The Digitalization Paradox: Aligning Technological Advancement, Sustainability, and Adaptive Intelligence

In this current period of technological acceleration, there exists a fundamental paradox of digitalization for modern organizations and institutions. This tension is reflected in a widening gap between the integration of advanced technologies and the human capabilities to manage this complexity in a sustainable and balanced manner. Although technological adoption is widespread, human capital readiness remains almost entirely reactive. Recent research emphasizes the need for a twin transition, defined as the simultaneous and interconnected evolution of digital and ecological processes; however, a cohesive approach to bridging these different abilities remains underexplored in empirical research. This study focuses on addressing the discrepancy between employees’ distinct competencies through a semi-structured questionnaire, combining both qualitative insights and quantitative data. The investigation examines the extent to which professionals in different industry sectors hold and use the necessary key competencies in the context of three core areas: advanced digital technologies, green projects, and adaptable intelligence. The main objective is to analyze the structural mismatches that undermine organizational agility when faced with the challenge of new market requirements. Data analysis was carried out using Jamovi, which helped in the examination of the associations between competencies, specifically to determine whether there are significant relationships between them, as well as the direction of these relationships and the effect sizes. The results reveal a major imbalance in how competencies are developed, indicating that limited integration of digital, ecological, and adaptive capabilities may reduce long-term organizational responsiveness. In general, the study contributes to literature by presenting evidence on how these three main competencies are connected. A synthesis of the three fields provides a source for the empirical evidence necessary for enhancing employee development strategies.