and e aining employees wi h he igh skills”.
cOgen BUsiness & ManageMen 5
engagemen om he manage s is needed o unde s and he needs o employees and suppo people
o ind he igh balance:
Employees ha e a dialogue wi h hei closes manage so ha we unde s and wha wo ks well wi h emo e wo k
bu also wha pe cei ed challenges a e so ha we can design he wo k p ocess and condi ions based on ha unde -
s anding. This gi es us lexibili y which now c ea es oppo uni ies o combine emo e and on-si e wo k in a good
way.
Despi e many ad an ages, he e a e also se e al challenges wi h lexible wo k models. he pa ici-
pan s e lec ha inding he igh balance be ween indi idual and eam needs is di icul . i has become
ha de o c ea e a s ong cul u e when colleagues spend less ime physically oge he . he e a e also
di e ences in expec a ions be ween gene a ions when i comes o wo k lexibili y, and he e is also a
isk o unequal condi ions o wo ke s, o example, blue-colla wo ke s who mus wo k on-si e o a
highe deg ee and whi e-colla wo ke s who can wo k emo ely.
Those who wo k on he ac o y loo mus be on-si e. The e o e, ension is c ea ed be ween whi e and blue colo
wo ke s, and we will ne e be able o su pass ha . I is wha i is.
Managing c ises and d as ic ex e nal e en s success ully
he second challenge explo ed in he Delphi s udy is managing c ises and o he unexpec ed ex e nal
e en s. P oac i ely managing unce ain ies is inc easingly impo an in a as -mo ing and dynamic en i-
onmen . hese e en s, collec i ely e e ed o as ‘c i ical e en s’, ha e a signi ican impac on wo king
condi ions. addi ionally, esou ces, he abili y o imp o ise, he capaci y o o ganiza ional lea ning, and
he manage ial abili y o manage po en ial con lic ing in e es s a e needed when acing c i ical e en s
and s ill achie ing imp o emen s and sus ainabili y o e ime. success ully managing c ises and ex eme
ex e nal e en s demands ha companies inc ease hei esilien abili y ela ed o adical and unexpec ed
changes, o as one o he s udy pa icipan s says:
We ha e o be able o ge back on ou ee as quickly as possible.
he e a e obs acles in how o deal wi h a c isis and d as ic e en s ha b ing inc eased unce ain y.
Fo example, he ela ionship be ween esilience and sus ainabili y can be seen in wo ways:
I is exci ing o explo e whe he esilien companies a e mo e o less sus ainable. The ension be ween edundancy
and e iciency is in e es ing. Do you choose one o he o he ? Fo example, when you build double p oduc ion lines,
you mus build also double ene gy supply sys ems o be p epa ed o he wo s .
he p oblem is ha companies ha e ied o become lean and agile o change as e du ing a mo e
ex ended pe iod. his end has emo ed much o he edundancy needed o build esilience. ano he
challenge is ela ed o dependence on he global supply chains:
Table 1. 14 challenges iden i ied in he Delphi s udy.
Challenge
1. o o ganize and c ea e condi ions o lexible wo k o all
2. o success ully manage c ises and d as ic ex e nal e en s
3. o success ully d i e and con ibu e o he g een indus ial ans o ma ion
4. o acili a e employee-d i en inno a ion and o ganiza ional lea ning
5. o a ac , de elop and e ain employees wi h he igh skills
6. o ake ad an age o and exploi he oppo uni ies o digi aliza ion
7. o c ea e inclusi e wo kplaces and u ilize di e si y
8. o o ganize compe ence de elopmen
9. o collabo a e wi h ex e nal pa ies o ensu e he a ailabili y o compe ence
10. o design o socially sus ainable wo k conside ing e iciency and good heal h in a dynamic en i onmen
11. o o ganize he c ea ion o added alue o and oge he wi h cus ome s and supplie s
12. o sys ema ically d i e con inuous imp o emen wo k in pa allel wi h long- e m de elopmen wo k
13. o de elop leade ship ha c ea es be e oppo uni ies bo h o a clima e-neu al oo p in and a compe i i e indus y wi h good
wo king condi ions
14. o ans o m esea ch- and policy-based knowledge in o p ac ice
6a. WallO e al.
