Author Identifier
Date of Award
2026
Keywords
agile, consulting, digitalisation, reskilling, upskilling, resilience, skills gap
Document Type
Thesis
Publisher
Edith Cowan University
Degree Name
Master of Business by Research
School
School of Business and Law
First Supervisor
Flavio Macau
Second Supervisor
Eden Li
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to explore how agile workforces can address skills shortages in Western Australian’s (WA) consulting industry by identifying key gaps and opportunities. Advancing the literature in learning agility and upskilling and reskilling practices will build upon the academic body of knowledge, providing insights to professionals and create opportunities for future research endeavours. The thesis argues that with ongoing digitalisation, businesses will struggle to upskill and adjust their workforces to integrate new technologies.
Previous research has suggested that agile workforces can benefit upskilling and reskilling capabilities (Dasari & Rama Devi, 2024). A growing body of academic literature exists, linking the skills gap with upskilling and reskilling capabilities (Leon, 2023). However, many businesses still struggle to mitigate these gaps, highlighting the need for actionable research. The study addresses this problem by exploring the potential opportunities of learning agility in overcoming skills shortages and enhancing resilience in a digitalised workplace.
Guided by a social constructivist paradigm, this study relies on the interpretations and lived knowledge of research participates with relevant experience. As a qualitative inquiry, the study explores the individual’s interpretation of the digitalisation phenomenon using semi-structured interviews. This study follows a critical embedded case study design on learning agility that offer insights based on the generalisations of how digitalisation impacted individuals’ skill development and contribute rich data towards theory building or testing. As an exploratory study, the question follows a ‘how’ format. The case study revolves the contemporary events of digitalisation and engages with several sources of evidence to explore the issues of the growing skills shortage. NVivo is the software program that will be used to analyse the collected text data from interviews to establish themes and sub-themes and support the visualisation of findings. Moreover, this study triangulates interview findings with peer reviewed articles and secondary sources from accredited institutions to validate the interview insights. The findings show that digitalisation widens skills gaps due to organisational and behavioural barriers, while learning agility, adaptive training, and resilience-building practices are key to enhancing workforce capability and competitiveness. This study advances theory by linking learning agility with digitalisation, demonstrating how adaptive learning practices can address skills shortages, enhance workforce resilience, and improve organisational responses.
Access Note
Access to this thesis is embargoed until 1st January 2028
Recommended Citation
Duong, J. (2026). Managerial perspectives on digital upskilling and reskilling in Western Australia: A consulting industry case study. Edith Cowan University. https://doi.org/10.25958/8vh3-qx28
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