JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Despite increasing recognition of human factors in technologically advanced manufacturing, psychological resilience remains an underexplored dimension. Existing studies often rely on generic instruments that fail to capture the specific adaptive challenges faced by workers in high-tech environments. There is a growing need for context-sensitive tools capable of assessing resilience in line with the human-centric vision of Industry 5.0.

Objective:

This study aimed to develop and conduct a preliminary evaluation of the Change Adaptation Resilience Evaluation Questionnaire for Industry 5.0 (CARE-QI 5.0), a multidimensional instrument designed to assess individual and contextual factors contributing to psychological resilience among workers in high-tech manufacturing settings.

Methods:

The questionnaire was developed through a four-phase process: literature review, expert evaluation, focus groups with operators, and pilot testing within two manufacturing companies. CARE-QI 5.0 conceptualizes resilience as a higher-order construct comprising two second-order dimensions, individual and contextual resilience, further articulated into ten first-order subscales. Internal consistency and inter-subscale correlations were assessed using data from a sample of workers employed in mechanical and packaging industries in North-eastern Italy.

Results:

Findings on the 84 items showed good internal consistency across all subscales and meaningful patterns of intercorrelation. External validity showed that problem-solving self-efficacy, cognitive flexibility, and problem-oriented coping were positively associated with both individual-based resilience and a wide range of contextual resources, including support given by organization, colleagues, and family, as well as openness to change. In contrast, perseverance in the face of difficulties was linked to cognitive inflexibility, avoidance, and seeking change, suggesting the presence of rigid or less adaptive coping functioning. Network analysis identified support from significant others, support from colleagues, organizational support, individual-based resilience, and problem-oriented coping as the most densely connected variables, positioning them as central nodes in the resilience network. Other variables, such as cognitive flexibility, skill-based resilience, the three change dimensions, positive attitude, and problem-solving efficacy, occupied an intermediate level of connectivity, reinforcing their role in adaptive integration.

Conclusions:

CARE-QI 5.0 provides a theoretically grounded and context-sensitive tool for assessing psychological resilience as a multidimensional construct in technologically evolving manufacturing environments. By integrating both individual and contextual protective resources, this instrument captures key adaptive processes relevant to Industry 5.0 scenarios, where human-technology interaction plays a central role. While further psychometric validation is needed, including confirmatory factor analysis and measurement invariance testing, CARE- QI 5.0 shows promise for both theoretical and research use. It can support organizations in monitoring workers’ adaptability and well-being, guiding targeted interventions and training strategies that align with workers’ resilience profiles and their technological experience.