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Impact of Industry 4.0 Drivers on the Performance of the Service Sector: Human Resources Management Perspective

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 41357

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Prof. Dr. Adnan ul Haque

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Guest Editor

Business and Management, Yorkville University, Toronto, ON L4K 4N1, Canada
Interests: organizational behaviour; human resources management; Industry 4.0; knowledge hiding; occupational stress; supply chain management; innovative work behaviour; leadership styles
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue offers deeper insight into Industry 4.0 drivers on the performance of the service sector, from the lens of human resources management. The aim is to encourage authors and readers to discuss and question the existing trends in human resources management and its linkage to Industry 4.0 drivers and sustainable operations.

Human resources management contains 5 M’s (men, money, material, machinery, and manpower planning). However, how these five M’s are used to attain sustainable operations in the service sector using Industry 4.0 drivers is still not clearly visible from the existing body of knowledge.

The context, complexities, and connectedness encompassing the theories and practices related to various application domains within the social sciences especially related to Human resources management practices remain the focus of this Special Issue. The scope includes more practical solutions to services sector businesses facing issues of ethical human resources management practices and sustainable operations in the era of Industry 4.0.

With the rapid changes in the environment, there is continuous flux creating HR-related challenges and questions around employability. This intensifies competition, which further questions the approaches of human resources management to retaining psychological capital while not compromising on sustainability attributes within the service sector opting for Industry 4.0 drivers. A volatile environment is forcing HR practices to become more responsive and ethical in daily operations so that sustainability can be achieved.

This Special Issue covers the wide range of human resources management theories and practices under the sustainability umbrella, examining the relationship within the service sector opting for Industry 4.0 drivers. Theoretical and practical developments related to existing studies revised, revisited, and further exploring modernized methods are invited to fill the gap in existing HRM, Industry 4.0 drivers, and related knowledge by recommending sustainable approaches.

The existing literature has focused on the general notion of linkage between Industry 4.0 drivers and sustainable performance; however, it is still understudied from the lens of human resources management practices. Furthermore, there is little evidence regarding the causes and consequences of knowledge hiding affecting HRM practices and sustainable operations in the times of Industry 4.0 drives operating at a greater extent. There is still no conclusive evidence from a multinational perspective to find the most appropriate methods of improving sustainable operations from the lens of HRM.

The objective of this Special Issue is to promote path-breaking research on impact performance, optimized sustainable operations, human capital, and use of knowledge at the workplace in the service sector, perhaps dealing with various stressors and personal challenges to formulate a new body of knowledge to assist businesses, academics, practitioners, leaders, and top management in the creation of sustainable organizations.

Prof. Dr. Adnan ul Haque
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Industry 4.0
sustainable operations
performance of service sector
human resources management
knowledge hiding
occupations stress
decision-making
sustainable operational needs
strategic and tactical operations
drivers of Industry 4.0
case studies

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 557 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impacts of Work–Family Culture on Employee Job Performance in Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

by Nurul Aisyah Awanis binti A Rahim, Khatijah Omar, Adnan ul Haque, Hamizah Muhammad, Jumadil Saputra and Fasaaro Hulu

Sustainability 2022, 14(12), 7003; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14127003 - 08 Jun 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2424

Abstract

The harmonized balance between work and family is tough to reach in modern industrial societies because of increasing demands at work and in family settings. Previous studies analyzed work–family culture and its relationship with employees’ job performance without focusing on specific industries. Paralleled with the Sustainable Developments Goals (SDGs), this study aims to analyze the relationship between work–family culture and employees’ job performance in selected industries in Malaysia. This study surveyed 336 employees working in four industries in Peninsular Malaysia, and data were collected using a self-reported questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using two statistical analyses, i.e., descriptive and inferential statistic multiple linear regression by assisting statistical software, namely SPSS version 26. This study found that organizational time demands, and managerial support have a significant positive relationship with employees’ job performance. Moreover, the career consequences variable does not have a significant effect on employees’ job performance. Therefore, the results provided valuable insights into the work–family culture among employees with family responsibilities. Applied implications for managers are suggested to give full support to the employees while juggling their family matters. This study also contributes to the existing work–family culture literature. After a thorough analysis of this field, the researcher believed that other factors might significantly affect employees’ job performance, such as religiosity, working environment, and integrity in the organizations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Industry 4.0 Drivers on the Performance of the Service Sector: Human Resources Management Perspective)

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14 pages, 716 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction in the Relationship between FWAs and Turnover Intentions

by Nemanja Berber, Dimitrije Gašić, Ivana Katić and Jelena Borocki

Sustainability 2022, 14(8), 4502; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14084502 - 10 Apr 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4755

