A “Nova Revolução Industrial”, universidades e profissões: uma abordagem institucional

Abstract

This research investigates how neo-institutional theory, particularly its sociological and discursive strands, contributes to understanding Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and the emergence of Industry 5.0 (I5.0). Institutional theory emphasizes that organizational transformations are not driven solely by technical efficiency, but also by norms, values, discourses, and the pursuit of legitimacy. Although I4.0 is frequently approached from technocentric and rationalist perspectives, its adoption and diffusion also depend on the meanings attributed to technologies and on the actions of institutional actors. I5.0 broadens this debate by placing greater emphasis on human-centricity, sustainability, and resilience. Guided by the research question, “How does the institutionalization of Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0 influence and is influenced by universities and professions?”, the thesis is structured around three interrelated articles. The first presents a scoping review of 23 articles on the interface between universities and I4.0/I5.0. The findings show that institutional theory is often used in a limited manner and that universities tend to be portrayed as organizations responding to transformations associated with I4.0, while their active role in constructing and legitimizing these transformations receives less attention. The second article analyzes 68 doctoral theses on I4.0 produced at universities in Brazil and Spain. Combining analyses conducted using the IRAMUTEQ software with a framing analysis based on the orders of worth framework, it identifies three areas: managerial aspects, implementation issues, and technical applications. Justifications associated with efficiency, performance, and technological application predominate, whereas civic and green frames are less frequent, especially in Brazil, indicating the comparatively limited presence of social and environmental dimensions in the academic discourse on I4.0. The third article examines the implementation and institutionalization of the “New Industrial Revolution” in the Brazilian industrial contexts analyzed and its perceived implications for engineering work, especially Industrial Engineering. Interviews with industry professionals and representatives of the Confea/Crea System and the Brazilian Association of Industrial Engineering (ABEPRO), analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis, show that I4.0 constitutes a widely recognized discourse, but its implementation remains selective and uneven, driven primarily by efficiency and competitiveness. I5.0 has not yet emerged as an explicitly institutionalized agenda, although elements of human-centricity and sustainability are present in the reported practices and concerns. Professional boundaries remain relatively stable, while demand is growing for digital competencies, systems thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration, and interpersonal skills. Professional associations and professional regulatory bodies exert mainly indirect influence in this process. Taken together, the three articles show that I4.0 and I5.0 can be understood not only as sets of technologies or models of productive transformation, but also as institutional processes in which technologies, discourses, values, and actors are articulated. The thesis brings studies on the “New Industrial Revolution” closer to institutional theory, showing how meaning construction, legitimation, translation, and selective implementation help explain the diffusion of these concepts and the differences between their discursive formulations and their materialization in organizations and professions.