Many indus ies a e e y in e na ionalized which means i is dependen on he supply chains ha a e in di e en
coun ies.
his has made many companies ulne able:
Be o e, one could choose among many di e en local supplie s in Sweden, bu due o consolida ion and globaliza-
ion o supply chains, hey ha e become much mo e ulne able, and ou choice o supplie s is limi ed.
D i ing and con ibu ing o he g een indus ial ans o ma ion
he hi d challenge ocuses on d i ing and con ibu ing o he g een indus ial ans o ma ion. his
in ol es managing issues ela ed o p epa ing he o ganiza ion o a as -changing en i onmen , modi-
ying and adap ing wo kplaces and p oduc ion sys ems, in eg a ing new o modi ied p oduc s in o
ebuil p oduc ion sys ems, and inco po a ing sus ainabili y in o daily ope a ions:
So, in an o ganiza ion, wha does elec i ica ion mean hen? …. I is some hing we a e building as we go along. I
is like building a b idge while we a he same ime a e walking… no… speedily unning on i . I is also no always
ha simple. And I know wha i is like when you a end a cou se/…/I is o en a p o en, known compe ence ha
you do a cou se on. Howe e , his new domain equi es new knowledge.
One challenge e ealed in he s udy conce ning how o d i e he g een indus ial ans o ma ion
success ully is in eg a ing new en i onmen ally iendly p oduc s and a new o ebuil p oduc ion sys-
em. ano he challenge is o ind ways o change he mindse o employees and in eg a e en i onmen al
sus ainabili y in o e e yday wo k ou ines and p ocesses o con inuous imp o emen :
I hink ou capaci y o do ha is s ill e y low. We a e alking abou CO2 emissions bu wha does ha mean o each
employee? Wha can each o us do o ha e an impac in he e e yday wo k? The i s s ep would be o e en unde -
s and how we can imp o e ou mindse be o e we can change ou beha io s, so we ha e a long jou ney o ake.
addi ionally, wo king wi h en i onmen al sus ainabili y calls o new compe ence:
To wo k in clima e-sma ways c ea es highe demands and new compe ence om employees esponsible o design-
ing p ocesses and p oduc s so ha hey a e no only as cheap as possible bu also as sus ainable as possible.
his demands ha u u e o ganiza ions be p epa ed o di e en wo kplaces and p oduc ion sys ems
in he design and ea ly de elopmen phases o p oduc ion sys ems. i also calls o esou ce-e icien
sus ainabili y solu ions and a long- e m pe spec i e on e u n on in es men (ROi) ha enables hose
solu ions. Wha is o en a hind ance is ha p ice is s ill a decisi e ac o .
Ou cus ome s always alk abou sus ainabili y, bu when i comes o daily decisions when p ocu emen people call
us, he main ac o is s ill he p ice.
Facili a ing employee-d i en inno a ion and o ganiza ional lea ning
he ou h challenge conce ns inc easing employee-d i en inno a ion, p oduc and p oduc ion de elop-
men inno a ion, and building lea ning o ganiza ions a a apid pace o change. in he s udy, employee-d i en
inno a ion and a cul u e o lea ning we e iden i ied as key challenges and p io i ies o c ea ing a sus ain-
able indus y. a he co e o hese challenges is how companies can build inno a ion capabili y ha makes
hem be e a con inuous lea ning and ha nessing employees’ c ea i i y. his will esul in inc eased agili y
and inno a ion in p oduc s, in p oduc ion p ocesses, in business models o elsewhe e:
One can ne e be ully p epa ed o he changes o come. The only way o p epa e o hem is o de elop agili y
ha demands high inno a ion capabili y in e ms o inding new ways o use inno a i e echnologies, and inancial
solu ions, de eloping inno a i e comme cial p oduc s and se ices, o inding new business models o o e come and
su i e u u e challenges.
so, o ge he e, he po en ial o all people in he company is c ucial o de eloping inno a ion as a
co e compe ence dis ibu ed ac oss he company. his demands a high le el o openness o changes,
con inuous lea ning, and inno a ion. as one o he pa icipan s in he s udy e lec s:
cOgen BUsiness & ManageMen 7
I is a lo abou he people a ou company, hey ha e a key ole. We can buy new echnology bu i people a e no
on hei oes and eady o lea n how o use i and un in a comple ely new di ec ion as , we will no be able o
s ay compe i i e.
