The intersection of Human Resource Management and Industry 5.0: a bibliometric review of trends, themes, and future directions

Abstract Industry 4.0 was the beginning of new technological developments in the office and how businesses are managed. Now, with Industry 5.0, businesses are realizing they need to focus on people rather than technology, creating a safe, sustainable, and resilient way to manufacture products and employ people. Due to this change in thinking, HR management (HRM) needs to re-evaluate its role within a business's overall plan and as the point of contact for organizing work and people. More attention is being paid to HRM research for both Industry 4.0 and 5.0. However, it is still limited in scope, and there is a lack of systematic Integration of HRM across both Industries. This study will present the first analysis of the HRM literature on Industry 5.0, based on 376 Scopus publications (2010–2024). The study used two bibliometric analysis tools (Bibliometric and VOSviewer) to conduct performance analysis and science mapping; the objective was to identify trends in publications, intellectual structure, and thematic evolution. The study found that HRM has played an important role in shaping research on both Industry 4.0/5.0 and identified three interrelated themes: human-centric HRM, sustainability-oriented development, and enabling technologies. Based on these findings, the study developed an integrative conceptual model that positions HRM as the integrative mechanism linking technological innovation, sustainability, and value creation from a human-centric perspective.