sustainability

Review
A Review of the Literature about Sustainability in the Work of
the Future: An Overview of Industry 4.0 and Human Resources
Claudia Tania Picinin 1, * , Bruno Pedroso 2 , Maik Arnold 3 , Renata Vidart Klafke 4
and Guilherme Moreira Caetano Pinto 2

1 Postgraduate Program in Production Engineering, University of Technology-Paraná-PG,

Ponta Grossa 80230-901, Paraná, Brazil
2 Physical Education Department, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa 84010-330, Paraná, Brazil;
[email protected] (B.P.); [email protected] (G.M.C.P.)
3 Faculty of Applied Social Sciences, Fachhochschule Dresden—University of Applied Science Dresden,
01069 Dresden, Germany; [email protected]
4 Administration Department, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba 80060-000, Paraná, Brazil;
[email protected]
* Correspondence: [email protected]

Abstract: Background: Industry 4.0 presents a volatile environment and is attentive to the need
for changes in employees’ behavior. This paper aimed to investigate academic trends relating to
the themes of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and human resources (HR). Methods: a total of 354 articles on the
thematic area published in the Scopus database between 2014 and 2023 were analyzed. Results:
Industry 4.0 is related to various themes connected to the productive environment, with a focus
on technology. Over time, topics related to human resources management have become integrated
into research on Industry 4.0. In this scenario, research demonstrates the importance of studies on
workers’ education and training. The findings presented in this paper are relevant for researchers,
academics, and managers, serving as a guide for future research on I4.0. The main contribution is
facilitating the analysis of the role of workers in the Industry 4.0 scenario for different professionals,
such as researchers, teachers, and HR managers. Conclusions: the present study points out new
Citation: Picinin, C.T.; Pedroso, B.; possibilities for research on Industry 4.0 and HR. These possibilities should guide researchers and
Arnold, M.; Klafke, R.V.; Pinto,
professionals in their implementation.
G.M.C. A Review of the Literature
about Sustainability in the Work of
Keywords: work of the future; worker; Industry 4.0; human resources; fourth industrial revolution
the Future: An Overview of Industry
4.0 and Human Resources.
Sustainability 2023, 15, 12564.
https://doi.org/10.3390/
su151612564
1. Introduction
Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is a phenomenon that pays particular attention to the organization’s
Academic Editor: Jun (Justin) Li
constant need for changes in employees’ attitudes, behaviors, and mindsets toward their
Received: 27 June 2023 own volatile environment [1].
Revised: 4 August 2023 Industry 4.0 has been defined by German Trade and Invest (Gesellschaft für Außen-
Accepted: 11 August 2023 wirtschaft und Standortmarketing GmbH (GTAI)) [2] as “the technological evolution from
Published: 18 August 2023 embedded systems to cyber-physical systems that enable technologies, such as the Inter-
net of Things (IoT) and online data and services, to create a truly networked world in
which intelligent objects communicate and interact with each other”. The concept of I4.0
includes a high degree of application of automation and digitalization technologies [3] and
Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.
encompasses a variety of technological solutions [4].
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
In these specific environments, Gackowiec et al. [4] identified the interaction of work
This article is an open access article
environment variables (storage, natural hazards, and ventilation problems), machinery
distributed under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons
(becoming more advanced from the information technology point of view), and finally, the
Attribution (CC BY) license (https://
human factor as key performance indicators (KPI).
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
Developed countries are already experiencing far-reaching transformations in their
4.0/). factory environments caused by I4.0 developments [1].

Sustainability 2023, 15, 12564. https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612564 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability

Sustainability 2023, 15, 12564 2 of 21

The transformations are related to the manufacturing environment and the impact
on the nature of work structures, such as human resources management (HRM) [1], the
new skills required for future industrial and managerial workers, the job structure [5], and
different approaches within the educational process [3].
According to Al Amiri and Shawali [6], strategic talent management (or HR) is a
fundamental driver for shaping values and beliefs in any organization.
The advanced technology that characterizes one of the main elements of I4.0 plays
a key role in maximizing productivity and increasing wealth creation. However, this
technology has been significantly altering the way work is undertaken, as well as changing
the role of HR within the organization [1], according to external changes in the skills
demanded of workers because of digitalization [3].
Marinas, Dinu, Socol, and Socol [7] analyzed the Romanian case of transition in the
European manufacturing sector toward Industry 4.0 digital technologies. The authors
indicate that one of the effects of Industry 4.0 is an increase in the demand for human
resources skills.
Such is the relevance of the topic that Grencikova, Kordos, and Berkovic [8] specifi-
cally address the effects of implementing the concept of Industry 4.0 on the development
of labor productivity in the business sector of Slovakia, as well as on job creation and
job displacement.
Vrchota et al. [9] analyzed the implications of Industry 4.0-related production changes
on workers in the Czech Republic, describing the HR prerequisites for successful implemen-
tation of I4.0 in the country. Nedelko [10] conducted a study with 222 employees working
in organizations across Europe based on management tools for organizational work in
Industry 4.0 environments. The author explored the main organizational and personal
drivers for using management tools. It was revealed that the use of certain strategies was
higher among individuals with a higher educational level.
Al Amiri and Shawali [6] explored the procedures, policies, and talent management
practices in the departments of a public hospital in the United Arab Emirates, investigating
the skills, competencies, and programs required for these departments in the context of
Industry 4.0.
The World Economic Forum [11] lists the key competencies required for workers
in Industry 4.0, which are (i) the development of leadership skills, (ii) management of
the integration of technology with the worker, (iii) enhancement of worker experience
as an employee, (iv) building a learning culture that is fast paced and yet personalized,
(v) metrics for worker appreciation, and (vi) embedding of diversity and inclusion
in factories.
Jerman et al. [12] proposed a worker competency model based on six groups of
competencies form the key competencies of I4.0 workers:
(i) Technical skills include technical knowledge, such as knowledge of technologies, mechan-
ical engineering, electronics, and computer science (such as programming), openness to
changes, flexibility, curiosity, critical and analytical thinking, and multilingualism;
(ii) Innovation and creativity, which require flexibility and openness to receive a higher
level of education, flexible responses, openness and flexibility in problem solving;
(iii) Openness to learning includes cooperation with robots and technological literacy and
continuous information flow and exchange between humans and machines;
(iv) Flexibility and adaptation to change refers to the future and how it may lead to a
restructuring of jobs; employees will need to adapt to new technology;
(v) Soft skills, as smart technology alone does not guarantee competitiveness; some of the
soft skills include multilingualism, leadership, motivation and understanding, and
environmental awareness;
(vi) Information and communication technology (ICT) skills or literacy, which is reflected
in the fact that there will be an increase in machine operator, software maintenance,
and hardware maintenance jobs in the future.
Sustainability 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 23