Bo om-up inno a ion d i en by employees is closely ela ed o building a lea ning cul u e and an
o ganiza ion whe e companies pu conscious e o in de eloping s a egies o lea ning and con inuous
de elopmen o employees:
I hink we ha e a good s uc u e ha enables pe sonal de elopmen , including pe o mance and de elopmen
e iew and ollowing up on ha , bu new employees we ec ui expec e en mo e suppo o hei de elopmen .
They wan a mo e conc e e de elopmen plan, and hey a e asking us: how will you help me de elop?
hese expec a ions a e no ha d o unde s and when one knows he e is a need o a signi ican shi
owa ds he new compe ence demanded s imula ed by he pace o change he indus y is acing. Fo
example, he shi om he p oduc ion o au omobile ehicles d i en by ossil uels o elec ic ehicles
demands a lo o new knowledge and inno a ion:
I hink ou bigges challenge is sys ema ically c ea ing space o lea ning and e lec ion as a cul u e o lea ning.
This way, we would ha e ime o e lec on wha we did, wha is happening a ound us, and wha we a e lea ning
om i . This is ha d when we ha e so much p essu e in he o ganiza ion and much o do.
A ac ing, de eloping, and e aining employees wi h he igh skills
he i h challenge is a ac ing, ec ui ing, and e aining employees wi h he necessa y compe ence. his
challenge encompasses add essing he lack o co e compe ence in eme ging domains, s eamlining
ec ui men and onboa ding p ocesses, le e aging inno a i e echnologies in hR p ac ices, and de elop-
ing exis ing s a .
he in e iews show ha he indus y expe iences p oblems wi h inding he igh people. One con-
ibu o is ha many people ha e s a ed wo king as low-skilled ope a o s and s ayed in he company,
hence no possessing he skills needed o he u u e, e.g. ela ed o g een o digi al ans o ma ion. and
he highly skilled people wi h he igh skills a e ha d o a ac and e ain:
Almos all o us used o be machine ope a o s and came in s aigh om he high school. We s ayed a he com-
pany and de eloped in e nally. This is why I ied o ec ui mo e enginee s, bu hey come and ques ion, change
some hings, and hen lea e. We ha e no succeeded o a ac and e ain hem.
he e o e, i is essen ial o e ain and de elop exis ing employees by o e ing con inuous lea ning
oppo uni ies so ha employees eel hey ha e de elopmen oppo uni ies and do no ha e o go o
ano he employe . employee e en ion and de elopmen needs o be adjus ed o he di e en needs o
people om a ious gene a ions, cul u es and backg ounds. O ganiza ions need o become be e a
de eloping new skills among exis ing employees and ans o ming and ans e ing skills wi hin and
be ween o ganiza ions. his will be mo e likely h ough global ec ui ing, which is enabled by digi aliza-
ion and emo e wo king. ano he solu ion will be sha ed compe ence pools ha will equi e mo e lex-
ible o ms o employmen :
Fo example, main enance wo k will p obably be done emo ely in he u u e because e e y hing will be supe con-
nec ed and digi alized. We will no need main enance people o e e y single depa men . Maybe we can ha e a
pool o main enance expe s suppo ing se e al pa s o he o ganiza ion. And we can buy his expe ise om ou -
side, o example, om gig wo ke s. Whene e we ha e a p oblem, we can connec o hem and pay hem o
sol ing a speci ic p oblem, no on a mon hly sala y base. Bu how do we build he compensa ion policy o his new
wo king me hod? We a e no eady o ha ye .
in gene al, a mo e s a egic app oach o a ac ing alen wi h u u e skills will be needed o be a
he o e on o upcoming echnology de elopmen :
We need o wo k om a s a egy he whole ime and i is impo an o iden i y alen ed wo k o ce, ha ing a special
p og am o alen s so we can ind ways o c ea e condi ions o compe ence de elopmen ha allows us o s ay a
he o e on o new ma ke and echnology ends.
