Evolving perspectives on workplace aggression and conflict: a systematic and integrative review

Purpose Workplace aggression and conflict have emerged as a significant global issue. This study aims to offer a comprehensive analysis of the workplace aggression and conflict literature. Design/methodology/approach This study integrates a bibliometric and systematic literature review of 212 and 37 Scopus-indexed articles, respectively, published between 2002 and 2026. Findings The findings highlight the key terms, themes and factors, along with major theoretical, contextual, characteristics and methodological perspectives that are in the focus of the research throughout the years. In addition, the review reveals majority of the studies were conducted in developed nations, with limited focus on developing nations. Moreover, the literature suggests strategies, such as supportive leadership, violence prevention climate, workplace fairness and conflict climate management that can be used to mitigate the effects of workplace aggression and conflict. Research limitations/implications This integrative review highlights the role of conflict in exacerbating workplace problems. It suggests coping strategies to mitigate its adverse effects on outcomes, such as organisational stress, burnout and job satisfaction and also provides directions for future research. Originality/value This review advances future research directions on workplace aggression and conflict, highlighting the importance of greater methodological rigour, theoretical expansion and contextual diversity. Content analysis of this review identified that antecedents of workplace aggression and conflict are classified into five categories: role-related factors (e.g. role conflict, role ambiguity, workload), interpersonal factors (e.g. workplace conflict, bullying, incivility), organisational factors (e.g. climate, injustice, support systems), leadership-related factors (e.g. abusive supervision, leadership style) and individual factors (e.g. personality traits, self-esteem, coping mechanisms). The outcomes are further divided into individual outcomes (e.g. psychological distress, burnout, health issues), job-related outcomes (e.g. job dissatisfaction, turnover intention, reduced performance) and organisational outcomes (e.g. poor climate, reduced productivity, communication breakdown).