(vi) Information and communication technology (ICT) skills or literacy, which is reflected
Sustainability 2023, 15, 12564 3 of 21
in the fact that there will be an increase in machine operator, software maintenance,
and hardware maintenance jobs in the future.
In the same way, Ada, Ilic, and Sagnak [13] define four groups or competencies: (i)
In
workforce thereadiness,
same way, (ii)Ada, Ilic, and
soft skills, (iii)Sagnak
technical [13] define
skills, andfour groups or competencies:
(iv) entrepreneurship.
(i) workforce readiness, (ii) soft skills, (iii) technical
Similarly, Blayone and Van Oostveen [14] suggest a set of fiveskills, and (iv) entrepreneurship.
skill dimensions for
Similarly, Blayone and Van Oostveen [14] suggest a set
Industry 4.0, which are technological, flexibility, inter-agent, interpersonal, of five skill dimensions
and innova-for
Industry
tion. 4.0, which are technological, flexibility, inter-agent, interpersonal, and innovation.
Kipper
Kipper etet al.
al. [15]
[15] emphasize
emphasize that that the
the relationship
relationship between
between universities,
universities, industry,
industry, and
and
governments forms the “triple helix” competences: technologies, knowledge,
governments forms the “triple helix” competences: technologies, knowledge, and skills, and skills, as
shown
as shown in Figure
in Figure1. 1.

Figure 1. Conceptual map—transformations on I4.0. Source: Kipper et al. [15].

Figure 1. Conceptual map—transformations on I4.0. Source: Kipper et al. [15].

On a
On a different
different note,
note, Fareri
Fareri et
et al.
al. [16]
[16] estimated
estimated the the effects
effects ofof Industry
Industry 4.0 4.0 on
on job
job roles
roles
and competences using text mining. The authors mention three
and competences using text mining. The authors mention three important groups ofimportant groups of com-
petencies: (i) everyday
competencies: (i) everydayexecution skills,
execution (ii) operational
skills, skills,
(ii) operational andand
skills, (iii)(iii)
functional skills.
functional skills.
Understanding the key competencies required by I4.0 is important
Understanding the key competencies required by I4.0 is important because the because the way
way
HR acts in recruiting and selecting employees is based on
HR acts in recruiting and selecting employees is based on these factors. these factors.
After this
After this brief
brief introduction,
introduction, the the goal
goal of
of the present study
the present study isis to
to identify
identify the
the research
research
trends relating
trends relating toto the
the themes
themes of of Industry
Industry 4.0 4.0 and
and human
human resources.
resources.
The three
The three following
following sub-questions
sub-questions willwill guide
guide our
our research:
research:
(1) What
(1) are the
What are thedevelopments
developmentsand
and trends
trends in Industry
in Industry 4.0 human
4.0 and and human resources
resources re-
research?
(2) search?
Who are the prolific scholars, affiliations, and social networks on Industry 4.0 and
human resources, and where are they situated?
(3) What is the main thematic focus of the Industry 4.0 study and human resources
application fields?
Sustainability 2023, 15, 12564 4 of 21

This paper aims to investigate academic trends relating to the themes of Industry 4.0
(I4.0) and human resources (HR). Meeting this objective is important to help researchers,
professors, corporate trainers, human resource managers, policymakers, and system de-
signers to analyze the role of workers within the Industry 4.0 scenario more effectively.

2. Materials and Methods

A systematic literature review was conducted to examine scientific production per-
taining to the subject of Industry 4.0 and human resources available in the Scopus database
until 2023.
This database was selected as it is one of the largest, with 25,990 journals [17]. Further-
more, the Scopus database was reported to produce a greater number of publications on
this subject, thus justifying its use.
A Scopus database search was undertaken on 1 August 2023. Moreover, the search
was restricted to original articles and review articles. Original articles are constructed
based on original topics or approaches. On the other hand, review articles analyze and
discuss previously published information, often employing specific methodologies such as
PRISMA and Ordinatio, enabling us to stay abreast of the latest advancements in a specific
field [18,19]. The search strategies employed are shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Search procedures.

Search Number of Articles

(TITLE-ABS-KEY (“industry 4.0”) AND TITLE-ABS-KEY (“human
resources”) OR TITLE-ABS-KEY (“people management”) OR
TITLE-ABS-KEY (“human work”) OR TITLE-ABS-KEY (“human 354
resources management”)) AND (LIMIT-TO (DOCTYPE, “ar”) OR
LIMIT-TO (DOCTYPE, “re”))
Source: authors (2021).

For the bibliometric analysis, the 354 documents in the research corpus were exported
to a BibTex file. All documents were considered in the analysis. The bibliometric analy-
ses were performed using the Biblioshiny graphical interface of the R-Studio software’s
Bibliometrix package, an open-source application that consists of multiple tools that facili-
tate the conduction of quantitative bibliometric research, including the main algorithms
for statistical analysis and scientific mapping, as demonstrated by Agbo et al. [20]. The
Bibliometrix package for R-Studio creates results that take the metadata registered in the
Scopus database into account (author keywords, which represent the author’s main research
area or areas; abstracts; keywords described in the published paper; author affiliations and
the content within portable document format (PDF) documents).
Table 2 displays the information extracted from the Scopus database using the
BibTex format.

Table 2. Information exported from Scopus database to BibTex format.

Citation Bibliographical Abstract and Other

Funding Details
Information Information Keywords Information
Trade names and
Author(s) Affiliations Abstract Number
manufacturers
Accession
Serial identifiers
Author(s) ID Author keyword Acronym numbers and
(e.g., ISSN)
chemicals
Conference
Document title PubMed ID Index keyword Sponsor
information
Include
Year Publisher Funding text
references
Sustainability 2023, 15, 12564 5 of 21

Table 2. Cont.

