Job stress and its impact on employee performance and job satisfaction: A bibliometric review

Background Job stress has emerged as a common challenge in modern workplaces, affecting employees at all levels. It arises when job demands exceed an individual’s capacity or resources, leading to physical and emotional strain. Major stressors include excessive workload, tight deadlines, job insecurity, and poor work–life balance. Objectives This study investigates the impact of job stress on employee performance and job satisfaction through a comprehensive bibliometric review of global research published between 2001 and 2025. By employing quantitative bibliometric methods, the study identifies major publication trends, influential authors, institutions, and thematic clusters to map the intellectual structure and evolution of this research domain. Methods Data were retrieved from the Scopus database covering the period 2001–2025. A total of 15,501 scholarly publications were analyzed using VOS viewer bibliometric mapping software. The analysis considered contributions across Social Sciences, Business, Management, Accounting, Arts and Humanities, and Economics. Results The analysis shows a continuous rise in research on job stress and its organizational outcomes from 2001 to 2025, reflecting growing concern for employee well-being. Bibliometric mapping reveals influential authors, journals, and collaboration trends, indicating that job stress research has evolved into a multidisciplinary field spanning management, psychology, and HR. Key themes include occupational stress, burnout, and job satisfaction. The study also highlights gaps in areas such as emotional regulation, technology-induced stress, and cultural variations, offering valuable directions for future research and practical insights for improving employee well-being and organizational performance. Conclusion The study underscores the need for deeper, integrative research to better understand how job stress influences performance and satisfaction. These insights hold value for both scholars in shaping future research directions and practitioners in designing effective stress management strategies to improve organizational performance.