14 a. WallO e al.
he e is no one challenge he panel membe s belie e is he mos impo an . ins ead, i poin s o he
ac ha many iden i ied challenges a e in insic and essen ial o c ea ing a sus ainable indus y, whe e
some challenges a e also pe cei ed as in e wined.
Syn hesis and discussion
in his sec ion, we will syn hesize he indings o sugges an agenda o u u e esea ch o add ess hese
challenges and suppo he g ow h and de elopmen o a socially esponsible, compe i i e, and en i on-
men ally iendly indus y. he challenges can be ela ed o i e hemes o gi e a be e o e iew; how-
e e , some challenges a e ela ed mo e han one heme (Figu e 3).
hese hemes se e as a base o en sugges ed esea ch p oposi ions. in he agenda, we also ecog-
nize he po en ial o cu en ly unknown challenges o a ise. he e o e, in Figu e 3, he e is an opening
o ‘ u u e challenges’.
Theme A: inno a i e compe ence supply managemen p ac ices
heme a comp ises inno a i e ways o wo king wi h o ganiza ional compe ence supply managemen .
compe ence supply managemen e e s o ac i i ies ha aim o sa is y an o ganiza ion wi h compe ence
in a long- e m pe spec i e, including a ac ing, ec ui ing, onboa ding, e aining, and de eloping employ-
ees who possess he igh compe ence based on he o ganiza ion’s cu en and u u e needs (Wallo e al.,
2016). he Delphi s udy showed ha compe ence supply managemen is one o he mos c i ical issues
and he a ea ha he ep esen a i es o pa icipa ing o ganiza ions eel is mos di icul o add ess. how
can o ganiza ions wo k inno a i ely wi h compe ence supply managemen o comba he skills sho age
s anding in he way o a esilien and sus ainable indus y? he e is cu en ly access o ools based on ai,
obo p ocess au oma ion, and machine lea ning, which po en ially can change he daily compe ence sup-
ply managemen p ac ices in o ganiza ions. a eas po en ially sui able o au oma ion include s a ing,
ec ui men , in oduc ion, employee engagemen , pay oll managemen , adminis a ion and sys ema ic wo k
en i onmen managemen (anagnos e, 2017; Balasunda am & Venka agi i, 2020; Bu ne & lisk, 2019).
Mo eo e , gi en ha ex e nal ec ui men may no adequa ely mee u u e compe ence demands, i
is essen ial o alloca e in e nal esou ces owa ds compe ence de elopmen and con inuous lea ning ini-
ia i es. hese e o s aim o eskill and upskill exis ing employees, enhancing employee-d i en inno a-
ion oppo uni ies. in his con ex , he ole o lea ning-o ien ed leade ship by manage s wi hin
o ganiza ions becomes c ucial. such leade ship di ec ly and indi ec ly suppo s an adap i e and de elop-
men al en i onmen o wo kplace lea ning (Wallo e al., 2024).
By he abo e a gumen s, we p opose he ollowing:
Figu e 3. gaps be ween impo ance and cu en abili ies (numbe s in pa en heses e e s o he challenges clus e ed
unde each heme).
cOgen BUsiness & ManageMen 15
P oposi ion 1: o main ain sus ainabili y in compe ence supply managemen , he indus y needs o
con inuously moni o and e iew he supply and demand o compe ence and adjus hei s a egies acco dingly. i
also equi es long- e m hinking and in es men a he han sho - e m solu ions ha can lead o a lack o
s abili y.
P oposi ion 2: he ans o ma ion o sus ainable indus y equi es he u iliza ion o new echnology ha can
s eamline and imp o e he e iciency o compe ence supply managemen p ac ices.
P oposi ion 3: in e nal compe ence de elopmen and con inuous lea ning ini ia i es signi ican ly impac he
eskilling and upskilling o exis ing employees, he eby enhancing hei capaci y o inno a ion wi hin he
o ganiza ion.
Fu u e esea ch is equi ed on how hR specialis s’ and ope a ions manage s’ wo k and compe ence a e
a ec ed by he inc eased p esence o digi al echnology in compe ence supply managemen p ac ices.