Citation Bibliographical Abstract and Other

Funding Details
Information Information Keywords Information
EID Editors
Language of
Source title original
document
Volume, issue, Correspondence
pages address
Abbreviated
Citation count
source title
Source and
document type
Publication stage
DOI
Open access
Source: authors (2021).

Table 3 shows the categories based on which the data analysis was performed using
the Bibliometrix package for R-Studio.

Table 3. Data analysis procedures.

Goal Information Searched Software

Annual scientific production
Most relevant sources
Most locally cited sources
Most global-cited documents
Most cited references
Bibliometric Analysis Bibliometrix/Biblioshiny 4.1.3
Countries’ scientific production
R-Studio RVersion 4.1.0.
Most productive authors
Most prolific scholars
Most relevant institutions
Word cloud
Growth of keyword
Source: authors (2021).

The findings shall be presented in the next section.

3. Results
This section provides the results and discussion of the discoveries to illustrate (i) the
advancement and trends of research in HR and I4.0 concerning publication output, location,
and sources, (ii) prolific scholars, affiliations, and social networks, and (iii) the thematic
emphasis of the HR and I4.0 domain.

3.1. Developments and Trends in I4.0 and HR Research

Table 4 describes the yearly scientific production of publications in the field of HR and
I4.0 according to the most important information gathered from the Scopus database.
The analysis from the Bibliometrix package for R-Studio shows that the study of I4.0
and HR has 217 different bibliography sources and 354 different documents written by
1158 authors. In addition, the average of co-authors per document is 3.5.
Sustainability 2023, 15, 12564 6 of 21

Table 4. Data synthesis, indicating the main information of the dataset.

Description Results
MAIN INFORMATION ABOUT DATA
Timespan 2014–2023
Sources (journals, books, etc.) 217
Documents 354
DOCUMENT CONTENTS
Keywords plus (ID) 1579
Author’s keywords (DE) 1184
AUTHORS
Authors 1158
N◦ of author appearances 1264
Authors of single-authored documents 30
Authors of multi-authored documents 1128
AUTHOR COLLABORATION
Single-authored documents 30
Documents per author 0.306
Authors per document 0.306
Co-authors per document 3.57
Collaboration index 3.5
Source: authors (2023).

Regarding the annual scientific production between 2014 and 2023 (Table 5 and
Figure 1), it is notable that, in 2015, only two articles were published, which indicates
the starting point of academic publications (journals) concerning I4.0. It also becomes
evident that, after a slight growth, there is an increase from 25 publications in 2021 to
66 articles published in 2020. Subsequently, the values rise to 75 in 2021 and 106 in 2022.
Consequently, the year 2022 presents the highest number of publications within the investi-
gated period. As of August 2023, the year has recorded half (53) of the publications made
in 2022. This indicates a trend of stagnation in publications.

Table 5. Articles for year.

Year Articles
2014 2
2016 4
2017 6
2018 14
2019 25
2020 66
2021 75
2022 106
2023 53

Figure 2 depicts the annual scientific output of researchers on the investigated theme.
Table 5 illustrates the yearly count of articles published on the subject of Industry 4.0
and Human Resources.
Figure 3 presents the results of the top 24 most relevant sources/journals with two or
more publications focused on publishing papers on I4.0 and HR.
The most relevant source/journal is Sustainability, in which 26 publications among the
354 articles were published. The Computers and Industrial Engineering journal contains 8 of
354 articles published, as well International Journal of Manpower and TQM Journal.
The present investigation examines the global and local citation of publications con-
cerning the significance of articles in the field of I4.0. Global citation measures the number of
times a work has been cited across the entire database (Scopus database), while local citation
indicates the number of citations for the articles included in the analyzed dataset [20,21].
 starting point of academic publications (journals) concerning I4.0. It also becomes e
that, after a slight growth, there is an increase from 25 publications in 2021 to 66 a
published in 2020. Subsequently, the values rise to 75 in 2021 and 106 in 2022. C
Sustainability 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 7 of 23
quently, the year 2022 presents the highest number of publications within the invest
period. As of August 2023, the year has recorded half (53) of the publications made i
Sustainability 2023, 15, 12564 7 of 21
This indicates a trend of stagnation in publications.
Figure 2. Annual scientific
Figure production.
2 depictsSource: authors
the annual (2023). output of researchers on the investigated
scientific

Table 5 illustrates the yearly count of articles published on the subject of Industry 4.0
and Human Resources.

Table 5. Articles for year.

Year Articles
2014 2
2016 4
2017 6
2018 14
2019 25
2020 66
2021 75
2022 106
2023 53

Figure 3 presents the results of the top 24 most relevant sources/journals with two or
Figure publications
more focused
2. Annual scientific on publishing
production. Source:papers
authorson I4.0 and HR.
(2023).

Figure 3.
Figure 3. Distribution
Distribution of
of articles
articles by
by relevant
relevant sources
sources from
from2014
2014to
to2023.
2023. Source:
Source: authors
authors (2023).
(2023).

The and
I4.0 mostHRrelevant source/journal
has a total is Sustainability,
of 354 documents based on in the
which 26 publications
dataset, of which 36among the
journals
have 20 or more
354 articles were citations
published. (Figure 3). The list
The Computers andofIndustrial
the mostEngineering
locally citedjournal
sources is Procedia
contains 8 of
Cirp, with 215
354 articles citations,as
published, followed by Sustainability
well International Journalwith 193 citations.
of Manpower and TQM Journal.
The
The most
presentglobally cited article
investigation examinesin the
theScopus database
global and (Figure of
local citation 4) publications
is Benešová con-
and
Tupa
cerning[22],
thewith 313 citations.
significance of articles in the field of I4.0. Global citation measures the number
Figure
of times 5 displays
a work the 20
has been most
cited citedthe
across articles
entireondatabase
Industry(Scopus
4.0 and database),
human resources.
while local
It isindicates
citation worth noting that most
the number of studies
citations(Table 6) articles
for the receivedincluded
more global than
in the local citations.
analyzed dataset
This might
[20,21]. indicate low cases of self-citations.
 I4.0 and HR has a total of 354 documents based on the dataset, of which 36 journals
have 20 or more citations (Figure 3). The list of the most locally cited sources is Procedia
Cirp, with 215 citations, followed by Sustainability with 193 citations.
Sustainability 2023, 15, 12564 8 of 21
The most globally cited article in the Scopus database (Figure 4) is Benešová and Tupa
[22], with 313 citations.

