Visual analysis of voice research based on CiteSpace: exploring its research hotspots and emerging trends

Purpose This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the voice research landscape, highlighting its evolutionary logic and current trends. Design/methodology/approach This study employs CiteSpace to conduct a bibliometric analysis of 225 articles published in top-tier journals indexed in Web of Science (FT50/UTD24) between 1976 and 2025. By examining annual publication distribution, discipline cooccurrence, document co-citation, author-institution collaboration networks, keyword bursts, timezone map and co-word analysis, it systematically reveals the evolutionary logic and hotspot trends in voice research. Findings The findings reveal a marked growth in the volume of voice research, with key contributions predominantly published in journals such as the Journal of Applied Psychology and the Academy of Management Journal. The evolution of this domain can be summarized in four phases, with current research primarily focusing on the outcomes and boundary conditions of voice. Key constructs such as “promotive voice” and “prohibitive voice” have gained prominence, while contextualized and multilevel studies represent emerging frontiers. This study develops an integrated “research perspectives–antecedents–mechanisms–outcomes” framework and embeds it within a contextual layer that captures macro-cultural, organizational and institutional factors. This study also identifies multilevel moderators that shape when and how voice is expressed, heard and enacted. Originality/value Using bibliometric evidence, this review clarifies the field’s trajectory and advances a context-embedded integrated framework with a concise map of multilevel moderators. It offers theoretical insights and actionable implications for organizational leaders and HR practitioners seeking to design channels and climates that convert employee voice into implementation.