Labor ideology under technological shocks: The impact of industrial robot adoption on work values

Amid the deepening advance of a new wave of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, industrial robots are not only reshaping production processes and employment structures but also subtly transforming the public's fundamental perceptions of the meaning of work, the value of labor, and career development. Drawing on matched data from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) and the World Values Survey (WVS), this paper systematically examines the impact of industrial robot adoption on individuals' work values and the underlying mechanisms. The findings reveal that the deployment of industrial robots exerts a positive influence on public work values: individuals in regions with higher robot penetration are more likely to believe that hard work—not luck or personal connections—is the key to success. This effect operates through two primary channels: a substitution effect, which heightens unemployment pressure and intensifies competitive awareness, and a creation effect, which expands employment opportunities and strengthens income-based incentives. Moreover, the consequences of robot adoption fall disproportionately on low-skilled workers, rural residents, and low-income populations, as well as on those in developing countries. Extended analyses indicate that the adoption of industrial robots not only encourages individuals to exert greater work effort at the behavioral level but also facilitates the transition from low-skilled to high-skilled labor, with education playing a pivotal role in this process. Additionally, government-provided social security can enhance the positive impact of robot adoption on workers' mental health while alleviating its detrimental effects on physical health. This study offers theoretical insights and practical implications for advancing a human-centered agenda of intelligent transformation and for building a future labor ecosystem characterized by inclusivity and sustainability.