Fostering well-being in Industry 5.0 through managerial behaviours and enabling technologies

Piccarozzi, Michela;Caboni, Federica;Bruni, Roberto

2026-01-01

---

Abstract

Industry 5.0 represents the latest industrial evolution, building on the foundations of Industry 4.0 while shifting the focus towards humanity, sustainability and resilience. In this paradigm, enabling technologies are redefined as tools that support human well-being first and business productivity second. Despite its growing relevance, the management literature remains fragmented on how specific managerial behaviours and technologies effectively support these new objectives. To address this gap, this research adopts a systematic literature review and thematic analysis to identify and systematise well-being-centred managerial behaviours and enabling technologies that facilitate the transition to Industry 5.0. The results reveal a relationship between managerial behaviours and enabling technological that can promote well-being-oriented innovation. A key contribution of this study is the conceptualisation of a new value-creation sequence: human well-being serves as the primary driver of productivity, ultimately leading to sustainable competitiveness. These findings offer important theoretical and managerial implications, providing an integrated framework that treats technology as a consequence of human-centred design. Finally, the study outlines future research paths to promote the development of a worker-centred industrial system.