Fu u e s udies should also add ess wha ac o s d i e e ec i e and sus ainable compe ence supply man-
agemen ha mee s he needs o g een ansi ion in an inc easingly digi alized wo ld. Fu u e esea ch
in es iga ing he impac o manage s’ leade ship is also equi ed.
Theme B: esilien o ganiza ions and p oduc ion sys ems
heme B ocuses on success ully managing c ises and d as ic ex e nal e en s by building esilien pe -
o mance (Dege man, 2021), and p oduc ion sys ems consis en wi h he indus y 5.0 pa adigm, which
emphasizes sus ainabili y, esilience, and human-cen ici y in indus ial de elopmen p ocesses.
Manu ac u ing companies mus include esilience and sus ainabili y pe spec i es in hei agendas, whe e
p oduc ion inno a ions, in eg a ed wo k p ocesses, and new compe ence a e essen ial (sä s en
e al., 2022).
o add ess challenges ela ed o needed esilience, a holis ic unde s anding and c oss-collabo a ion
a e essen ial o a oid locked s uc u es and igid solu ions ha coun e ac he possibili y o de eloping
esilien and sus ainable p oduc ion sys ems. Mo eo e , o add ess he di e en aspec s o sus ainabili y
(including bo h en i onmen al, economic, and social ac o s), a sys em pe spec i e ha includes echnol-
ogy, people, and o ganiza ion is necessa y (alayón e al., 2022), especially ocusing on he sha ed pu -
pose o he o ganiza ion as his ‘posi i ely impac s o ganiza ional esilience, [and] he la e b ings he
o ganiza ional abili y o con inue o deli e compe i i e sus ainabili y pe o mance’ (Flo ez-Jimenez e al.,
2024, p. 30).
Following he abo e easoning, we p opose he ollowing p oposi ions:
P oposi ion 4: he abili y o pe o m esilien ly, i.e. abso b dis up ion and eco e wi h minimal e o , equi es
an o ganiza ional abili y o adop a sys em pe spec i e and de elop a comp ehensi e unde s anding o enable s
and ba ie s o sus ainabili y.
P oposi ion 5: inc eased esilience capabili y and sus ainabili y in o ganiza ions and p oduc ion sys ems depend
on in eg a ing echnological aspec s such as digi aliza ion and au oma ed wo k p ocesses wi h a human-cen e ed
app oach and sus ainable esou ce usage.
addi ional esea ch is needed o unde s and wha cha ac e izes esilien and sus ainable sys ems in
di e en indus ial con ex s and le els. Fu he mo e, u he esea ch is needed o unde s and he chal-
lenges o ganiza ions ace in de eloping esilience and suppo ing sus ainabili y while e ec i ely manag-
ing e en ual con adic ing demands, compe ence de elopmen , and o ganiza ional lea ning in change
and de elopmen p ocesses.
Theme C: analy ics o imp o emen and lea ning
heme c ocuses on building o ganiza ion o lea ning, con inuous imp o emen , and inno a ion.
analy ics o imp o emen and lea ning e e s sys ema ically using da a and s a is ical analysis o gain
insigh s and d i e con inuous imp o emen s in an o ganiza ion (Da enpo , 2013). he goal is o make
da a-d i en decisions ha lead o enhanced pe o mance, inc eased e iciency, and con inuous lea ning
(elg, 2022). his app oach ypically in ol es de ining pe o mance me ics and key pe o mance
16 a. WallO e al.
indica o s (KPis) (neely e al., 1995). Da a is collec ed and analyzed o moni o he pe o mance o hese
KPis and, h ough he applica ion o quali y managemen , iden i y ends and oppo uni ies o imp o e-
men (g emy e al., 2020).
Building on his a ionale and he challenges ou lined by o ganiza ional ep esen a i es in he Delphi
s udy, we sugges he ollowing p oposi ions:
P oposi ion 6: e ec i e use o analy ics equi es a sys ema ic app oach, including he use o quali y
managemen echniques, o con inuously imp o e pe o mance and d i e g ow h.
