Determinants of Women’s Well-Being in Sustainable Operations Management: A Human-Centric, Industry 5.0 Perspective on the Moroccan Automotive Industry

Abstract

The Industry 5.0 paradigm reframes sustainable operations management around human-centric, resilient and responsible production, yet the conditions under which digital and AI-enabled manufacturing translate into genuine worker well-being—particularly for women—remain under-investigated. This study analyses the determinants of women’s well-being at work in the Moroccan automotive industry, a sector that has become the country’s largest industrial exporter and a strategic laboratory for Industry 4.0-to-5.0 transitions. A systematic review was first conducted in Scopus (2015–2025) following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, yielding 54 eligible studies, of which 18 explicitly addressed automotive or Industry 4.0–5.0 contexts. Building on Job Demands–Resources theory and the human-centric tenets of Industry 5.0, a conceptual model articulated five antecedents—perceived supervisor support, job autonomy, work–life balance, technology-inclusive AI environment, and organisational justice—and a moderator, Industry 5.0 maturity. The model was tested via PLS-SEM (SmartPLS 4) on survey data from 412 women working in supplier and OEM plants across Tangier, Kénitra and Casablanca. Measurement quality was satisfactory (Cronbach’s α: 0.92–0.94; CR: 0.94–0.96; AVE: 0.81–0.85; HTMT < 0.63). All five antecedents significantly predicted well-being (β = 0.09–0.29; p ≤ 0.01), explaining 62% of its variance (Q2 = 0.571). Industry 5.0 maturity amplified the effect of a technology-inclusive AI environment on well-being (β interaction = 0.120; p < 0.001). The findings support a contingent, human-centric view of smart manufacturing and provide actionable levers for sustainable, gender-inclusive operations management.