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Sustaining Work and Careers for Human Well-Being in the New Normal

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 February 2024) | Viewed by 17376

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Tachia Chin

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Guest Editor

School of Management, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310023, China
Interests: CCM; KM; career sustainability; strategic human resource management (SHRM)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Agbanyo George Kwame

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Guest Editor

School of Business, Honghe University, Mengzi 661199, China
Interests: career sustainability; knowledge management (KM); cross-cultural management (CCM) and international business (IB)

Dr. Muhammad Nawaz

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Guest Editor

Institute of Business Studies, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Interests: green HRM; SHRM; supply chain management; environmental management; and entrepreneurship

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustaining careers implies the continuity of jobs and careers across time and space, which is significantly related to individuals’ economic returns, social status and life meanings; it thus constitutes a fundamental part of human well-being.

Nevertheless, in recent years, an increasing number of employees have been facing severe career-related challenges owing to the record-breaking advancements in digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) such as blockchain and ChatGPT, coupled with the mandated quarantines, social distancing and intensifying cross-cultural conflicts amid the pandemic.

More specifically, on the one hand, it is exciting to see the emergence of novel, digital-enabled forms of careers that often involve both remote and office works as well as more flexible yet convoluted job arrangements and knowledge structures. On the other, these fundamental changes in job design and working modes have also posed serious threats to the well-being of many employees, particularly low-skilled ones, because their jobs can be easily replaced by AI, robots and other high-tech machines. Furthermore, another work-related issue that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic was the “Great Resignation”, coined by Anthony Klotz in 2021, which was caused by increasing mental stress, career burnout and the re-evaluation of the meaning of work amid the pandemic.

As a result, sustaining work and careers to enhance the well-being of contemporary workers has become more important than ever. However, considering the nascence of the above-mentioned phenomena, it requires deeper, more comprehensive understanding of relevant issues in the New Normal riddled with uncertainties and novel risks.

In response, we thus have organized this Special Issue (SI) to call for more research that may adopt broader, interdisciplinary perspectives, unorthodox methodologies or non-traditional views to investigate the topics related to work and career sustainability across borders in the new era.

This SI welcomes all kinds of new ideas and approaches; research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Different working modes and career sustainability (e.g., gig work, remote work, teleworking and hybrid working);
AI, digital technologies and the sustainability of human well-being;
Career competence, career development and sustainability;
Career resilience and sustainability;
Career sustainability and innovation;
Mental health and psychological well-being;
Career security/insecurity and well-being;
Job burnout, occupation stress and well-being;
Work engagement and thriving at work;
Sustainable human resource management;
Sustainable employment;
Social sustainability;
Demographic diversity (e.g., gender age and ethnicity) and career sustainability.
Other related issues are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Tachia Chin
Dr. Agbanyo George Kwame
Dr. Muhammad Nawaz
Guest Editors

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

career sustainability
career competence, career development and sustainability
career resilience and sustainability
career sustainability and workers’ well-being
working modes
working risks and safety
artificial intelligence
artificial
intelligence, work productivity and humanitarianism
digital technologies and sustainability of human well-being
mental health and psychological well-being
career security/insecurity and well-being job burnout, occupation stress and well-being
work engagement and thriving at work
sustainable human resource management
sustainable employment
social sustainability
demographic diversity (e.g., gender age and ethnicity) and career sustainability other related issues

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 1183 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Does Industrial Intelligence Promote Sustainable Employment?

by Mi Guo

Sustainability 2024, 16(10), 3896; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16103896 - 7 May 2024

Viewed by 360

Abstract

One of the key driving factors for achieving the goal of sustainable economic development is to ensure decent employment opportunities. This article explores the relationship between industrial intelligence and sustainable development in China from the perspective of employment. Based on interprovincial panel data from 2006 to 2019, using the fixed-effect regression model and mediating-effect regression model, this study empirically tests the impact of industrial intelligence on sustainable employment in China. The following conclusions are drawn: (1) Industrial intelligence has a significant positive impact on the overall scale of employment. Industrial intelligence has promoted the optimization and upgrading of employment skill structure and industrial structure. Industrial intelligence will reduce the employment proportion of low-skilled labor and increase the employment proportion of medium-skilled labor and high-skilled labor. Industrial intelligence significantly reduces the employment share of the manufacturing sector and increases the employment share of the service sector. (2) Industrial intelligence reduces employment levels through capital deepening effects. Industrial intelligence has significantly improved regional labor productivity and significantly improved employment levels through productivity effects. (3) The results of regional heterogeneity show that industrial intelligence has promoted the improvement of employment level and the upgrading of employment structure in the eastern region but has not had a significant positive impact on other regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustaining Work and Careers for Human Well-Being in the New Normal)

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18 pages, 1283 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Balancing Wellbeing and Responsibility: CSR’s Role in Mitigating Burnout in Hospitality under UN-SDGs

by Wei Ma, Rita Yi Man Li, Otilia Manta and Abad Alzuman

Sustainability 2024, 16(8), 3374; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16083374 - 17 Apr 2024

Viewed by 568

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on burnout among employees in China’s hospitality industry, highlighting wellness as an essential driver of success and its correlation to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It looks at CSR’s impact on stress, with employee happiness and resilience acting as mediators, whereas altruism is supposed to act as a moderator. This study collected data from various hospitality organizations across major cities in China over three phases through well-known scales. The findings of structural equation modeling show a negative relationship between CSR and burnout with the mediating effects of happiness and resilience moderated by altruism. The above findings highlight how CSR can reduce worker fatigue while creating a positive work environment within the hospitality sector. This study enriches theoretical knowledge and practical strategies for enhancing employee wellbeing, emphasizing the role of strategic CSR in creating a more sustainable and productive hospitality sector. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustaining Work and Careers for Human Well-Being in the New Normal)

