Digital Nomadism and Environmental Sustainability: A Paradox of Mobility

Abstract

The research was conducted to analyze the digital nomadism and environmental sustainability with paradox of mobility associated with flexibility and freedom associated with a travel-heavy lifestyle conflict with its ecological and carbon footprints. The research explores the Digital Nomadism, and employee attitudes towards the eco-friendly environment to save the community and society from high travel lifestyle and consider the sustainability in mobility and lifestyle to work in an eco-friendly environment and remote work. The research followed Positivism research paradigm by adopting the ecological modernization theory and sustainable development theory, along with considering sustainability development goals (SDGs) for environmental sustainability challenges. The research is based on primary data analysis of employees working in the manufacturing sector of Pakistan in various industries including food and beverages, automobile, IT, FMCG, and textile industries. The research question was centered on understanding how digital nomadism impacts environmental sustainability, particularly in terms of travel-related emissions, resource consumption, and waste control to reduce carbon footprints in the environment by changing the mode of mobility of employees to reduce the heavy traffic on roads. The research data was collected from 150 employees with a closed-ended Likert scale-based questionnaire through online Google forms. The researcher performs the analysis using SPSS 24.0 software and research results reliability, factor analysis, correlation, and regression techniques, with all hypotheses being accepted. The research explored that digital nomads who adopt more sustainable practices, such as reducing travel frequency, using eco-friendly transport, and adopting energy-efficient technologies, can significantly reduce their environmental impact on the environment. The research is useful for industry and manufacturing organizations including the need to support remote work initiatives, promote eco-friendly work environments, and encourage employees to adopt sustainable travel and lifestyle practices. The research contributes to understanding how digital nomadism can be consistent with sustainability efforts, offering valuable insights for industries striving to balance growth with environmental responsibility by following SDGs and better productivity and growth for organizations.