Leadership 5.0 and the Future of Management Systems: A Systematic Review and Theory Development Agenda
Keywords:
Leadership 5.0, management systems, digital transformation, Industry 5.0, human-centric leadership, artificial intelligence, qualitative research, theory developmentAbstract
This study aimed to develop a theory-oriented framework of Leadership 5.0 for future management systems by examining how senior managers and organizational experts interpret the transition from digital, efficiency-oriented leadership toward human-centric, intelligent, sustainable, and resilient leadership. The study used a qualitative, theory-development design informed by systematic review logic and grounded in semi-structured interviews. Twenty-four participants, including senior managers, digital transformation consultants, human resource strategists, and organizational development experts from Tehran, were selected through purposive and theoretical sampling. Interviews continued until theoretical saturation was achieved at the twenty-first interview, followed by three confirmatory interviews. Data were collected through face-to-face and online semi-structured interviews lasting 45–75 minutes. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis and inductive coding in NVivo software. Credibility was strengthened through member checking, peer review, constant comparison, and audit-trail documentation. The findings identified five main categories that explain the architecture of Leadership 5.0 in future management systems: human-centric digital intelligence, ethical and responsible technology governance, adaptive ecosystem leadership, resilience-oriented sustainability, and continuous learning for hybrid human–AI collaboration. Participants emphasized that Leadership 5.0 is not merely an extension of digital leadership but a broader paradigm in which leaders integrate technological intelligence with empathy, moral judgment, strategic agility, and systemic responsibility. The emerging model suggests that future management systems will depend on leaders’ capacity to redesign decision-making, culture, work processes, and stakeholder relationships around intelligent technologies while preserving human agency and organizational purpose. Leadership 5.0 represents a transition from technology-led transformation to human–technology co-evolution. The proposed framework contributes to leadership theory by positioning future leaders as ethical system architects who balance automation, intelligence, sustainability, resilience, and human well-being in increasingly complex management systems.
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