Sustainability 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 9 of 23

Figure 4.
Figure 4. Most
Mostlocally
locallycited sources
cited (36(36
sources journals withwith
journals 20 or20
more citations).
or more Source:Source:
citations). authors authors
(2023). (2023).

Figure 5 displays the 20 most cited articles on Industry 4.0 and human resources.

Figure 5.
Figure 5. Top
Top 20
20most
mostglobally
globallycited articles
cited from
articles the dataset
from [15,16,22–39].
the dataset Source:Source:
[15,16,22–39]. authors authors
(2023). (2023).

It is worth noting that most studies (Table 6) received more global than local citations.
This might indicate low cases of self-citations.

Table 6. Top 10 most cited references based on the number of global citations from the dataset.

Global
Authors & Year Total Citations Normalized
# Document Title Publication Source Total
Published per Year Total Citations
Sustainability 2023, 15, 12564 9 of 21

Table 6. Top 10 most cited references based on the number of global citations from the dataset.

Global Normalized
Authors & Year Publication Total Citations
# Document Title Total Total
Published Source per Year
Citations Citations
Requirements for education
Benešová and Procedia
1 and qualification of people in 313 44,714 3.9704
Tupa [22] Manufacturing
Industry 4.0
Managerial challenges of
Industry 4.0: an empirically Review of
2 Schneider [23] 203 33,833 3.9961
backed research agenda for a Managerial Science
nascent field
Human Resource
Smart HR 4.0—how Industry Sivathanu and Management
3 165 27,500 3.2480
4.0 is disrupting HR Pillai [24] International
Digest
Key resources for Industry 4.0
adoption and its effect on Bag, Yadav,
Journal of Cleaner
4 sustainable production and Dhamija, and 159 53,000 9.8963
Production
circular economy: An Katria [25]
empirical study
Placing the operator at the
centre of Industry 4.0 design: Computers &
Fantini, Pinzone,
5 Modelling and assessing Industrial 152 38,000 5.4433
and Taisch [26]
human activities within Engineering
cyber-physical systems
Current research and future Kadir, Broberg, Computers &
6 perspectives on human factors and Conceição Industrial 146 29,200 4.3271
and ergonomics in Industry 4.0 [27] Engineering
Kaasinen,
Schmalfuß,
Özturk, Aromaaa,
Empowering and engaging Boubekeur, Computers &
7 industrial workers with Heilala, Heikkilä, Industrial 144 36,000 5.1568
Operator 4.0 solutions Kuula, Liinasuoa, Engineering
Mach, Mehta,
Petäjä, and Walter
[28]
Smart industry and the Liboni, Cezarino,
Supply Chain
8 pathways to HRM 4.0: Jabbour, Oliveira, 134 26,800 3.9715
Management
implications for SCM and Stefanelli [29]
Sgarbossa,
Human factors in production Grosse,
Annual Reviews in
9 and logistics systems of Neumann, 113 28,250 4.0467
Control
the future Battini, and Glock
[30]
Whysall, Journal of
The new talent management
10 Owtram, and Management 110 22,000 3.2602
challenges of Industry 4.0
Brittain [31] Development

3.2. Scientific Publication by Region/Countries, Prolific Scholars, Affiliations, and Social Networks
This study also presents the number of publications by countries of the main author.
Table 7 and Figure 6 show the top 20 most referenced countries’ research work in the fields
of I4.0 and HR.
 Sustainability 2023, 15, 12564 10 of 21

Table 7. Top 20 most cited countries in the field of I4.0 and HR.

Country Total Citations Average Article Citations

Italy 851 34.04
Czech Republic 616 41.07
India 401 18.23
United Kingdom 381 31.75
Brazil 341 26.23
Germany 284 35.50
South Africa 268 29.78
Slovenia 224 32.00
Finland 208 104.00
China 174 10.24
Turkey 174 24.86
Slovakia 168 15.27
Poland 161 12.38
Denmark 1474 73.50
Croatia 126 25.20
Spain 121 12.10
Hungary 117 16.71
Norway 117 58.50
Serbia 91 30.33
Sustainability 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 11 of 23
Sweden 91 18.20
Source: authors (2023).

Figure 6. Countries’ scientific production in the field of I4.0 and HR. Source: authors (2023).
Figure 6. Countries’ scientific production in the field of I4.0 and HR. Source: authors (2023).
In Figure 6, the stronger the shade of blue, the higher the scientific output of the
In Figure
country 6, theIndustry
regarding stronger4.0the
andshade
humanof resources.
blue, the higher
Italy is the
the scientific output
country with of the
the highest
country regarding Industry 4.0 and human resources. Italy is the country with
number of publications cited, followed by the Czech Republic, India, the United Kingdom,the highest
number of publications
and Brazil (Table 7). Incited, followed
addition, theby the Czech
papers Republic,
published India, the
in Indian, United
Italian, Kingdom,
and Brazilian
and Brazil (Table 7). In addition, the papers published
academic journals have a significant impact on the I4.0 field.in Indian, Italian, and Brazilian
academic journals have a significant impact on the I4.0 field.
The results also present the top 20 researchers with the highest number of publica-
tions and citations in the field of I4.0 and HR from 2014 to 2023 based on the dataset (Fig-
ure 7 and Table 8).
 Figure 6. Countries’ scientific production in the field of I4.0 and HR. Source: authors (2023).

