Mapping the evolution of work-family conflict: a bibliometric analysis

Purpose This study aims to clarify the fundamental knowledge, interactions, research status and hotspots in work–family conflict (WFC). Design/methodology/approach This study reviewed 2,725 articles on WFC from the Web of Science Core Collection (2009–2024). Following the B-LSR framework and PRISMA guidelines, bibliometric methods were used for descriptive analysis, collaboration analysis, co-citation analysis and co-occurrence analysis. Findings Descriptive analysis indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated development in this field in 2020. Collaboration analysis shows extensive research partnerships among US universities and scholars. Co-citation analysis highlights the significant attention paid to journals, literature and researchers in the fields of psychology and management. Co-occurrence analysis identifies “resources,” “strain” and “moderating role” as key hotspots for future studies. Based on co-citation and co-occurrence analysis, the authors identify five streams: resource-based conflict explanations; boundary and segmentation perspectives; gendered and life-course views; and health and well-being outcomes. The authors further propose a multilevel theoretical framework for WFC – spanning macro, organizational, family and individual levels – and assess the maturity of existing research and future directions at each level. Originality/value This study visualizes the quantitative analysis results of the progress and trends of the WFC research, which is more objective and easier to understand than traditional qualitative analysis. This paper completely describes the domain from various perspectives, demonstrating the correlation, evolution and tendencies and constructing a comprehensive knowledge framework based on the results, which gives readers a full-scale view of the domain. This study highlights the critical information and future research features, which allows researchers to comprehend the core of this domain and proceed with further research with specific research interests and directions.