Work anxiety and performance: Systematic literature review
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Rofiqi Rofiqi(1*)
Department Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, State University of Malang
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Sopiah Sopiah(2)
Department Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, State University of Malang
(*) Corresponding Author
Keywords:
Work Anxiety, Employee Performance, Innovation Strategy;, Systematic Review, PRISMA
Abstract
This systematic review aims to examine the influence of innovation strategies on firm competitive advantage and to establish a theoretical foundation for future research on innovation and organizational competitiveness, with a specific focus on work anxiety and employee performance. The review follows the PRISMA framework and analyzes nine studies published between 2019 and 2024. Relevant literature was sourced from major academic databases, including Taylor & Francis, ScienceDirect, Springer, Wiley, Oxford Academic, SAGE Journals, and BMC. The findings indicate that most of the reviewed studies emphasize a strong relationship between work-related anxiety and employee performance, suggesting that psychological strain remains an important factor influencing organizational outcomes. However, despite the growing number of publications in recent years, the review identifies a significant gap in empirical studies exploring work anxiety from multiple perspectives and contexts. This indicates that the field is still developing and requires further in-depth investigation to better understand how work anxiety affects performance across different organizational settings. Overall, the study highlights the need for more comprehensive and multidisciplinary research to advance theoretical and practical understanding of work anxiety and its implications for employee performance.
Keywords: Work Anxiety; Employee Performance; Innovation Strategy; Systematic Review; PRISMA
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References
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Schulkin, J., & Rosen, J. B. (1998). From normal fear to pathological anxiety. Psychological Review, 105(2), 325–350. http://psycnet.apa.org/record/1998-01102-006
Sørensen, K., Dalsager, L., Conway, P. M., Li, J., & Rugulies, R. (2024). Leadership at work and risk of treatment for depressive and anxiety disorders in Denmark. A nationwide prospective study with register-based follow up. Psychiatry Research, 337(January). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115870
Vignoli, M., Muschalla, B., & Mariani, M. G. (2017). Workplace phobic anxiety as a mental health phenomenon in the job demands-resources model. BioMed Research International, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/3285092
Zhang, X. X., & Hao, X. L. (2024). How does fertility pressure affect Chinese working women? Negative effects of fertility anxiety on women’s work engagement. Current Psychology, 43(20), 18389–18403. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-05661-x
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2017). Job demands-resources theory: Taking stock and looking forward. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 22(3), 273–285. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000056
Baltassat, A., Riffault, L., Villatte, G., Meyer, N., Antoni, M., & Clavert, P. (2024). History of mood and anxiety disorders affects return to work and return to sports after rotator cuff repair. Orthopaedics and Traumatology: Surgery and Research, 110(5), 103854. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.otsr.2024.103854
Haddaway, N. R., Page, M. J., Pritchard, C. C., & McGuinness, L. A. (2022). PRISMA2020: An R package and Shiny app for producing PRISMA 2020-compliant flow diagrams, with interactivity for optimised digital transparency and Open Synthesis. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 18(2), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.1230
Haines, K., Lumpkin, S. T., Grisel, B., Kaur, K., Cantrell, S., Freeman, J., Tripoli, T., Gallagher, S., Agarwal, S., Cox, C. E., Schmader, K., & Reeve, B. B. (2024). Systematic Literature Review of Health-Related Quality-of-Life Measures for Caregivers of Older Adult Trauma Patients. Journal of Surgical Research, 297, 47–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2024.01.011
Hodge, L., McIntyre, H., Morley, C., Briese, J., Clarke, J., & Kostecki, T. (2024). “My Anxiety Was Through the Roof”: The Gendered Nature of Financial Stress and Its Impact on Mental Health and Well-Being for Women When Undertaking Social Work Placements. Affilia - Feminist Inquiry in Social Work, 39(3), 499–516. https://doi.org/10.1177/08861099231225228
