Sustainable Talent Development in Digital Transformation: Optimizing System Experience Configurations for Resilient ERP Learning Outcomes

As digital transformation continues to reshape organizational operations, cultivating sustainable enterprise resource planning (ERP) competencies has become increasingly important for aligning higher education with industry needs. However, ERP learning is often characterized by high levels of complexity and may present substantial cognitive challenges for novice learners. Grounded in the People–Process–Technology (PPT) framework, this study conceptualizes Core ERP Competencies through three dimensions: System Operation Skills (technology dimension), Business Process Understanding (process dimension), and Perceived Overall ERP Capability (integration dimension). Drawing upon Cognitive Load Theory and pedagogical scaffolding principles, this study conceptualizes System Experience Configuration (SEC) as an instructional configuration framework that operationalizes different allocations of structured instructor guidance and autonomous system practice during flipped-classroom learning activities. A field-based quasi-experimental design was implemented in an undergraduate ERP course, involving unit-specific between-class comparisons across different SEC exposure sequences. Three levels of SEC were examined: Moderate, High, and Very High. To maintain an exploratory and theory-informed approach, non-directional hypotheses were developed to investigate whether different SEC conditions were associated with differences in ERP learning outcomes. Objective learning outcomes were assessed through unit-specific performance measures of System Operation Skills and Business Process Understanding, while Perceived Overall ERP Capability was evaluated through student self-reports after experiencing all three SEC conditions. The findings indicate that learning outcomes did not consistently improve as the proportion of autonomous practice increased. Across several unit-specific comparisons, the High SEC condition was associated with stronger performance than the Very High SEC condition, suggesting that extensive reductions in structured instructional support were not consistently associated with superior outcomes for novice ERP learners. At the same time, the results varied across competency dimensions and instructional units, indicating that the relationship between instructional guidance and learning outcomes may not be adequately explained by the assumption that increasing autonomous practice consistently improves performance. Given the design of the study, these findings should be interpreted as evidence of associations between instructional configurations and learning outcomes rather than as definitive causal effects. The findings are particularly relevant to hybrid information systems courses that combine hands-on practice with conceptual understanding, such as ERP and database education. Rather than assuming that increased practice time invariably leads to superior learning outcomes, educators may need to consider how different balances between guidance and autonomous practice support different dimensions of ERP learning. This study contributes empirical evidence regarding instructional configuration decisions in flipped ERP learning environments and provides practical implications for designing balanced learning experiences in complex digital learning contexts.