Leadership, Human-Centered Management and Organizational Culture: Pathways to Well-Being and Innovative Work Based on a Systematic Review

Abstract

Digital transformation is reshaping work and management, yet evidence on how technological innovation interacts with workplace well-being, leadership, organizational culture, and human-centered management remains fragmented. This study aims to integrate these strands of research by examining how innovation and digitalization affect employee well-being and motivation in organizational contexts. A systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines, with a protocol registered on INPLASY. The search was performed in the Scopus database and identified 287 eligible studies (1989–February 2025). Bibliometric keyword co-occurrence analysis using VOSviewer (1.6.20), combined with qualitative content and thematic analysis, led to five clusters: (1) innovation and well-being; (2) leadership pathways to workplace well-being; (3) work motivation and job satisfaction; (4) human-centered management in technological progress; and (5) organizational culture. The results show that organizations reconciling innovation and people’s well-being tend to adopt leadership styles and cultures grounded in ethical values, inclusion, psychological safety, and balanced work demands and resources, operationalized through human-centered management practices. These findings offer an integrated framework that goes beyond an instrumental view of technology and provide guidance for leaders, HR professionals, and policymakers designing digital transformation strategies that foster responsible innovation and promote sustainable, health-promoting work environments.