Publicado
Workforce agility: a systematic literature review and a research agenda proposal
Agilidad de la fuerza laboral: revisión sistemática de la literatura y propuesta de agenda de investigación
Agilidade da força de trabalho: revisão sistemática da literatura e proposta de uma agenda de pesquisa
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15446/innovar.v31n81.95582Palabras clave:
agility, research agenda, systematic literature review, workforce agility (en)agenda de pesquisa, agilidade, revisão sistemática da literatura, workforce agility (pt)
agilidad de la fuerza laboral, revisión sistemática de la literatura, agenda de investigación, agilidad (es)
Workforce agility has been described as a management strategy that allows companies to respond quickly and effectively to threats and opportunities arising from a competitive and unstable business environment. In the current literature, there is still a lack of efforts to systematically review the state of the art on this subject. The aim of this paper is to address this gap by studying the academic progress on workforce agility. A systematic literature review was carried out to analyze the academic articles within the workforce agility topic that were published online until the end of June 2020 in three electronic databases: Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, and Science Direct. The bibliometric indicators present how the field has developed and which actors (authors, institutions, countries, journals) are the most relevant. Regarding the conceptual aspects, the findings allowed us to identify that an agile workforce consists of four interrelated and interdependent dimensions: proactivity, flexibility and adaptability, resilience, and competence. These attributes can be promoted through strategies related to i) learning and training, ii) forms of work organization, iii) human resource management; and iv) culture and organizational structure. Our findings also allowed us to propose an agenda for future studies on workforce agility and other related topics. This paper contributes by promoting a debate on a subject still incipient in the literature, especially in Latin America, and by highlighting the potential competitive advantage associated with workforce agility for companies.
La agilidad de la fuerza laboral es considerada una estrategia de gestión que permite a las empresas responder de forma rápida y efectiva a las amenazas y las oportunidades que surgen de cambios en un entorno cada vez más competitivo e inestable. Se trata de un amplio campo de estudio aún por explorar, donde se constata la ausencia de esfuerzos por investigar sistemáticamente su estado del arte. Para llenar este vacío, la presente investigación tiene como objetivo analizar el progreso académico de los estudios sobre la agilidad de la fuerza laboral, para lo cual se realizó una revisión sistemática de la literatura mediante la selección y el análisis de artículos publicados con corte a junio de 2020 en tres bases de datos internacionales: Scopus, Web of Science y Science Direct. Los indicadores bibliométricos muestran la dinámica de la evolución de este tema a lo largo de los años y qué investigadores, países, instituciones y revistas son considerados los más relevantes. En cuanto a los aspectos conceptuales, los resultados permitieron identificar que la agilidad laboral se compone de cuatro dimensiones interrelacionadas e interdependientes: proactividad, flexibilidad y adaptabilidad, resiliencia y competencia. Estos atributos pueden ser promovidos mediante políticas y estrategias relacionadas con i) el aprendizaje y la formación, ii) las formas de organización del trabajo, iii) la gestión de recursos humanos y iv) la cultura y la estructura organizacional. Los hallazgos de esta revisión también permitieron la construcción de una agenda que puede servir como base para futuras investigaciones sobre la agilidad de la fuerza laboral y otros temas relacionados. Este artículo contribuye a suscitar el debate sobre un tema aún incipiente en la literatura, especialmente en Latinoamérica, evidenciando la potencial ventaja competitiva que supone la agilidad laboral para las empresas.
A agilidade da força de trabalho (workforce agility) vem sendo caracterizada como uma estratégia de gestão que permite às empresas responderem de forma rápida e efetiva a ameaças e oportunidades surgidas de mudanças decorrentes de um ambiente de negócios cada vez mais concorrido e instável. Trata-se de um amplo campo de estudo a ser explorado, em que se constata a ausência de esforços para investigar, sistematicamente, o seu estado da arte. A partir da abordagem dessa lacuna, o objetivo desta pesquisa é investigar o progresso acadêmico sobre a agilidade da força de trabalho. Foi realizada uma revisão sistemática da literatura por meio da seleção e da análise de artigos publicados até junho 2020, em três bases de dados internacionais: Scopus, Web of Science e Science Direct. Os indicadores bibliométricos apresentam como o tema tem evoluído ao longo dos anos e quais pesquisadores, países, instituições e periódicos se mostram mais relevantes. Quanto aos aspectos conceituais, os resultados permitiram identificar que a agilidade da força de trabalho consiste em quatro dimensões inter-relacionadas e interdependentes: proatividade; flexibilidade e adaptabilidade; resiliência; competência. Esses atributos podem ser promovidos por meio de políticas e estratégias relacionadas (1) ao aprendizado e ao treinamento; (2) às formas de organização do trabalho; (3) à gestão de recursos humanos e (4) à cultura e à estrutura organizacional. Os achados desta revisão também possibilitaram a construção de uma agenda que pode servir como base para futuras pesquisas sobre workforce agility e temas relacionados. O artigo contribui para o conhecimento ao promover um debate sobre um tema ainda incipiente na literatura, em especial na América Latina, evidenciando às organizações a potencial vantagem competitiva associada à agilidade da força de trabalho.
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