Unveiling competencies in smart working: a systematic and problematizing review

Purpose- This study reviews and problematizes the literature on the competencies enabling smart working in public administrations, by integrating change management and dynamic capabilities as complementary theoretical lenses. Design/methodology/approach- A systematic review of 52 peer-reviewed studies was conducted. Papers were retrieved from Scopus and complemented through backward and forward citation searching. All contributions were coded into a 2 & times; 3 analytical matrix that intersects the two levels of change management (individual and organizational) with the three dimensions of dynamic capabilities (sensing, seizing, reconfiguring/transforming). A subsequent problematizing review was then developed to interrogate assumptions, conceptual boundaries, and contextual blind spots in the reviewed research. Findings- The literature shows a marked organizational bias (63 out of 97 coded occurrences), while individual transforming remains underrepresented. The problematizing analysis highlights some interrelated theoretical openings based on: (1) heterogeneous definitions of both "competence" and "smart working"; (2) non-linear and always positive links between individual skills and organizational outcomes; (3) limited attention to external contingencies that shape the adoption of smart working in the public sector. Originality/value- By combining systematic mapping with a problematizing lens and by operationalizing the integration of change management and dynamic capabilities through a six-cell matrix, the study provides a structured yet critical roadmap for future research. For practice, it suggests that technological investments must be coupled with interventions on autonomy, digital resilience, results-oriented culture, and adaptive leadership, tailored to the institutional specificities of each public administration.