Job Performance reviewed from the perspective of Bandura's social cognitive theory

Research on employee performance has advanced significantly over the past decade, highlighting its multidimensional impact on organizations, customers, and employees. While existing studies, particularly those grounded in the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) framework, have emphasized contextual variables such as leadership, job demands, and organizational support, the cognitive mechanisms driving work behavior remain underexplored. This study systematically reviewed the ten most cited Scopus-indexed articles on performance (2020–2025) to identify the dominant theoretical models and variables. The findings indicate that while the JDR, Conservation of Resources (COR), and PERMA+4 frameworks offer significant understanding of the impact of workplace conditions and resources on performance, they do not sufficiently address how employees cognitively interpret challenges, regulate actions, and sustain engagement. To address this gap, we propose a conceptual framework based on Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), which posits self-efficacy, mindset, and issue interpretation as internal predictors of performance, with perceived organizational support (POS) acting as a moderating factor. SCT offers a more comprehensive explanation by portraying employees as active agents who shape their behavior through personal beliefs and interpretations, rather than passive responders to situational demands. This perspective has theoretical implications for extending SCT within organizational psychology and practical relevance for designing interventions that strengthen employees’ cognitive and contextual resources.