Occupational Stress in the Modern Workplace: A Systematic Review and Research Agenda (2010-2025)

Authors

• Haiqa Sharmeen

  Iqra University, Karachi, Pakistan

  haiqasharmeen@gmail.com

  ORCID: 0000-0002-9710-8725

  Moby Chaudhry

  Architecture and Interior Design, Yorkville University, Concord, ON, Canada

  mchaudhry@yorkvilleu.ca

  ORCID 0009-0007-7976-2452

• DOI https://doi.org/10.63329/av3nz12318

Abstract

This study presents a systematic review of occupational stress literature from 2010 to 2025, analyzing 244 peer-reviewed articles to map the evolution of this critical field. The analysis reveals a significant paradigm shift: from conceptualizing stress as an individual-level psychological response to understanding it as a complex, multi-level phenomenon deeply embedded in organizational structures, leadership practices, and macroeconomic contexts. We identify the emergence of novel stressors linked to digitalization and global crises, while traditional drivers like workload and role ambiguity persist. Crucially, our findings delineate a cascading effect of occupational stress, establishing its robust connections to deteriorated mental well-being, impaired organizational commitment, suppressed innovative work behavior, and counterproductive knowledge dynamics. The review synthesizes evidence on the moderating role of leadership particularly ethical, authentic, and agile style as well as the mediating functions of psychological capital and team dynamics. We conclude by proposing an integrated framework and a detailed agenda for future research, emphasizing the need for cross-cultural, longitudinal, and intervention-focused studies.

Keywords: Occupational Stress, employee well-being, organizational performance, leadership, systematic review

Copyright & License
© 2025 The Author(s).
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.