Abstract

The problem of employee turnover has been investigated in recent years because more and more countries and organizations are faced with the lack of an adequate labor force. The new generation of employees (Y and Z generations), contemporary political, social, and economic challenges, and the COVID-19 pandemic have raised new issues in human resource management (HRM), especially concerning turnover intentions. In such situations, companies need to create working conditions that will attract, motivate, and retain employees. One possible response is the usage of flexible working arrangements (FWAs) as a more flexible way of organizing traditional jobs and working positions; these arrangements allow employees more possibilities to maintain work–life balance. The main aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between FWAs and turnover intentions of employees, and the mediating effect of job satisfaction. The theoretical research is based on the literature review. The empirical part of the paper is based on the analysis of a sample of 219 employees from organizations in Serbia. The authors used descriptive statistics and the PLS-SEM method to investigate proposed relations. The results pointed to the positive effects of FWAs and job satisfaction on turnover intentions. In addition, there is an indirect effect of FWAs on turnover intentions through job satisfaction. FWAs may contribute to increasing job satisfaction and, in turn, job satisfaction contributes to decreasing turnover intentions. Job satisfaction mediates this relationship, and employees that are offered FWAs may experience a lower level of turnover intentions when they are satisfied on the job. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Industry 4.0 Drivers on the Performance of the Service Sector: Human Resources Management Perspective)

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19 pages, 488 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Determinants of Pro-Environmental Behaviour in the Workplace

by Bob Foster, Zikri Muhammad, Mohd Yusoff Yusliza, Juhari Noor Faezah, Muhamad Deni Johansyah, Jing Yi Yong, Adnan ul-Haque, Jumadil Saputra, Thurasamy Ramayah and Olawole Fawehinmi

Sustainability 2022, 14(8), 4420; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14084420 - 08 Apr 2022

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 5845

Abstract

The primary notion of sustainable development is to maintain a promising future for the planet and the next generation by raising the awareness of sustainable development of people around the world. This study seeks to foster and enhance more sustainable behaviour in households, workplaces, schools, and higher educational institutions; previous research has placed increasing attention on the identification of factors of pro-environmental behaviour. Accordingly, this study aims to examine the elements influencing the pro-environmental behaviour of employees in the workplace. A survey was performed from January to February 2020 on 150 public employees of an organisation in Terengganu. Out of 150 employees, only 84 participated and had their responses collected by using convenience sampling. Smart PLS-SEM was used in analysing the relationships between the variables. The result of this study found that green lifestyles have a significant positive effect on pro-environmental behaviour. However, the impacts of environmental commitment, environmental consciousness, green self-efficacy, and green human resource management were insignificant. This study provides data that were developed using a cross-sectional design; the assessment of causality among the constructs was a risky process. Furthermore, the study collected data from a single source, namely the employees, which would enhance the relationships through common method bias. The findings of this study also offered several managerial implications for green organisations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Industry 4.0 Drivers on the Performance of the Service Sector: Human Resources Management Perspective)

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25 pages, 700 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Marketing Performance Sustainability in the Jordanian Hospitality Industry: The Roles of Customer Relationship Management and Service Quality

by Jassim Ahmad Al-Gasawneh, Khalid N. AlZubi, Marhana Mohamed Anuar, Siti Falindah Padlee, Adnan ul-Haque and Jumadil Saputra

Sustainability 2022, 14(2), 803; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14020803 - 12 Jan 2022

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 5652

Abstract

This study examines the mediating role of service quality between customer relationship management (CRM) performance dimensions and the marketing performance of Jordanian hotels using resource-based view theory and contingency theory. A self-administered survey was conducted on 162 general managers of hotels in Jordan. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The findings of the study indicated that service quality mediated the relationship between the CRM performance dimensions (key customer focus, CRM knowledge management, CRM organization, and CRM-based technology) and the marketing performance of Jordanian hotels. This study provides significant contributions to theory and practice. From a theoretical perspective, this study fills in the literature gaps by providing insights about the mediating role of service quality in the relationship between customer relationship management performance dimensions and marketing performance. For managerial contributions, this study suggested that hotels can enhance their marketing performance by focusing on service quality and customer relationship management performance dimensions, especially the key customer focus dimension. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Industry 4.0 Drivers on the Performance of the Service Sector: Human Resources Management Perspective)

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22 pages, 1493 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improving the E-Commerce Business Model in a Sustainable Environment

by Mingwei Sun, Katarzyna Grondys, Nazim Hajiyev and Pavel Zhukov

Sustainability 2021, 13(22), 12667; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su132212667 - 16 Nov 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 5264

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop a comprehensive methodological approach to assess the sustainability of the e-commerce business model based on the integration of key performance indicators into a single vector of business model sustainability. The proposed vector approach allows for predicting and evaluating the effects of different kinds of measures, identifying and implementing the most effective tools for sustainable e-commerce business development. The methodology of this study is based on correlation, cluster and regression analysis. The scientific contribution of this study is the proposed methodological approach, which not only allows one to analyze business model sustainability, but also to compare companies in a competitive environment to determine the priorities of their functioning to achieve leadership positions on the background of sustainable development. The correlation analysis proved that in modern conditions, both economic and environmental components are significant for business model effectiveness in e-commerce. The clustering of the studied e-commerce companies provided an opportunity to take into account the peculiarities of the studied companies, to group them by similar performance indicators. This made it possible to develop more accurate regression models for each cluster. In this case, there is a correlation between the sustainability vector of the business model of a company and its assignment to a particular cluster. The conducted modeling and determination of the level of business model sustainability allowed for determining a relationship between it and the performance of e-commerce companies in the context of economic, environmental and social dimensions. At the same time, the results show that increasing the sustainability vector brings a company closer to the business sustainability benchmark. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Industry 4.0 Drivers on the Performance of the Service Sector: Human Resources Management Perspective)