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17 pages, 269 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Analysis of Burnout, Coping, and Pulse Wave Velocity in Relation to the Workplace of Healthcare Workers for the Sustainability of the Medical Career

by Ioana Marin, Corneluta Fira-Mladinescu, Catalin Nicolae Marin, Victoria Stan and Sorin Ursoniu

Sustainability 2024, 16(3), 997; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16030997 - 24 Jan 2024

Viewed by 845

Abstract

The assessment of the health status of healthcare workers (HWs) is related to the growing interest in the sustainability of the medical profession. This study explores for the first time the level of burnout, coping strategies, and pulse wave velocity (PWV), the correlations between them, and possible connections with the workplace. It included 154 HWs, aged 25–64 years, 83.76% women, divided into five groups (oncology, cardiology, intensive care, occupational health, and residents). The Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT-23) questionnaire for the burnout level and the Carver Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) questionnaire for the coping strategies were used. PWV was measured with a TensioMed arteriograph. Regarding BAT subscales, all studied groups are at burnout for exhaustion (E), prone to burnout for mental distancing (MD), emotional impairment (EI), and no burnout for cognitive impairment (CI). On the four subscales of the BAT, the MANOVA shows a medium-sized effect of the workplace on MD and on CI. All subjects use positive coping strategies. Problem-solving mechanisms are often used, followed by emotional support-based and social support-based coping. PWV correlates with age and BMI and has a small positive correlation with MD, CI, and EI. High burnout levels are related to the healthcare profession, not to the workplace. Our research shows the practical need to supervise the mental and physical health of HWs in order to preserve their health through medical and organizational methods. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustaining Work and Careers for Human Well-Being in the New Normal)

17 pages, 794 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Paradoxical Leadership Promotes Employees’ Career Sustainability: Evidence from the Chinese Cross-Border E-Commerce Industry

by Qi Li, Tachia Chin and Benjian Peng

Sustainability 2023, 15(16), 12407; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612407 - 15 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1281

Abstract

The ultra-fast development of digital technologies exerts immense pressure on employees in the cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) industry, especially those who are older and have lower levels of education. These employees may appear resistant to digital technologies, which can harm their careers. Leadership can address negative mentalities and sustain employees’ career development. Using job demands–resources (JD–R) theory, this study explored how paradoxical leadership can increase employees’ career sustainability by mitigating resistance to digital technology. Additionally, the moderating effects of age and education were examined. We analyzed time-lagged data from 141 employees in the Chinese CBEC industry, employing Partial Least Squares–Structural Equation Modeling (PLS–SEM) to test the hypothesized model. Our results revealed that: (1) paradoxical leadership relates negatively to resistance to digital technology but positively to career sustainability; (2) resistance to digital technology negatively relates to career sustainability; (3) resistance to digital technology partially mediates the relationship between paradoxical leadership and career sustainability; (4) age positively moderates the negative relationship between resistance to digital technology and career sustainability, while education negatively moderates that relationship. We offer novel insights into the trade-off effects among the five variables. Furthermore, our study provides practical guidance for firms, emphasizing the critical influence of paradoxical leadership and individual characteristics on ensuring employees’ career sustainability in the Chinese CBEC context. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustaining Work and Careers for Human Well-Being in the New Normal)

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18 pages, 326 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Nexus between Employment and Economic Growth: A Cross-Country Analysis

by Azad Haider, Sunila Jabeen, Wimal Rankaduwa and Farzana Shaheen

Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 11955; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151511955 - 3 Aug 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2284

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to examine the relationship between employment and economic growth in developed and developing countries over the period of 1970–2019. As documented in the literature in the past, economic growth in most developing countries has been less job-generating than in developed countries, even though high economic growth is observed in most of the developing world, indicating jobless growth. Based on the Cobb–Douglas production function, we developed an employment demand model to find the employment elasticity with respect to economic growth using working hours and population as explanatory variables. The main findings of the present study reveal that the employment elasticities with respect to GDP are positive and significant in developing and developed countries. But in the developing countries, the employment elasticity is relatively very low (0.11 to 0.15) compared to the developed countries (0.43 to 0.48), which led to the conclusion that a possibility of jobless growth exists in these countries. The findings of the study imply that policymakers should focus more on employment-led growth policies instead of growth-led employment policies, especially in developing countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustaining Work and Careers for Human Well-Being in the New Normal)

Review

Jump to: Research

37 pages, 6144 KiB

Open AccessReview

Enhancing Work Productivity through Generative Artificial Intelligence: A Comprehensive Literature Review

by Humaid Al Naqbi, Zied Bahroun and Vian Ahmed

Sustainability 2024, 16(3), 1166; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031166 - 30 Jan 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 10898

Abstract

In this review, utilizing the PRISMA methodology, a comprehensive analysis of the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) across diverse professional sectors is presented, drawing from 159 selected research publications. This study provides an insightful overview of the impact of GAI on enhancing institutional performance and work productivity, with a specific focus on sectors including academia, research, technology, communications, agriculture, government, and business. It highlights the critical role of GAI in navigating AI challenges, ethical considerations, and the importance of analytical thinking in these domains. The research conducts a detailed content analysis, uncovering significant trends and gaps in current GAI applications and projecting future prospects. A key aspect of this study is the bibliometric analysis, which identifies dominant tools like Chatbots and Conversational Agents, notably ChatGPT, as central to GAI’s evolution. The findings indicate a robust and accelerating trend in GAI research, expected to continue through 2024 and beyond. Additionally, this study points to potential future research directions, emphasizing the need for improved GAI design and strategic long-term planning, particularly in assessing its impact on user experience across various professional fields. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustaining Work and Careers for Human Well-Being in the New Normal)

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