Abstract:
The global market increasingly demands personalized products and sustainable
manufacturing practices, coupled with a digital transformation disrupting the
manufacturing industry. Particularly, the manufacturing sector of developing economies
encounters significant sustainability challenges across economic, environmental, and
social fronts while adopting emerging industrial technologies (EIT). Artificial Intelligence
(AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Autonomous Robots (AuR), and Mobile Technologies (MT)
are the significant EIT that are transforming the shape of industrial process for optimal
growth and efficiency. However, this technological transformation may impact the
organizational sustainability due to EITs higher capital investment, lack of skilled
personnel to operate EIT and EIT dependency on extensive energy consumption. In
addition, ambidextrous practices enable industries to navigate disruptive technological
shifts. This study aims to quantitatively investigate the impact of EIT on the sustainability
of manufacturing industry with the mediation of Organizational Ambidexterity (OA). The
textile industry is considered as a case study and the quantitative data from 192 textile
professionals was collected using a survey questionnaire and analyzed using partial least
square structural equation modelling (PLS- SEM). The findings reveal a differential
influence of EIT on the organizational sustainability dimensions – significant impact in the
case of AI, complementary mediation of OA with AuR, competitive mediation of OA for
IoT, and fully mediated by OA for MT. The study enriches the dynamic capabilities
framework, highlighting OA as essential for effective technological integration to achieve
sustainability, contributing directly to SDGs 8, 9, and 12. For practitioners and
policymakers, this research offers a strategic roadmap for leveraging EIT aligned with
organizational sustainability objectives, advocating for the development of ambidextrous
capabilities to navigate implementation hurdles effectively.
