Integrating Sustainability, Human-Centric Transformation, and Cultural Value Preferences in Industry 4.0 and 5.0: A Malaysian Perspective

Malaysia’s ongoing industrial transformation toward Industry 4.0 and the emergent Industry 5.0 paradigm presents both opportunities and challenges for sustainable development. While government initiatives such as Industry4WRD and MyDIGITAL emphasize technology adoption, digitalisation, and productivity enhancement, the human and cultural dimensions of readiness remain under-explored. This review synthesises recent academic contributions published between 2024 and 2025 that address Industry 4.0/5.0, environmental sustainability, and human-centric transformation, with a particular focus on Malaysia. Five high-impact articles were critically analysed alongside supplementary local studies to uncover dominant themes, methodological trends, and contextual gaps. The findings reveal that Malaysian scholarship increasingly aligns with global trends emphasising sustainability and human-machine collaboration yet lacks integration of cultural value preferences as mediating variables influencing readiness and sustainable transformation. Cultural traits such as high-power distance, collectivism, and long-term orientation significantly affect leadership, communication, and adoption behaviours in Malaysian manufacturing and educational settings. This paper argues that incorporating national cultural values into Industry 4.0 and 5.0 readiness models could enhance policy design, workforce development, and organisational transformation strategies. The review concludes by identifying research gaps and proposing directions for future Malaysian studies centred on cultural sustainability, human-centric innovation, and context-specific industrial readiness.

Industry 4.0 • Industry 5.0 • Malaysia • Sustainability • Cultural Values • Human-Centric Transformation • Readiness • Manufacturing Sector • Collectivism • Power Distance