P oposi ion 7: When o ganizing analy ics o imp o emen and lea ning in o ganiza ions, he dis inc ion
be ween measu emen s and da a used o con ol and ollow-up pu poses and hose used o suppo
imp o emen and lea ning is c ucial.
Fu he esea ch is needed o unde s and how o ganiza ions can e ec i ely in ol e employees in con-
inuous imp o emen s and lea ning when in eg a ing analy ics in o business p ocesses and decision-making
sys ems. a pa icula a ea is o explo e how o ganiza ions use p edic i e analy ics in compe ence supply
managemen , especially in a ac ing and e aining employees. Fu he mo e, he e is a need o unde -
s and how o ganiza ions can u ilize machine lea ning and ai o au oma e p ocesses, imp o e ope a ional
e iciency, and unde s and he social consequences o his de elopmen .
Theme D: socially sus ainable wo k
heme D conce ns c ea ing an inclusi e and sus ainable place o wo k in a as -mo ing en i onmen ,
which is c ucial o success in he indus y 4.0 and 5.0 pa adigms (eu opean commission, 2021a; Pinzone
e al., 2020). he g een ansi ion will equi e a wo kplace whe e employees can handle inc eased com-
plexi y, pa allel changes, and unce ain ies (ha lin e al., 2022). as aised in he so-called Ope a o 4.0
ision, u u e sma ac o ies a e inc easingly sui ed o wo ke s wi h di e en skills, capabili ies, and
p e e ences (Kaasinen e al., 2020). U ilizing di e si y by c ea ing eams and de elopmen p ojec s wi h
ep esen a i es om di e en backg ounds, unc ions, disciplines, ages, gende s can p o ide possibili ies
o an inc eased holis ic unde s anding o he assigned asks and pe o mance a eas. i adequa ely man-
aged, di e si y can po en ially imp o e o ganiza ional p oduc i i y and compe i i eness (sha ma, 2016).
hus, manage ial de elopmen is equi ed o suppo enewal abili y and c ea e condi ions o wo kplace
inno a ions in pa allel wi h daily ope a ions.
One o he p io i ies in he eU s a egic F amewo k on heal h and sa e y a Wo k o 2021–2027 is
an icipa ing and managing change, gi en he g een and digi al ansi ion, demog aphic challenges, and
incipien compe ence sho age (eu opean commission, 2021b).
P oposi ion 8: sys ema ic occupa ional heal h and sa e y managemen (sOhsM) needs o ocus no only on a
p e en i e heal h pe spec i e (i.e. a oiding isks and haza ds a wo k) bu also on p omo i e aspec s such as how
wo k is o ganized, he ype o job demands and job esou ces a ailable, and oppo uni ies o lea ning and
compe ence de elopmen .
Resea ch is needed o de elop manage ial suppo o s eng hen and in eg a e di e se pe spec i es,
c ea e au onomy in eams and c oss-disciplina y eamwo k, b idge ba ie s, and u ilize eme ging echnolo-
gies bene icial o indi idual wo k and o ganiza ional lexibili y. addi ionally, s udies mus add ess he impac
o g een and digi al ansi ions on compe ence supply managemen and employee heal h main enance.
Theme E: g een ans o ma ion p ac ices
heme e ela es o success ully d i ing and con ibu ing o he g een indus ial ans o ma ion and le e -
aging echnology oppo uni ies. Mo ing owa ds a sus ainable indus y equi es an in eg a ed ocus on
ecological, economic, and social sus ainabili y. in c ea ing such ocus, i is c i ical o in eg a e sus ainabil-
i y conside a ions in o a i m’s daily ope a ions and p ac ices (lu opp & lage s ed , 2006; Maxwell &
an de Vo s , 2003). such in eg a ion p e en s i om being a sepa a e conside a ion exposed o he
chance o being down-p io i ized, e.g. in decision-making (Waage, 2007) in ol ing ade-o s be ween
pe o mance and sus ainabili y.
cOgen BUsiness & ManageMen 17
Wi h he suppo o echnology (Philbeck & Da is, 2018), o ganiza ions need o de elop capabili ies
and p ac ices ha suppo g een ans o ma ion. Besides coping wi h he echnology and he ou pu
da a pe se, he as amoun o da a gene a ed also equi es new oles, p ac ices and p ocesses o
enable an o ganiza ion o espond o and c ea e alue om he da a (g emy e al., 2022).
