In the current socio-economic context, sustainability and digitalization are the two main drivers of strategic and competitive business development. Companies are evolving all corporate activities of Porter’s model by adopting and managing sustainable and digital goals in a coordinated and integrated manner. In literature, this process of dual evolution is defined as the “twin transition” or, sometimes, the “twin transformation.” Due to the systemic nature of organizations and the importance of human capital in business development, investigating this process of dual synergistic evolution within Human Resource Management (HRM) appears to be crucial. This doctoral research work aims then to explore the integration of sustainable HRM and digital HRM systems, addressing key gaps in its understanding through theoretical and empirical studies. Current literature on HRM seems to be divided into two distinct dense sub-fields: the sustainable HRM branch and the digital HRM branch. The first objective is therefore to identify and bring out the links between these two distinct branches by conducting a systematic literature review supported by bibliometric analyses. Following this, an empirical analysis based on a single case study has been conducted to explore how HRM of an Italian multinational luxury fashion company is facing the twin transition. Finally, at the conclusion of the research path, this thesis will also provide a conceptual contribution to enhance both theoretical and practical understanding of the topic. This doctoral research work contributes to the literature on HRM by offering insights into characteristics, challenges, conditions for implementation, and drivers of the twin transition within HRM.
Keywords: sustainable HRM, digital HRM, twin transition