Work-Related Stress, Mental Well-Being, and Daily Functioning Among Corporate Employees: A Structured Literature Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65339/wjsam.V1.I2.5Keywords:
Corporate Employees, Daily Functioning, Job Demands, Mental Well-Being, Organizational Support, Structured Literature Review, Work-Related StressAbstract
This structured literature review examined how work-related stress relates to mental well-being and daily functioning among corporate employees and considered the role of organizational support. Drawing on scholarly studies and authoritative institutional publications, primarily from 2021 to 2026, the review adopted a qualitative thematic synthesis approach guided by Job Demands–Resources Theory and the challenge–hindrance stressor framework. The reviewed literature addressed occupational demands, psychological experiences, work and personal routines, and workplace resources. Across the discussed sources, recurring stressors included heavy workloads, time pressure, limited autonomy, insufficient supervisory support, and difficulties maintaining work–life boundaries. The literature associated these conditions with emotional exhaustion, negative emotions, psychological distress, and challenges in work performance and everyday functioning, although the patterns varied with employee appraisal, job resources, and organizational circumstances. The review indicates that occupational stress should be considered alongside both psychological health and the ability to manage responsibilities beyond work. Organizations may therefore consider workload management, supportive supervision, psychosocial risk prevention, and accessible mental health support rather than relying solely on individual coping measures. The synthesis is limited by differences in the designs, populations, settings, and measures of the discussed publications and by incomplete documentation of study-level screening and comparison. Its contribution is an integrated perspective on workplace demands, employee well-being, and daily functioning that may inform more sustainable corporate workplace practices.
References
Abdel Hadi, S., Bakker, A. B., & Häusser, J. A. (2021). The role of leisure crafting for emotional exhaustion in telework during the COVID-19 pandemic. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 34(5), 530–544. https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2021.1903447 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2021.1903447
Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Sanz-Vergel, A. (2023). Job demands–resources theory: Ten years later. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 10, 25–53. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-053933 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-053933
Bhoir, M., & Sinha, V. (2024). Employee well-being human resource practices: A systematic literature review and directions for future research. Future Business Journal, 10, Article 95. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-024-00382-w DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-024-00382-w
Black, K. J., & Britt, T. W. (2023). Stress as a badge of honour: Relationships with performance, health, and well-being. Work & Stress, 37(2), 222–247. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2022.2129511 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2022.2129511
Brummelhuis, L. L., ter Hoeven, C. L., & Toniolo-Barrios, M. (2021). Staying in the loop: Is constant connectivity to work good or bad for work performance? Journal of Vocational Behavior, 128, Article 103589. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2021.103589 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2021.103589
Cho, S., & Kim, S. (2022). Does a healthy lifestyle matter? A daily diary study of unhealthy eating at home and behavioral outcomes at work. Journal of Applied Psychology, 107(1), 23–39. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000890 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000890
International Labour Organization. (2022). Psychosocial risks and stress at work. https://www.ilo.org/resource/psychosocial-risks-and-stress-work
International Labour Organization. (2026). The psychosocial working environment: Global developments and pathways for action. https://doi.org/10.54394/00033223 DOI: https://doi.org/10.54394/00033223
Kelloway, E. K., Dimoff, J. K., & Gilbert, S. (2023). Mental health in the workplace. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 10, 363–387. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-050527 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-050527
LePine, M. A. (2022). The challenge-hindrance stressor framework: An integrative conceptual review and path forward. Group & Organization Management. https://doi.org/10.1177/10596011221079970 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/10596011221079970
Ma, J., Peng, Y., & Wu, B. (2021). Challenging or hindering? The roles of goal orientation and cognitive appraisal in stressor-performance relationships. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 42(3), 388–406. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2503 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2503
McClean, S. T., Koopman, J., Yim, J., & Klotz, A. C. (2021). Stumbling out of the gate: The energy-based implications of morning routine disruption. Personnel Psychology, 74(3), 411–448. https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12419 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12419
Ong, W. J., & Johnson, M. D. (2023). Toward a configural theory of job demands and resources. Academy of Management Journal. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2020.0493 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2020.0493
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., ... Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, Article n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Pindek, S., Meyer, K., Valvo, A., & Arvan, M. (2024). A dynamic view of the challenge-hindrance stressor framework: A meta-analysis of daily diary studies. Journal of Business and Psychology, 39, 1107–1125. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-024-09933-y DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-024-09933-y
Pindek, S., Zhou, Z. E., Kessler, S. R., Krajcevska, A., & Spector, P. E. (2022). The lingering curvilinear effect of workload on employee rumination and negative emotions: A diary study. Work & Stress, 36(3), 292–311. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2021.2009055 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2021.2009055
Podsakoff, N. P., Freiburger, K. J., Podsakoff, P. M., & Rosen, C. C. (2023). Laying the foundation for the challenge–hindrance stressor framework 2.0. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 10, 165–199. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-080422-052147 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-080422-052147
Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039
Sonnentag, S., Tay, L., & Nesher Shoshan, H. (2023). A review on health and well-being at work: More than stressors and strains. Personnel Psychology, 76(2), 473–510. https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12572 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/peps.12572
World Health Organization, & International Labour Organization. (2022). Mental health at work: Policy brief. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240057944
World Health Organization. (2022a). WHO guidelines on mental health at work. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240053052
World Health Organization. (2022b). World mental health report: Transforming mental health for all. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240049338
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 World Journal of Sustainable Advances in Multidisciplinarity

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.