Huang, Y., Guo, H., Wang, S., Zhong, S., He, Y., Chen, H., Zhou, J., & Wang, X. (2024). Relationship between work-family conflict and anxiety/depression among Chinese correctional officers: a moderated mediation model of burnout and resilience. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17514-6
Jerrim, J., Allen, R., & Sims, S. (2024). How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect the anxiety of teachers at work? Educational Review, 76(5), 1134–1157. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2023.2293455
Kim, S., Ham, S., Kang, S. K., Choi, W. J., & Lee, W. (2024). Beyond working hours: the association between long working hours, the use of work-related communication devices outside regular working hours, and anxiety symptoms. Journal of Occupational Health, 66(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1093/joccuh/uiad004
Laferton, J. A. C., Schiller, S., Conrad, D., Fischer, D., & Zimmermann-Viehoff, F. (2024). Stress beliefs moderate the impact of COVID-19 related work stress on depressive, anxiety and distress symptoms in health care workers. Stress and Health, 40(4), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.3410
Lewis-Fernandez, R., & Kleinman, A. (1994). Culture, Personality, and Psychopathology Culture-Bound Ideologies of Psychology and Psychiatry. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 103(1), 67–7.
Liberati, A., Altman, D. G., Tetzlaff, J., Mulrow, C., Gøtzsche, P. C., Ioannidis, J. P. A., Clarke, M., Devereaux, P. J., Kleijnen, J., & Moher, D. (2009). The PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies that evaluate healthcare interventions: explanation and elaboration. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 339. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.b2700
Muschalla, B., Linden, M., & Olbrich, D. (2010). The relationship between job-anxiety and trait-anxiety-A differential diagnostic investigation with the Job-Anxiety-Scale and the State-Trait-Anxiety-Inventory. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 24(3), 366–371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2010.02.001
Needleman, I. G. (2002). A guide to systematic reviews. Journal of Clinical Periodontology, 29(SUPPL. 3), 6–9. https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1600-051x.29.s3.15.x
Núñez-Cortés, R., Espin, A., Pérez-Alenda, S., López-Bueno, R., Cruz-Montecinos, C., Vincents-Seeberg, K. G., Püschel, T. A., Calatayud, J., & Andersen, L. L. (2024). Association Between Pain Coping and Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression, and Work Absenteeism in People With Upper Limb Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 105(4), 781–791. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2023.07.003
Payne, R. L., Fineman, S., & Jackson, P. R. (1982). An interactionist approach to measuring anxiety at work. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 55(1), 13–25. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8325.1982.tb00074.x
Sarkis-Onofre, R., Catalá-López, F., Aromataris, E., & Lockwood, C. (2021). How to properly use the PRISMA Statement. Systematic Reviews, 10(1), 13–15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-021-01671-z
Schulkin, J., & Rosen, J. B. (1998). From normal fear to pathological anxiety. Psychological Review, 105(2), 325–350. http://psycnet.apa.org/record/1998-01102-006
Sørensen, K., Dalsager, L., Conway, P. M., Li, J., & Rugulies, R. (2024). Leadership at work and risk of treatment for depressive and anxiety disorders in Denmark. A nationwide prospective study with register-based follow up. Psychiatry Research, 337(January). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115870
Vignoli, M., Muschalla, B., & Mariani, M. G. (2017). Workplace phobic anxiety as a mental health phenomenon in the job demands-resources model. BioMed Research International, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/3285092
Zhang, X. X., & Hao, X. L. (2024). How does fertility pressure affect Chinese working women? Negative effects of fertility anxiety on women’s work engagement. Current Psychology, 43(20), 18389–18403. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-05661-x
Published
2026-07-11
How to Cite
Rofiqi, R., & Sopiah, S. (2026). Work anxiety and performance: Systematic literature review. Journal of Management : Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), 19(2), 1271-1278. https://doi.org/10.35508/jom.v19i2.16349
Section
Articles