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17 pages, 414 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Telecommuting during COVID 19: A Moderated-Mediation Approach Linking Job Resources to Job Satisfaction

by Mohd Tariq Jamal, Wafa Rashid Alalyani, Prabha Thoudam, Imran Anwar and Ermal Bino

Sustainability 2021, 13(20), 11449; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su132011449 - 16 Oct 2021

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 5933

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has led to sudden and significant changes in the work and family roles of the employees. Due to the unprecedentedness of the situation, academicians and practitioners have limited knowledge of the effect permanently working from home during this crisis can have on employees. Developing the role and work–life balance theories and using the job demands and resources model, the authors study the role of availability of job autonomy and family supportive supervisory behaviors (FSSBs) directly on work–life balance and indirectly on job satisfaction through work–life balance for Industry 4.0 based employees. Using work-to-family positive spillover (WFPS) as a first-level moderator and prior telecommuting experience (PTE) as a second-level moderator, the authors also check for the moderating effect on work–life balance and job satisfaction, respectively. The data were analyzed using CFA and SEM in AMOS v21.0 and model 21 in PROCESS Macro for SPSS. The study found that job autonomy and FSSBs have significant positive direct and indirect effects on work–life balance and job satisfaction, respectively, and these relationships are positively moderated by WFPS and PTE, respectively. The study focuses on the human factor of Industry 4.0, adds empirical insights to the work–family interface literature, and has implications that will help both employees and organizations during such critical times. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Industry 4.0 Drivers on the Performance of the Service Sector: Human Resources Management Perspective)

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20 pages, 843 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of CSR and Ethical Leadership to Shape Employees’ Pro-Environmental Behavior in the Era of Industry 4.0. A Case of the Banking Sector

by Qiang Wu, Jacob Cherian, Sarminah Samad, Ubaldo Comite, Huajie Hu, Stefan B. Gunnlaugsson, Judit Oláh and Muhammad Safdar Sial

Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9773; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13179773 - 31 Aug 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5227

Abstract

The phenomenon of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an ever-evolving concept due to its multidimensionality. However, a plethora of studies have investigated CSR to achieve different organizational-related objectives, and its potential link to shape employee’s extra-role behavior, especially employee pro-environmental behavior (EB) in the era of Industry 4.0, is underexplored in the literature. To bridge this gap, the current study aims to explain the relationship between CSR and EB with the mediating role of ethical leadership (EL) in the banking sector of Pakistan. The data of the current survey were collected (n = 459) from different banking employees within the city of Lahore through a self-administered questionnaire (paper–pencil technique). The hypotheses were validated through the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique in AMOS. The empirical results of the current study confirmed that CSR positively relates to EB, and EL partially mediates this relationship. These findings are helpful for professionals to realize the significance of CSR and EL to shape EB in order to mitigate the environmental footprint of an organization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Industry 4.0 Drivers on the Performance of the Service Sector: Human Resources Management Perspective)

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19 pages, 324 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring Challenges and Solutions in Performing Employee Ecological Behaviour for a Sustainable Workplace

by Khalid Farooq, Mohd Yusoff Yusliza, Ratri Wahyuningtyas, Adnan ul Haque, Zikri Muhammad and Jumadil Saputra

Sustainability 2021, 13(17), 9665; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13179665 - 27 Aug 2021

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 4836

Abstract

Organisations are a fundamental part of challenges and solutions to climate change issues. Therefore, the micro and macro factors influencing employee ecological behaviour (EEB) are a rising interest among researchers. The contemporary concept of EEB has been embraced by many organisations and attracted scholars’ attention worldwide. Nevertheless, studies that explored challenges and solutions for performing EEB at the workplace are scarce. This study explored challenges and solutions in performing EEB at the workplace and focused on qualitative research methodology. The researchers interviewed 24 academicians from five leading green research Malaysian universities. Valuable qualitative data and numerous challenges such as high costs of practising, lack of infrastructure, top management support, environmental attitude, green mindfulness, enforcement, and monitoring were identified as challenges in applying EEB from the interviews. Stringent rules and regulations, monitoring, training programmes, and monetary incentives might be efficient solutions to apply ecological behaviour at workplaces, specifically universities. In conclusion, this study has discovered the challenges and solutions in implementing EEB for a sustainable workplace by interviewing academicians from different departments of selected Malaysian higher educational institutes. Also, poor infrastructure, high cost, and the lack of top management support, environmental attitude, green mindfulness, enforcement, and monitoring were identified as the primary challenges in performing EEB. Additionally, the research also discovered significant suggestions to resolve the challenges when implementing EEB at the workplace, such as strict rules and regulations, training programmes, incentives, monitoring, and communicating change and campaigns. Therefore, the stakeholders related to the industry should be concerned with the challenges identified when applying EEB at the workplace to apply the solutions generated from the study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Impact of Industry 4.0 Drivers on the Performance of the Service Sector: Human Resources Management Perspective)

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