In Figure 6, the stronger the shade of blue, the higher the scientific output of the
country regarding Industry 4.0 and human resources. Italy is the country with the highest
Sustainability 2023, 15, 12564 11 of 21
number of publications cited, followed by the Czech Republic, India, the United Kingdom,
and Brazil (Table 7). In addition, the papers published in Indian, Italian, and Brazilian
academic journals have a significant impact on the I4.0 field.
The
Theresults
resultsalso
alsopresent
presentthe toptop
the 20 20
researchers with
researchers the the
with highest number
highest of publications
number of publica-
and
tionscitations in the in
and citations field
theof I4.0ofand
field I4.0HR
andfrom
HR 2014
from to 2023
2014 to based on theondataset
2023 based (Figure
the dataset (Fig-7
and
ure Table
7 and 8).
Table 8).

Figure7.7. Temporal
Figure Temporal Evolution
Evolution of
ofProductivity
ProductivityAmong
Amongthe
theTop
Top2020
Most Prolific
Most Authors.
Prolific Source:
Authors. Source:
authors (2023).
authors (2023).

Table 8. Top 20 most prolific scholars in the field of I4.0 and HR.

Author Number of Publications Total Citations Average

BATTINI D 2 210 106
BAG S 2 177 89.5
VRCHOTA J 4 159 81.5
STACHO Z 5 124 64.5
STACHOVÁ K 4 122 63
JERMAN A 3 103 53
ŘEHOŘ P 3 99 51
UPADHYAY A 3 68 35.5
GERMANI M 3 52 27.5
GRENČÍKOVÁ A 4 44 24
LI C 4 43 23
SAHU AK 2 44 23.5
DOBROWOLSKA
3 26 14.5
M
ANHOLON R 4 18 11
RAMPASSO IS 3 16 9.5
ANTONY J 3 14 8.5
ANGGADWITA G 2 9 5.5
ASOBA SN 2 9 5.5
CAZERI GT 3 7 5
ALIMOHAMMADLOU
2 1 1.5
M
Source: authors (2023).
Sustainability 2023, 15, 12564 12 of 21

In Figure 7, (i) the lines represent time, (ii) the size of the bubble represents the number
of articles published by an author in a given year, (iii) the intensity of the color of the
bubble represents the total number of citations in each year, (iv) the first bubble on the line
represents the year in which the author started publishing in the area, (v) larger bubbles
represent a higher number of articles published in that year, and (vi) bubbles with a more
intense color represent a higher citation coefficient [20].
Sustainability 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 13 of 23
Regarding the category of publishing institutions and collaboration networks, the top
20 institutions and authors’ affiliations contributing to I4.0 and HR can be seen in Figure 8.

Figure8.
Figure 8. Most
Most relevant
relevant institutions
institutions in
in the
the field
field of
ofI4.0
I4.0and
andHR.
HR.Source:
Source: authors
authors(2023).
(2023).

The University
The University of of Johannesburg
Johannesburg inin South
South Africa
Africa and
and thethe University
University of
of Zagreb
Zagreb inin
Croatia occupy
Croatia occupy thethe top
top position
position with
with 16
16 papers
papers in
in total,
total, followed
followed byby Cebu
Cebu Technological
Technological
University in
University in the
the Philippines
Philippineswithwith12
12papers.
papers.
Table
Table88 displays
displays the
the researchers
researcherswith
withthe
the highest
highest number
number of of publications
publications and
and citations
citations
in
in the
the field
field of
of Industry
Industry4.04.0and
andhuman
humanresources.
resources.

3.3.
3.3. Thematic
Thematic Focus
Focus of
of the
the Fields
Fields of
of I4.0
I4.0 and
and HR
HR
This
This section analyzes the topics that have
section analyzes the topics that have dominated
dominated studies
studies in
in the
the fields
fields of
of I4.0
I4.0 and
and
HR that researchers have focused on over the years. This part begins with
HR that researchers have focused on over the years. This part begins with an examination an examination
of
of keywords
keywords and and their
their frequency
frequency of of occurrences,
occurrences, followed
followed by
by an
an examination
examination of of trending
trending
subjects and thematic sections of the
subjects and thematic sections of the field. field.
The
The keyword
keyword analysis
analysis aids
aids inindetermining
determiningthe thetopic
topicand
andfocus
focusofofthe
thearticle.
article. Figure
Figure 99
exhibits word clouds of commonly used terms in the Scopus fields:
exhibits word clouds of commonly used terms in the Scopus fields: titles, keywords, and titles, keywords,
and abstracts.
abstracts.
 Sustainability 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 14 of 23
Sustainability
Sustainability2023,
2023,15,
15,x12564
FOR PEER REVIEW 1413ofof23
21

Titles
Titles Keywords
Keywords Abstracts
Abstracts

Figure 9.
9. Word cloud
cloudofof the
ofthe most
themost
most frequent
frequentterms
termsused
usedin titles, keywords, and abstracts. Source:
Figure
Figure 9. Word cloud frequent terms used in in titles,
titles, keywords,
keywords, andand abstracts.
abstracts. Source:
Source:
authors
authors (2023).
(2023).
authors (2023).

Inaddition,
In
In addition,Figure
addition, Figure10
Figure 10shows
10 showsthe
shows theexponential
the exponentialgrowth
exponential growthof
growth ofkeywords
of keywordsin
keywords inthe
in thestudies
the studiesof
studies of
of
I4.0
I4.0 and
and human
human resources
resources management
management in the time period from 2014 to 2023. Conversely,
I4.0 and human resources management in the time period from 2014 to 2023. Conversely,
this particular
thisparticular subject
particularsubject has
subjecthas received
hasreceived less
receivedless attention
lessattention in
attentionin the
inthe domains
thedomains of
domainsof industrial
ofindustrial enterprise
industrialenterprise
enterprise
this
and
and education.
education.
and education.

Figure 10.
Figure 10. The
The growth
growth of
of keywords
keywords in
in the
the field
field of
of I4.0
I4.0 and
andHR.
HR.Source:
Source: authors
authors (2023).
(2023).
Figure 10. The growth of keywords in the field of I4.0 and HR. Source: authors (2023).

