ABSTRACT This study examines how knowledge management (KM) structures the dynamics of challenges and competencies associated with digital transformation within the human resources (HR) function in the context of Industry 4.0. Adopting a qualitative, exploratory, and prospective research design, the study combines the Delphi technique with semistructured interviews conducted with panel participants, comprising HR professionals from Brazilian and multinational organizations. The findings consolidate 20 strategic challenges projected through 2030, revealing convergence around concerns related to the human sustainability of work, the reconfiguration of work models, continuous learning, and the applied use of data and artificial intelligence. Interpreted through a KM lens, these challenges can be understood as systemic pressures on the processes of knowledge creation/production, sharing/transfer, and application, closely associated with absorptive capacity. The integration of Delphi findings and in‐depth interview evidence supports a conceptual framework that positions HR as an organizational orchestrator of knowledge flows, bridging technological demands and work practices within decision‐making routines. The framework further clarifies the conditions and tensions that facilitate or constrain the conversion of technological advancement into sustained organizational change.
Júnior et al. (Tue,) studied this question.