"I See Myself in the Mirror of Others"
A Systematic Review and New Paths to Explore Regarding Envy at Work
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31211/interacoes.n50.2026.a4Keywords:
workplace envy, human resource management, systematic reviewAbstract
Envy is an emotional phenomenon with effects on individuals and organizations, as it affects relationships, behavior, and performance, being characterized as a negative social emotion caused by the desire to possess something that is lacking. With this in mind, the objective of this systematic review is to map the itineraries, the conceptual structure, and the new paths to be explored regarding envy at work. By mapping the itineraries, it was possible to identify a time period of publications from 1995 to 2024. The thematic analysis, carried out through factor analysis of the keywords, allowed the identification of the thematic and conceptual structure of the field on envy at work based on four groupings: understanding and managing workers' emotions, abusive supervision, attachment theory, and research context. Thus, the research agenda was structured by 18 propositions, involving contemporary and thematic aspects, seeking the progressive advancement of this field of study. This research outlines a robust panorama of studies involving envy at work. The results presented reveal the contemporary relevance of the topic, its impacts, background, conceptual structure, and an agenda with new directions to be followed in order to understand this phenomenon from different perspectives and theories.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Méroli Saccardo dos Santos, Michel Barboza Malheiros, Vanessa Piovesan Rossato, Roger da Silva Wegner, Vania de Fátima Barros Estivalete
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