The importance of education for successful digital transformation of work

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2478/rsep-2026-0004

Keywords:

Student, Real Sector, Education, Change Management, human resources in Croatia

Abstract

Workplace changes due to digitalization are intensive change management processes that are becoming the key to business success and sustainability. Continuous education of human resources is necessary for working in a digitally transformed work environment. This research compares the views of students as future employees and the real sector in Croatia on the need for learning and the importance of responsibility for human resource development. The methodology used in the research is combined quantitative features conducted through an interview survey. The aim of the research is to determine the awareness of openness to learning of the future and current workforce in the labor market of the Republic of Croatia. Change management and resilience development are possible if there is awareness of the need for continuous education and because those who do not successfully adapt to change will be significantly left behind. This research contributes to understanding the attitudes of future and current employees and can serve as a basis for adjusting organizational strategies and development policies in business.

References

Amaro, A. L., Oliveira, L. & Veloso, A., 2017. Intergenerational and collaborative use of tablets: communication, learning and interaction «in the medium» and «in the room» Observatorio , 11, 83 – 94, doi10.15847/obsOBS1102017995

Anwar Z., Djudiyah, D., Hasanati N. & Sulaiman, A. (2025). The Impact of Academic Digital Literacy on Career Adaptation Among Recent Undergraduate, Al-Ishlah Jurnal Pendidikan Vol. 17, 2. 3244 - 3253, doi 10.35445/alishlah.v17i2.7210http://journal.staihubbulwathan.id/index.php/alishlah

Ateeq, A., Garad, A., Almuraqab, N. A., Abdulmohsen, W. & Alden Riyadh, H., 2025. The effect of human resource management practices on job security: a case study of Awal Gulf Company in Bahrain, Discover Sustainability Volume 6 (86), doi: 10.1007/s43621-025-00869-8

Audrin, B., Audrin, C., & Salamin, X., 2024. Digital skills at work – conceptualdevelopment and empirical validation of a measurement scale. Technol. Forecast. Soc.Change 202:123279. doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2024.123279

Cetindamar, D., Abedin, B. & Shirahada, K. (2021). The role of employees in digital transformation: A preliminary study on how employees' digital literacy affects the use of digital technologies. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, 2020. the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, European Commission, [Online]. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/HR/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52020DC0274&from=HR

Da, Q. 2025. Digital leadership improves organizational resilience by fostering job creation: The moderating role of organizational culture, Scientific Reports, Vol 15(1), doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-09144-2

Dechawatanapaisal, D., 2024. How can retention of online remote workers be predicted?: Understanding the moderating role of personal resilience, Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, 39(4), 463–484, doi: 10.1080/15555240.2023.2284691

Ekart Misleta, N., 2024. The importance of lifelong learning, Varaždin Teacher - digital professional magazine for education, No 7, Vol 16

ESCO 2019. Digital competences, European skills, competences, qualifications and occupations, https://esco.ec.europa.eu/hr

European Commission. 2010. A Digital Agenda for Europe, COM (2010) 245. Brussels: European Commission Press

Falloon, G., 2020. From Digital Literacy to Digital Competence: A Framework for Teacher Digital Competence (TDC) Educational Technology Research and Development , 68 ( 5 ), 2449-2472

Fraillon, J. Ainley, J., Schulz, W., Friedman, T. & Gebhardt, E., 2014. Preparing for Life in a Digital Age, Springer. doi10.1007/978-3-319-14222-7

Future of Jobs Survey, 2025. World economic forum, [Online]. https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Jobs_Report_2025.pdf

Hoe, S. L., 2024. Digital transformation and the future of work: closing the digital skills gap, Development and Learning in Organizations, doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/dlo-06-2024-0167

Kryukova, N. I., Chistyakov, A. A., Shulga, T. I., Omarova, L. B., Tkachenko, T. V. & Malakhovsky, A. K., 2022. Adaptation of higher education students’ digitalskills survey to Russian universities. Eurasia J. Mathem. Sci. Technol. Educ Vol 18, No 11. doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/12558

Martzoukou K., Fulton C., Kostagiolas P., & Lavranos C. (2020). A study of self-assessment of digital competences of higher education students for learning and participation in everyday life via the Internet. Journal of Documentation , vol. 76 no. 6 pp. 1413–1458, doi.org/10.1108/JD-03-2020-0041

Musa, M., & Haroon, M., 2024. Digitally Transformed Employees Crafting Tomorrow’s Skills Cape through Modern HRD, Journal of Workplace Behavior vol 5(1), 108–123, June 2024. doi: https://doi.org/10.70580/jwb.05.01.0221

Olofsson, A. D., Fransson, G. & Lindberg, J., 2019. A study on the use of digital technology and its conditions with the aim of understanding what “adequate digital competence” can mean in a national policy initiative Educational Studies, 46, 1-17, 10.1080 / 03055698.2019.1651694

Peart, M., Gutiérrez-Esteban, P., & Cubo-Delgado, S., 2021. Empirical evaluation of the DIGISOC questionnaire, Mendeley Data, (v2), doi.org/10.17632/bkb66jfjgc.2

Portal.hr linkedIn profil survey research, [Online]. Available: https://www.linkedin.com/company/posao-hr/

Research by Croatian Chamber of Commerce, 2024. On the need for additional knowledge and skills in the labor market , Department of Education. Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Croatia,.

Research by From real to virtual migration, 2025. Perceptions and attitudes of students in Croatia , Institute for Research, Croatia.

Sánchez-Caballé, A., Gisbert-Cervera, M. & Esteve-Món, F. (2021). Integrating digital competence in higher education: a case study of a Catalan university. EDUCAR , 57 (1), 241–258. doi.org/10.5565/rev/educar.1174

Spante, M., Hashemi, S. S., Lundin, M. & Algers, A., 2018. Digital competence and digital literacy in higher education research: A systematic review of the use of the concepts, Cogent Education , 5 ( 1 ), 1519-143

Stockton, H., Filipov M. & Monahan, K., 2018. New realities facing today's leaders, Deloitte Insights.

The importance of knowledge and application of knowledge for the implementation of the National Development Strategy of the Republic of Croatia until 2030, 2022. Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts. [Online]. https://www.info.hazu.hr/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Izjava_Vaznost-znanja-i-primjene-znanja_strategija-HR-do-2030.pdf

Tourón, J. R., Martin, D. A., Navarro, E. M., Pradas, S. M. & Iñigo, V., 2018. Validation of the construction of a questionnaire for measuring teachers' digital competence (TDC) Revista Espanola de Pedagogia, 76

Tretter, E. & Burns, R., 2023. Digital transformations of the urban – carbon – labor nexus: A research agenda, Digital Geography and Society, Volume 5. [Online]. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666378323000144?pes=vor

Tzafilkou, K., Perifanou. M. & Economides A. A., 2022. Development and validation of students’ digital competence scale (SDiCoS). International Journal of Education Technology in Higher Education, doi.org/10.1186/s41239-022-00330-0

Vázquez-Cano, E., León-Urrutia, M., Parra-González, M. & López-M.enesi,E., 2020. Analysis of interpersonal competences in the use of ICT in Spanish, University context. Sustainability, 12(2), 476

Vizjak, M., Paulišić, M. & Mišević, P. , 2024. Adapting to the Digital Shift: Skills Development and Workplace Transformation in the Era of Human-Technology Collaboration, Croatian regional development journal, Vol. 5, No. 2, 92-110, doi: https://doi.org/10.2478/crdj-2024-0010

Voice of Entrepreneurs Association facebook survey research, [Online]. https://www.facebook.com/glas.poduzetnika

Downloads

Published

2026-06-22