Cognitive Ergonomics' Impact on Employee Well-being and Performance: A Bibliometric and Thematic Analysis of Research Directions

The aim of this article is to identify and analyze the main research directions and thematic areas within the field of cognitive ergonomics, focusing on its impact on employee performance and well-being. The study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how various ergonomic factors contribute to organizational outcomes and employee well-being. The analysis was compiled based on sources available in the Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases, published mainly after 2015. The selection criteria were clearly defined and included: publication type – peer-reviewed articles and conference papers; year of publication – 2015 to 2025; relevance to the work environment and cognitive ergonomics; focus on psychological, cognitive, or acoustic factors related to employee well-being. Studies focused exclusively on medical or clinical ergonomics were excluded. The results point to the main research clusters: physical work environment and productivity, acoustic ergonomics and noise factors, psychosocial factors and organizational context, experimental and application approaches. The findings confirm the interdisciplinary link between cognitive ergonomics, the working environment, and subjective well-being, and emphasize the importance of researching this issue not only from the perspective of health protection, but also in terms of maintaining work performance and the long-term competitiveness of organizations. The article also discusses practical and managerial implications that stem from the identified clusters, particularly in relation to workplace design and management strategies that promote sustainable productivity.