PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING IN INDUSTRY 4.0: A CONCEPTUAL STUDY OF GENDER DIFFERENCES

The rapid digitalisation and technological advancements associated with Industry 4.0 are transforming work environments, job demands, and employee expectations across sectors. While these changes create new opportunities for flexibility, innovation, and productivity, they also introduce increased pressures that can affect workers’ psychological well-being in different ways. Emerging literature highlights mental health and well-being as critical concerns in the digital era, yet limited attention has been given to how these changes are experienced differently by men and women. This conceptual paper aims to examine gender differences in psychological well-being within the context of Industry 4.0, with a focus on work demands, work–life balance, and organisational support. Through a critical review of existing empirical and theoretical studies, a conceptual framework is proposed, drawing on the Job Demands–Resources (JD–R) theory and supported by Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being model. This framework provides an understanding of how demands and resources associated with Industry 4.0 shape the well-being of men and women in both similar and different ways. The study offers insights for policymakers, organisations, and researchers in developing more inclusive and gender-sensitive strategies to support employee well-being in technology-driven workplaces and contributes to discussions on sustainable work and mental health in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.