Bridging the gaps in innovation research: A bibliometric analysis and multi-level framework integrating meso-perspectives and well-being

Innovation and innovativeness frameworks are crucial for guiding progress, yet often remain fragmented, failing to connect individual behaviors, organizational ecosystems, and systemic goals, and frequently overlooking well-being. This study addresses these limitations through a large-scale bibliometric analysis of 49,398 innovation and 1,346 innovativeness publications. We employed a mixed-methods approach, combining citation network clustering with a qualitative content analysis of seminal works to map the field’s evolutionary trajectory. Our analysis confirms a structural divide: innovation frameworks typically adopt a macro-level perspective (e.g., systems, policy), while innovativeness frameworks focus on the micro-level (e.g., individual adoption). Critically, the meso-level—essential for bridging micro-actions and macro-outcomes—remains underdeveloped, and well-being is marginalized. To bridge these gaps, we propose the Integrated Framework for Innovation and Well-being (IFIW). Grounded in a multi-level architecture (Micro, Meso, Macro) and eight guiding principles, the IFIW leverages meso-level mechanisms for scalability and explicitly embeds well-being, ethics, and sustainability as core priorities. This research contributes an empirically grounded taxonomy of evolving research streams and a unified model to guide the development of innovation ecosystems that are effective, equitable, and aligned with long-term well-being.