Despitebeing
Despite
Despite beingin
being ininthe
thespotlight
the spotlight
spotlight since
since
since 2015,
2015,
2015,thethe themes
themes
the themes ofhuman
of of human
human resources
resources
resources manage-
management
manage-
ment
and and Industry
Industry 4.0 4.0 continued
continued to riseto rise exponentially
exponentially after after
2019, 2019,
with with
113 113
and
ment and Industry 4.0 continued to rise exponentially after 2019, with 113 and 103 men- and
103 103 men-
mentions,
respectively.
tions, This suggests
respectively. This that human
suggests that resources
human management
resources and Industry
management and 4.0 have
Industry 4.0
tions, respectively. This suggests that human resources management and Industry 4.0
become
have widely
become debated
widely issuesissues
debated among academics.
among Figure
academics. 11 depicts
Figure 11 a treeamap
depicts tree based
map on a
based
have become widely debated issues among academics. Figure 11 depicts a tree map based
calculation of theofpercentage
onaacalculation
calculation thepercentageof how
percentage oftenoften
eacheach
phrase was was
mentioned in the journals.
on of the ofofhow
how often each phrase
phrase mentioned
was mentioned ininthe
thejournals.
journals.
Sustainability 2023, 15,
Sustainability 12564
2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 15 of 23 14 of 21

Figure 11.11.Tree
Figure Tree map showingthethe
map showing growth
growth of keywords
of keywords in the in theoffields
fields of HR
I4.0 and I4.0(%).
andSource:
HR (%). Source:
authors (2023).
authors (2023).

TheThe tree
tree mapmap shows(based
shows (basedon onthe
thetitle
titlefield
fieldofofthe
thesearch
searchengine)
engine)that
thathuman
human resources
re-
sources management
management represents represents
14 percent 14 percent of the investigations
of the investigations in theindataset,
the dataset,
whilewhile In-
Industry 4.0
dustry 4.0 accounts for 16 percent.
accounts for 16 percent.
The authors’ keywords from the Scopus database were also used in this study to carry
The authors’ keywords from the Scopus database were also used in this study to carry
out a trend analysis (Figure 12). The following settings were specified: the time range was
outset
a to
trend analysis (Figure 12). The following settings were specified: the time range was
2014–2023, the word minimum frequency was set to 5, the number of labels for each
setcluster
to 2014–2023,
was set tothe3, word minimum
and the label size frequency
was set to 0.3. wasFigure
set to125, shows
the number of labels
a thematic for each
map of
cluster
the I4.0 and HR fields, which is divided into four quadrants (Q1 to Q4). Author Agbo [20]map of
was set to 3, and the label size was set to 0.3. Figure 12 shows a thematic
theexplains
I4.0 and HRquadrants
these fields, which is divided
as follows: into four
the driving quadrants
themes (Q1 to by
are represented Q4).theAuthor Agbo [20]
upper right
explains
quadrant (Q1); the underlying themes are represented by the lower right quadrant (Q4); right
these quadrants as follows: the driving themes are represented by the upper
quadrant (Q1); the
the specialized underlying
themes themesbyare
are represented therepresented by the (Q2);
upper left quadrant lower right
and quadrant (Q4);
the emerging
or disappearing themes are represented by the lower left quadrant (Q3).
the specialized themes are represented by the upper left quadrant (Q2); and the emerging
or disappearing themes are represented by the lower left quadrant (Q3).
Notably, “employment human resource” is situated between Q21 and Q23, while
“information management industry and human resource management” is placed between
Q3 and Q4. In our case, the motor theme is represented by “employment”.
The key subjects of Q1 are “decision-making” and “embedded systems”, while Q2 has
highly developed and specialized topics that connect to the leading theme. In our case, no
topics could be identified for this part of the diagram, just a trend toward specialization
of the “human resources” theme. Q3 has topics that are vanishing or emerging, such as
“human resources productivity”, while Q4 contains foundational and transversal themes,
such as a trend of “sustainable development industry” and “human resource management”.
The most related themes in the articles are observed in Figure 13. The graph was
generated by factorial analysis. In the field item, the term “keywords Plus” was selected.
The number of clusters was established automatically, and 20 terms were used.
Sustainability 2023,
Sustainability 15,15,12564
2023, x FOR PEER REVIEW 16 of 15
23 of 21

Sustainability 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 17 of 23

Figure 12.
Figure 12. Thematic
Thematicmap
mapof
ofthe
theI4.0
I4.0and
andHR
HRfields. Source:
fields. authors
Source: (2023).
authors (2023).

Notably, “employment human resource” is situated between Q21 and Q23, while
“information management industry and human resource management” is placed between
Q3 and Q4. In our case, the motor theme is represented by “employment”.
The key subjects of Q1 are “decision-making” and “embedded systems”, while Q2
has highly developed and specialized topics that connect to the leading theme. In our case,
no topics could be identified for this part of the diagram, just a trend toward specialization
of the “human resources” theme. Q3 has topics that are vanishing or emerging, such as
“human resources productivity”, while Q4 contains foundational and transversal themes,
such as a trend of “sustainable development industry” and “human resource manage-
ment”.
The most related themes in the articles are observed in Figure 13. The graph was
generated by factorial analysis. In the field item, the term “keywords Plus” was selected.
The number of clusters was established automatically, and 20 terms were used.

Figure 13. The related

Figure 13. related themes
themes in
in the
the articles.
articles. Source:
Source: authors (2023).

The
The red
red dot
dot represents
represents Cluster
Cluster 1,
1, encompassing
encompassing aa larger
larger number
number of
of elements
elements engaged
engaged
in research within the I4.0 and HR theme. The red cluster indicates the relationship
in research within the I4.0 and HR theme. The red cluster indicates the relationship of In-
of
Industry 4.0 with various themes, such as knowledge management, employment,
sustainable development, human resources, sustainability, manufacturing, ergonomics,
information management, decision making, manufacturing industries, industrial
revolutions, supply chains, human resources management, industrial research,
Sustainability 2023, 15, 12564 16 of 21

dustry 4.0 with various themes, such as knowledge management, employment, sustainable
development, human resources, sustainability, manufacturing, ergonomics, information
management, decision making, manufacturing industries, industrial revolutions, supply
chains, human resources management, industrial research, design/methodology/approach,
personal training, and managers.
The blue triangle, on the other hand, signifies Cluster 2, characterized by a smaller set
of analytical elements. The blue cluster focuses on systems/tools.
Sustainability 2023, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 18 of
The thematic evolution of the articles can be observed in Figure 14. The graph was gener-
ated by factorial analysis considering “keywords Plus”, 250 words, and 5 clusters frequency.

