Citation

Ghareeb, Nader and Nirmal, Umar and Zughaer, Hussien and Alshuraiaan, Bader (2026) The developments of office ergonomics and human factors—A critical scoping review. Intelligent Systems with Applications, 31. p. 200713. ISSN 2667-3053

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Abstract

We conducted a scoping review (2008–2025) following Arksey & O’Malley and PRISMA-ScR guidance, searching PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, IEEE Xplore, and Google Scholar; after deduplication and screening, 77 articles from the top ten ergonomics journals (by Scimago h-index) were included. Data charting used artificial intelligence (AI) assistance (Elicit) with manual verification (see Appendix B); bibliometric indicators were computed from Scimago (1999–2025) and interpreted descriptively. We operationalize socio-technical systems principles into an empirically coded framework mapping interventions across three layers: Traditional (furniture, training), Digital (sensors, computer vision), and AI-Enabled (predictive analytics, personalization) with a central Socio-Technical Core mediating data-driven insight, adaptive intervention, and ergonomic outcomes. The framework enables quantitative mapping of 77 studies, revealing that 50% of AI-Enabled studies neglect socio-technical factors despite strong evidence of organizational adoption barriers. The average citation index across the selected journals rose from 1.876 (2019) to 2.998 (2025). The bibliometric analysis is descriptive and does not establish causal effects of COVID-19; observed changes likely reflect multiple drivers including pandemic-related interest, broader digitalization, and publication/indexing dynamics. Key findings also indicate promising advances in sensors and AI for objective monitoring and prediction, persistent gaps in validation and standardization, and that socio-technical barriers (trust, governance, organizational adoption) are the primary bottlenecks to real-world impact. We recommend prioritized research on standardized validation protocols, large-scale longitudinal evaluations, participatory deployment models, and updated standards and governance to translate technological promise into sustainable ergonomic improvements.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Office ergonomics, Digitalization, Human factors, Employees' wellbeing, Remote work, Sensor integration, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Conceptual Framework
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28-70 Management. Industrial Management > HD30.2 Electronic data processing. Information technology. Including artificial intelligence and knowledge management
Divisions:	Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FET)
Depositing User:	Ms Suzilawati Abu Samah
Date Deposited:	01 Oct 2026 05:50
Last Modified:	01 Oct 2026 05:50
URII:	http://shdl.mmu.edu.my/id/eprint/16780

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