Rega ding g een ans o ma ion p ac ices, wo p oposi ions a e o e ed:
P oposi ion 9: echnology, in pa icula digi aliza ion, is a key o enabling g een ans o ma ion p ac ices and a
mo e sus ainable indus y. he e o e, capabili ies and abili ies o suppo indus y 4.0 echnologies a e c ucial o
o ganiza ions o exploi echnical possibili ies.
P oposi ion 10: o exploi he echnical possibili ies and ealize hei po en ial suppo o sus ainable
de elopmen , o ganiza ions mus also c ea e us ul, inno a i e, s uc u ed collabo a ions and o ganize con inuous
in eg a ion o g een ans o ma ion p ac ices.
addi ional esea ch is equi ed o unde s and he ole o in eg a ion o g een ans o ma ion p ac ices
in o ganiza ions. Fo ins ance, i is impo an o conside how ac o s can collabo a e wi h each o he o
suppo g een ans o ma ion p ac ices in he supply chain. i is also c ucial o in eg a e g een ans o -
ma ion p ac ices in o managemen p ocesses. Mo eo e , we need o unde s and he equi emen s o
in eg a ing indus y 4.0 echnologies in o indus ial p ac ices ha suppo a g een ans o ma ion.
Conclusions and implica ions o p ac ice
he esul s o he Delphi s udy ha e pinpoin ed c i ical a eas o conce n and p io i y o u u e esea ch
h ough a sys ema ic and i e a i e p ocess. he hemes p esen ed in he pape p o ide a oadmap o
u u e esea ch a eas ha will suppo he g ow h and de elopmen o a socially esponsible, compe i-
i e, and en i onmen ally iendly indus y. he mo e owa ds sus ainable and g een business models
and inc eased digi al in eg a ion necessi a es wo k o ce esilience, compe ence, and socially sus ainable
wo king condi ions. en ep eneu ial spi i , s ong ela ionships, solu ion-o ien ed de elopmen , and ans-
pa ency ac oss he alue ne wo k a e i al in a ci cula economy. Key enable s o achie e a sus ainable
indus y in his en i onmen include o ganiza ional esilience, knowledge managemen , and a socially
sus ainable wo king en i onmen , secu ing a compe en wo k o ce.
conce ning p ac ical implica ions, a c i ical p e equisi e o success ully os e ing he compe ence sup-
ply essen ial o he sus ainable ans o ma ion o he indus y lies in he collabo a i e ecosys em o o ga-
niza ions wi hin he labo ma ke (c . singh & Rahman, 2021). his ecosys em encompasses di e se sec o s,
including indus y, public sec o o ganiza ions, ade unions, and uni e si ies, which a e impe a i e o
de eloping he knowledge and expe ise equi ed o d i e his ans o ma ion. as companies a e in eg al
o a b oade communi y, a collec i e esponsibili y is o o ge he knowledge base necessa y o ansi-
ioning o a g een, sus ainable, and digi ally ad anced wo king li e. his collabo a i e app oach aligns wi h
he iple helix model, emphasizing he syne gis ic pa ne ship be ween hese sec o s o cul i a e a
dynamic and sus ainable inno a ion sys em ha p omo es economic g ow h alongside social de elopmen .
o u he s eng hen he p ac ical implica ions o ou esea ch, we ecommend ha policymake s
in oduce and suppo ini ia i es designed o acili a e c oss-sec o collabo a ion. his may include inan-
cial incen i es o sus ainable inno a ion p ojec s, egula o y amewo ks encou aging g een p ac ices,
and pla o ms enhancing knowledge sha ing be ween academia, indus y, and public en i ies. By imple-
men ing such measu es, policymake s can signi ican ly accele a e he indus y’s shi owa ds sus ainabil-
i y and digi aliza ion.
an implica ion o o ganiza ions wi hin he collabo a i e ecosys em is o moni o he ongoing shi s
in global labo ma ke s and b eak h oughs in g een echnology o an icipa e changes and adap hei
s a egies o mee he challenges and oppo uni ies ha lie ahead.
