Advancement of neuroscience in different domains of organizational behavior: review, process and future research direction

Purpose Over the past 2 decades, researchers have increasingly explored the intersection of neuroscience and organizational behavior (OB). However, the practical application and academic acceptance of neuroscience techniques within OB remain limited. This article provides a structured and comprehensive synthesis of how neuroscientific methods, such as fMRI and qEEG, are advancing research in key OB domains, including leadership, emotional intelligence, team dynamics and ethical decision-making. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review was conducted using the PRISMA framework. Articles published between 2002 and 2022 were selected through Scopus and Web of Science. Additionally, recent insights from 2023 to 2024 were manually reviewed and integrated to maintain relevance and currency. Findings The review reveals that neuroscience can enhance construct validity, reduce subjectivity, and uncover cognitive and affective processes underlying workplace behaviors. Key advancements include the neural mapping of leadership traits, emotion recognition and justice perception. The findings also highlight operational and ethical challenges that limit broader application in organizational settings. Originality/value This study bridges the gap between OB scholars and neuroscientists by offering a domain-specific synthesis and identifying research frontiers for cross-disciplinary collaboration. By incorporating recent evidence and proposing actionable future directions, the review offers a timely roadmap for integrating neuroscience into mainstream organizational research and practice.