1. Ministry of Economy Malaysia. (2023). Twelfth Malaysia Plan: Advancing Sustainability and Prosperity. Putrajaya: Government of Malaysia. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Bonilla, S. H., Silva, H. R. O., da Silva, M. T., Gonçalves, R. F., & Sacomano, J. B. (2018). Industry 4.0 and sustainability implications: A scenario-based analysis of the impacts and challenges. Sustainability, 10(10), 3740. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Aris, A. Z. Z., Hassan, A., & Kassim, M. A. M. (2023). Enhancing Organizational Commitment through Effective Computer Communication Practices: A Proposal for Malaysian Organizations. E3S Web of Conferences, 440, 04011. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202344004011 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Chien Jie, I. L., Munshid Harun, M. Z., & Djubair, R. A. (2020). Effect of Power Distance and Uncertainty Avoidance on Employees’ Job Performance: Preliminary Findings. Journal of Technology Management and Business, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.30880/jtmb.2020.07.02.006 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Jam, F. A., Singh, S. K. G., Ng, B.-K., & Aziz, N. (2018). The Interactive Effect of Uncertainty Avoidance Cultural Values and Leadership Styles on Open Service Innovation: A Look at Malaysian Healthcare Sector. International Journal of Business and Administrative Studies, 4(5). https://doi.org/10.20469/ijbas.4.10003-5 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Semiun, N., Ghazali, I., Tanjung, T., & Mohamad, E. (2025). Malaysia’s Cultural Value Preferences and Industry 4.0 Readiness: A Conceptual Review. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 9(10), 7540–7550. https://doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.910000614 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Semiun, N., Ghazali, I., & Mohamad, E. (2026). Sustainability in Industry 4.0: A Malaysian Perspective Through Cultural Value Dimensions. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 10(2), 1295–1302. https://doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2026.10200095 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Rahman, M. S., & Wong, L. Y. (2025). Digital sustainability and cultural resilience in Southeast Asian industries: Lessons from Malaysia. Sustainability, 17(6), 4210. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Othman, B., Khan, S. D., Byloppilly, R., Cavaliere, L. P. L., Muda, I., & Khanna, R. (2024). Acceptance and effectiveness of Industry 4.0 internal and external organisational initiatives in Malaysian firms. International Journal of Management and Enterprise Development, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1504/IJMED.2024.10059705 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Hofstede Insights. (2024). Country comparison: Malaysia. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Hofstede, G. (2011). Dimensionalizing cultures: The Hofstede model in context. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 2(1), 8–26 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Khairy, H. A., Salama, W. M. E., Baquero, A., & Suliman, M. A. (2026). Innovative Pathways to Sustainable Management in Hotels: How Sustainable Leadership Drives Green Innovative Work Behavior Through Psychological Empowerment and Self-Efficacy. Sustainability, 18(3), 1291. https://doi.org/10.3390/su18031291 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Qu, D. (2023). Collectivism culture and green transition: An empirical investigation for the rice theory. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2023.1129170 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Sharip, S. M., Daud, D., Kamdari, N. A. M., Ibrahim, S. S., Awang, M., & Ismail, R. (2023). Rahmah among Muslim Leaders: The Case of Waqf Institutions. Journal of Islamic Thought and Civilization, 13(2), 242–257. https://doi.org/10.32350/jitc.132.16 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Jourdan, L., & Smith, M. (2021). National culture dimensions as predictors of innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship. Journal of Global Business Insights, 6(2), 154–171. https://doi.org/10.5038/2640-6489.6.2.1093 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Rahman, H. M. M., Malarvizhi, C. A. N., Khan, N., Adamu, A. A., & Khan, S. (2026). Building a Sustainable and Human-Centered Future: Industry 5.0 in Malaysia. Advanced Industrial and Business Management, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.53623/aibm.v1i1.913 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Semiun, N., Ghazali, I., Adha, P. A., & Mohamad, E. (2026). Cultural Value Dimensions and Industry 4.0 Readiness: Evidence from the Manufacturing Sector. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 9(12), 2667–2673. https://doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.91200204 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Ghazali, I., Semiun, N., Tanjung, T., Mohamad, E., Abdul-Rashid, S. H., Apandi, N. I. B. A., Zen, I. S., Herawan, S. G., Yusuf, A. A., & Ammarullah, M. I. (2025). Assessing Industry 4.0 readiness for environmental sustainability: an empirical study incorporating cultural preferences. International Journal of Low-Carbon Technologies, 20, 2016–2025. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijlct/ctaf064 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Vas Taras, Steel, P., & Kirkman, B. L. (2012). Improving national cultural indices using a longitudinal meta-analysis of Hofstede’s dimensions. Journal of World Business, 47(3), 329–341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2011.05.001 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. European Commission. (2021). Industry 5.0: Towards a sustainable, human-centric and resilient European industry. Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2777/308407 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Yusoff, W. F. W., & Aziz, R. A. (2024). Ethical leadership and sustainability-oriented innovation in Malaysian SMEs. Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Ethics, 10(1), 34–52. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Abdullah, N. H., & Ibrahim, R. (2022). Cultural value congruence and technology adoption in Malaysian SMEs. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 33(5), 789–805. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMTM-10-2021-0402 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Rehman, H. U., Khan, S. Z., & Lim, C. C. (2024). Workforce ageing, leadership influence, and Industry 4.0 readiness in emerging economies. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 198, 123456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2023.123456. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Salleh, F. M., & Zain, R. M. (2024). Human-centric manufacturing in Malaysia: Challenges and pathways to Industry 5.0. Journal of Asian Industrial Studies, 9(4), 122–138. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Lee, M. H., & Chua, T. K. (2025). From automation to co-creation: Industry 5.0 and the humanization of digital transformation. Journal of Sustainable Manufacturing and Design, 17(3), 210–228. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Gupta, P., Jain, A. K., & Gupta, R. (2023). Beyond Innovation: Assessing the Risk Terrain of Industry 5.0 Technologies. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3704477/v1 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Kamaruddin, S., Hashim, N. H., & Abdullah, R. (2024). Cultural intelligence and Industry 4.0 adoption among Malaysian manufacturing managers. Asian Journal of Technology and Innovation Management, 12(2), 55–73. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Yusof, S. M., Ahmad, M. F., & Rahman, N. A. (2023). Cultural alignment and sustainable practices in Malaysian manufacturing firms. Sustainability, 15(8), 6543. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086543 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• The Impact Of UI/UX Design on User Trust and Task Completion in Civic Tech Platforms
• Solar Cell Photovoltaic Model Shell Sp 75
• Development of an Intelligent Traffic Management System to Address Visibility Obstruction at Urban Intersections: A Case Study of Ibadan Metropolis
• Optimum Placement of Facts Devices on an Interconnected Power Systems Using Particle Swarm Optimisation Technique
• Assessing Construction Transformation and Implication on Future Production Flow System