Figure 14. The historical

Figure 14. evolution of research
The historical evolutionon Industryon4.0
of research and human
Industry 4.0 andresources. Source:Source: au-
human resources.
authors (2023). thors (2023).

Themes related Themes

to employees and
related to human resources
employees management
and human have
resources been integrated
management have been in
into Industry 4.0grated
research throughout the period from 2014 to 2023.
into Industry 4.0 research throughout the period from 2014 to 2023.

4. Discussion 4. Discussion
The productionThe of scientific
production papers on Industry
of scientific papers4.0 onand human
Industry 4.0resources
and human has shown has show
resources
a strong increase since the
a strong year since
increase 2020 (66the articles).
year 2020 Silva et al. [40]
(66 articles). consider
Silva thisconsider
et al. [40] to be anthis to be
emerging field that needs field
emerging to be that
comprehended
needs to be to drive digital transformation.
comprehended The findings The fin
to drive digital transformation.
of the present study
ings ofsupport this study
the present perspective,
supportgiven the high number
this perspective, given the ofhigh
publications
number ofinpublicatio
2020, 2021, andin2022,
2020,as welland
2021, as 2022,
the number
as well asof the
publications
number ofin 2023 (53 up
publications in to
2023August)
(53 up to Augu
surpassing that surpassing
of 2019. It can
that be affirmed
of 2019. It canthat
be the pursuit
affirmed thatofthe
understanding this field hasthis field h
pursuit of understanding
been constant. been constant.
Publications on Publications
Industry 4.0on and human4.0
Industry resources
and human haveresources
been prominently
have beenfeatured in featur
prominently
management/business, applied sciences,
in management/business, and engineering
applied sciences, andjournals.
engineering Noteworthy sources
journals. Noteworthy sour
include
include Sustainability (26Sustainability
articles), the (26 articles),and
Computers theIndustrial
Computers and Industrial
Engineering Engineering
journal journal (8 a
(8 articles),
cles), of
International Journal International
ManpowerJournal of Manpower
(8 articles), and TQM (8 articles),
Journal and(8TQM Journal
articles). In(8terms
articles).
of In terms
citations,
citations, Procedia Cirp and Procedia Cirp and stand
Sustainability Sustainability stand 3out
out (Figures and(Figures
4). These3 and 4). These mention
mentioned
journals exhibitjournals
a strongexhibit a strong
association association
with this fieldwith this field
of study, of study,
as they receiveas they receive contributio
contributions
from diverse
from diverse authors authorsvarious
representing representing
academic various academic disciplines.
disciplines.
The articleand
The article by Benešová by Benešová
Tupa [22] and has Tupa [22] the
received has highest
receivednumber
the highest number of citatio
of citations
(313). The authors aimed to identify the existing roles
(313). The authors aimed to identify the existing roles in Industry 4.0 and present trendsin Industry 4.0 and for
present tren
for the productive environment. Table 6 of the present
the productive environment. Table 6 of the present study demonstrates that research on the study demonstrates that resear
challenges of Industry 4.0 and requirements for worker qualification, as investigated by as inve
on the challenges of Industry 4.0 and requirements for worker qualification,
gated by Benešová and Tupa [22], constitute a significant trend in the field of Industry
research, making their article a valuable reference for other works in this area.
Teplitskiy et al. [41] assert that highly cited articles have greater reader engageme
influencing the research frontier. In this regard, the list of the most influential research
in the field considers the average number of citations per publication for each research
Sustainability 2023, 15, 12564 17 of 21

Benešová and Tupa [22], constitute a significant trend in the field of Industry 4.0 research,
making their article a valuable reference for other works in this area.
Teplitskiy et al. [41] assert that highly cited articles have greater reader engagement,
influencing the research frontier. In this regard, the list of the most influential researchers
in the field considers the average number of citations per publication for each researcher.
The top 10 researchers with the highest average citation per publication are Battini, Bag,
Vrchota, Stacho, Stachová, Jerman, Rehoř, Upadhyay, Germani, and Grenčíková.
Among the top five ranked researchers, Daria Battini from the Department of Man-
agement and Engineering at the University of Padua in Italy is the most influential scholar.
Surajit Bag, the researcher with the second-highest coefficient, is affiliated with the Depart-
ment of Transport and Supply Chain Management, University of Johannesburg (South
Africa). Vrchota, the third-most influential researcher, is affiliated with South Bohemia
University, where he serves as the deputy chairman of the Department of Management and
is a member of the Academic Senate.
Zdenko Stacho and Katarina Stachová, both from Slovakia’s School of Economics and
Management, Public Administration, are influential scholars on the subject of I4.0 and
HR based on the total number of publications over time. Sustainability (2019 and 2020),
Applied Science (2020), EAI Endorsed Transactions on Energy Web (2021), and the Journal of
Competitiveness (2022) were the main sources for publication.
The universities that excelled in knowledge production on Industry 4.0 and human
resources are not located in the countries with the highest number of cited publications. The
countries with the highest citation counts were Italy, the Czech Republic, India, the United
Kingdom, and Brazil (Figure 6, Table 7). Conversely, the universities with the highest number
of articles are located in South Africa, Croatia, and the Philippines (Figure 8). This suggests
that the countries with the most cited publications were not driven by specific universities.
As shown in the thematic analysis of previously published work related to the field of
Industry 4.0 and human resources management, it was possible to identify different infor-
mation to help describe past developments and future trends in this field. According to the
top 10 most-cited references based on the number of global citations (Table 6), the following
topics became apparent: requirements in education to qualify prospective professionals and
industry workers; main challenges and drivers; war of talents; operation management is at
the heart of the development; smart HRM concepts and approaches; and interest of specific
service industries such as the hospitality sector. Regarding the degree of development
and relevance, the analysis pointed to main themes that are highly relevant and growing,
such as the following: a discussion about decision-making processes, embedded systems,
and automation; emerging themes that are developing slowly and are somehow relevant,
such as human resources management, sustainability, and manufacturing; basic themes
that are highly relevant but slow in growth, such as sustainable development, human
resources management, and engineering education; and central to the field’s relevance and
development are topics such as the service industry and employment. To summarize, the
results highlight that, especially in the field of education, sustainability and new concepts
of HRM are at the forefront of the field.
These findings imply that the concept of I4.0 is a cross-cutting theme that, amongst
others, has received attention in not only the robotics, manufacturing, and automation
industries (e.g., cyber-physical systems, embedded systems, Internet of Things, industrial
research, artificial intelligence (AI), and smart manufacturing; see, for example, Ivanov
et al. [42]) but also in the field of human resources management. It supports the assumption
made in the holistic model by Dhanpat et al. [1] that Industry 4.0 has an impact on the
organization and HR strategy and addresses the challenges and opportunities that Industry
4.0 creates in the so-called fourth industrial revolution. However, many studies point to the
need to respect the current changes in the nature of the corporate environment that calls for
a varying set of management abilities, such as strategic HRM, effective information sharing,
and/or the development of an innovative organizational culture that has a great influence
on job performance [43]. The results in this systematic literature review show that further
Sustainability 2023, 15, 12564 18 of 21