Au ho s’ con ibu ions
his a icle ep esen s a collabo a i e e o among all lis ed au ho s, each o whom has signi ican ly con ibu ed o
he success ul comple ion o his wo k. he concep ion and design o he s udy we e led by Wallo, Ma in, elg,
ha lin, Bozic, Williamsson, and skage . Ma in, elg, Wallo, ha lin, and Bozic handled he analysis and in e p e a ion
18 a. WallO e al.
o da a. he manusc ip was d a ed by Wallo, Ma in, elg, g emy , ha lin, Bozic, Williamsson, and skage . e e y
au ho has c i ically e ised he manusc ip o impo an in ellec ual con en , ensu ing he in eg i y and accu acy o
he wo k. addi ionally, all au ho s ha e gi en hei inal app o al o he e sion o be published, signi ying hei
collec i e esponsibili y and endo semen o he con en p esen ed.
Disclosu e s a emen
he e a e no inancial o non- inancial compe ing in e es s o epo .
Abou he au ho s
And eas Wallo, senio associa e P o esso a he Depa men o Beha iou al sciences and lea ning a linköping
Uni e si y. his esea ch in e es s include compe ence supply managemen , wo kplace lea ning, hyb id wo k, and
human esou ce managemen .
Jason Ma in, associa e P o esso a he Depa men o Managemen and enginee ing a linköping Uni e si y. his
esea ch ocuses on managemen p ac ice and how o ganiza ions can manage adap a ion and de elopmen sus ain-
ably and success ully.
Ma ias Elg, P o esso a he Depa men o Managemen and enginee ing a linköping Uni e si y. his esea ch
in e es s include sus ainable de elopmen in o ganiza ions, o ganiza ional change, pe o mance measu emen p ac-
ices, and da a analy ics.
Ul ika Ha lin, lic.eng. and senio esea che a Rise Resea ch ins i u es o sweden. he esea ch ocuses on p oduc-
ion sys em de elopmen and in eg a ion o human and o ganiza ional aspec s in he change p ocess and design
phases o g een ield and b own ield p oduc ion de elopmen p ojec s.
Ida G emy , P o esso a he Depa men o echnology Managemen and economics a chalme s Uni e si y o
echnology. he esea ch ocuses on quali y managemen p ac ices, in eg a ion o quali y managemen and sus ain-
able de elopmen , and se ice managemen .
Nina Bozic, PhD and senio esea che a Rise Resea ch ins i u es o sweden. he esea ch includes new ways o
wo king in he hyb id wo k model, helping o ganiza ions na iga e complexi y and becoming esilien h ough new
managemen models, sel -leade ship, and sel -o ganized eams.
Ka in Skage , PhD and senio esea che a Rise Resea ch ins i u es o sweden. he esea ch conce ns how wo k
can be o ganized so ha employees wan and can do a good job and ha e a sus ainable wo king li e.
Anna Williamsson, PhD and senio esea che a Rise Resea ch ins i u es o sweden. he esea ch conce ns wo king
li e and wo k sys em sus ainabili y, in e ac ions be ween humans, echnology and o ganiza ion du ing change and
wo k-li e lea ning.
Funding
his esea ch was unded by Vinno a, sweden’s inno a ion agency wi h addi ional unding om he XPRes (ini ia i e
o excellence in P oduc ion Resea ch).
ORCID
and eas Wallo h p://o cid.o g/0000-0002-0041-9624
Jason Ma in h p://o cid.o g/0000-0002-5702-4885
Ma ias elg h p://o cid.o g/0000-0003-4730-5453
Ul ika ha lin h p://o cid.o g/0000-0002-2838-6457
ida g emy h p://o cid.o g/0000-0001-7292-7217
nina Bozic h p://o cid.o g/0000-0002-6920-0428
Ka in skage h p://o cid.o g/0000-0002-6583-7763
anna Williamsson h p://o cid.o g/0000-0001-5879-2280
Da a a ailabili y s a emen
Da a a ailable on eques om he au ho s.
cOgen BUsiness & ManageMen 19
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