development and exploration are needed to identify the specific skills and competencies
required for the I4.0 transformation, such as technical, methodological, social, and personal
skills. In their bibliographic research, Hecklau et al. [44] identified personal skills in
addition to mainly technical skills, such as compliance, flexibility, sustainable mindset, and
ability to work under pressure, as the main drivers for the adoption of I4.0 concepts. Also,
Jerman et al. [12] found in their bibliometric and topic analysis on future competencies
at smart factories that HR strategies should focus on at least the following four aspects:
(1) the possibility of developing workers in learning organizations, (2) technical training
development for workers, (3) future engineering profiles and engineering education, and
(4) the development of interpersonal relationship skills.
Research on Industry 4.0 has started to integrate themes related to human resources.
Milichovský and Kuba [45] state that Industry 4.0 involves elements such as digitization
and robotics, which have an impact on human resources management. In this sense,
there is a demand for workers with sufficient qualifications. This seems to drive the
relationship between these topics, particularly concerning education and training. The
success of implementing Industry 4.0 relies on elements related to human resources, such
as top management leadership, the formation of cross-functional teams, the provision of
preparatory activities, and the execution of training initiatives [46].
The challenge in human resources management in Industry 4.0 is to place the human
factor at the core of technological innovation. Advancing in worker engagement and
empowerment enables companies to achieve productivity, innovation, and retention of
human capital. Furthermore, research in this field can progress with the development of a
framework directed toward sustainable human resources management [47].
Research on Industry 4.0 and human resources management also investigates the
effects of artificial intelligence. Malik et al. [48] indicate that negative factors include job
insecurity, drastic organizational changes, and data security breaches. On the other hand,
flexibility, autonomy, innovation potential, and overall performance improvement are
considered positive factors. In this context, the development of interpersonal skills becomes
necessary to support technostress.
The themes related to mental disorders in Industry 4.0 remain underexplored
(Figure 13). This scenario is in line with Waldmann et al.’s [49] findings. The authors
highlight a limited number of studies addressing quality of life, anxiety, and depression
in the context of Industry 4.0. Such research is significant within a competitive work
environment and amidst unemployment [50].
Regarding the practical implications of this study, the findings in this study may be
used by policymakers in the vocational and higher education sectors, as well as human
resource specialists and strategic management experts in organizations of all branches.

5. Conclusions
This paper aimed to investigate academic trends relating to the themes of Industry 4.0
and human resources.
Technology is the focus of Industry 4.0. A lot of the technology needed is already in
place to replace much of the current HR-related activities. As a result, HR 4.0 is a revolution
that must be studied in the field of human resources.
The increased demand for human resources skills is an important practical implication
of Industry 4.0.
The papers about the theme essentially began to be published from 2020 onward.
Sustainability is the most relevant source/journal, with 26 publications out of 354
articles published.
Italy is the country with the highest number of publications cited in the subject area,
followed by the Czech Republic, India, the United Kingdom, and Brazil. The academic
works that have been published in German and Italian publications have also had a
considerable influence on the field of I4.0.
Sustainability 2023, 15, 12564 19 of 21

The most well-known researchers on the subjects of I4.0 and HR are Battini (106), Bag
(89.5), Vrchota (81.5), Stacho (64.5), Stachová (63), Jerman (53), Rehoř (51), Upadhyay (35.5),
Germani (27.5), and Grenčíková (24).
Human resources departments have been evolving in areas like recruiting compe-
tent employees, enhancing organizational atmosphere, and other strategies that directly
influence the business’s strategic outcomes.
The present study provides valuable insights for researchers to understand the trends
in research on Industry 4.0 and human resources, enabling the direction of future studies.
Additionally, managers can observe key points for human resources management within
Industry 4.0, which may facilitate the adoption of specific measures.
Such insights can provide practical application for:
1. Managers improving their relationships with and retention of employees;
2. Expanding university–industry relationships, with the aim of preparing qualified
professionals for Industry 4.0 because several areas of studies still show a lack
of development;
3. Engaging the academic society in the development of new studies on this theme, since
there is still a lack of studies that improve quality of life and the integration with the
well-being of the worker [51].

Author Contributions: C.T.P.: conceptualization, project administration, and formal analysis; B.P.:
writing—original draft and methodology; M.A.: writing—review and editing and investigation;
R.V.K.: writing—original draft and investigation; G.M.C.P.: writing and investigation. All authors
have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding: This work was supported by: National Council for Scientific and Technological Develop-
ment (CNPq), Process 308269/2021-7, CNPQ nº 4/2021—Research Productivity Scholarship—PQ;
and the Araucária Foundation, CP 19/2022—Institutional Program to Support the Establishment of
Young Doctors—2nd Phase. Nº 19/2022. Protocol Nº JDT2022271000034.
Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement: Data available in a publicly accessible repository. The data presented
in this study are openly available in the Scopus database.
Acknowledgments: The authors are grateful for the financial support provided by the National
Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), the Araucária Foundation, and the
Federal University of Technology-Ponta Grossa (UTFPR-PG). The authors are also grateful to the
research laboratory, “Organizations and Society”, of the UTFPR.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or
personal relationships that could appear to influence the work reported in this paper.

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