Review

A Systematic Review of Supervisor Phubbing: Current Knowledge and Research Gaps

Volume: 10 Number: 4 December 30, 2025
  • Alisher Dedahanov
  • Muhammad Sodiq Rustamjonov
  • Azizakhon Atkhamova
  • Nodiraxon Bositxonova
  • Abdulkhamid Fayzullaev *
TR EN

A Systematic Review of Supervisor Phubbing: Current Knowledge and Research Gaps

Abstract

With the growing integration of smartphones into the workplace, the need to understand their impacts is ever more pressing. In particular, the phenomenon known as supervisor phubbing – where supervisors engage with their mobile phones during interactions with employees - has gained increasing interest among scholars as more evidence presents its negative consequences. Despite the growing scholarly interest and the increasing number of empirical studies, comprehensive reviews of supervisor phubbing research remain scarce. Therefore, the present study conducts a Systematic Literature Review to comprehensively examine, synthesize, and critically evaluate the current body of literature on supervisor phubbing, identifying research gaps and suggesting directions for future research. While supervisor phubbing constitutes the central focus of this review, it also includes studies addressing related forms of workplace phubbing behavior. In total, 17 studies were included and categorized into supervisor phubbing, coworker phubbing, self-phubbing (self-initiated phubbing), and general workplace phubbing. Findings from the studies included in this review indicate that supervisor phubbing negatively affects workplace atmosphere, leading to decreased trust, job satisfaction, engagement, and performance while increasing presenteeism, incivility, ostracism, and cyberloafing. Meanwhile, mindfulness, self-control, power-distance, and enterprise social media usage mitigate some negative effects. By synthesizing fragmented research, this review clarifies existing knowledge on supervisor phubbing and workplace phubbing behaviors, as well as their consequences. The study also proposes practical implications, including the establishment of clear organizational norms regarding smartphone use and the implementation of awareness-raising training programs to reduce phubbing behavior in workplace. Despite these valuable insights, most of the existing studies tend to rely on cross-sectional and correlational designs, which limit the exploration of direct causal effects. Additionally, past research mostly focuses on specific cultures or industries, restricting generalizability. Therefore, based on the identified key research gaps and limitations, this study offers future research directions.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

It is declared that scientific, ethical principles have been followed while carrying out and writing this study, and that all the sources used have been properly cited

References

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  8. Geser, H. (2004). Towards a Sociological Theory of the Mobile Phone. Socio.ch. https://socio.ch/mobile/t_geser1.htm

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Human Resources Management, Leadership, Organisational Behaviour

Journal Section

Review

Authors

Alisher Dedahanov This is me
0000-0002-2791-6946
Uzbekistan

Muhammad Sodiq Rustamjonov This is me
0009-0008-6176-8036
Uzbekistan

Azizakhon Atkhamova This is me
0009-0003-8146-2441
Uzbekistan

Nodiraxon Bositxonova This is me
0009-0005-4158-6313
Uzbekistan

Publication Date

December 30, 2025

Submission Date

August 17, 2025

Acceptance Date

December 25, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 10 Number: 4

APA
Dedahanov, A., Rustamjonov, M. S., Atkhamova, A., Bositxonova, N., & Fayzullaev, A. (2025). A Systematic Review of Supervisor Phubbing: Current Knowledge and Research Gaps. Turkish Academic Research Review, 10(4), 1119-1137. https://doi.org/10.30622/tarr.1767337
AMA
1.Dedahanov A, Rustamjonov MS, Atkhamova A, Bositxonova N, Fayzullaev A. A Systematic Review of Supervisor Phubbing: Current Knowledge and Research Gaps. tarr. 2025;10(4):1119-1137. doi:10.30622/tarr.1767337
Chicago
Dedahanov, Alisher, Muhammad Sodiq Rustamjonov, Azizakhon Atkhamova, Nodiraxon Bositxonova, and Abdulkhamid Fayzullaev. 2025. “A Systematic Review of Supervisor Phubbing: Current Knowledge and Research Gaps”. Turkish Academic Research Review 10 (4): 1119-37. https://doi.org/10.30622/tarr.1767337.
EndNote
Dedahanov A, Rustamjonov MS, Atkhamova A, Bositxonova N, Fayzullaev A (December 1, 2025) A Systematic Review of Supervisor Phubbing: Current Knowledge and Research Gaps. Turkish Academic Research Review 10 4 1119–1137.
IEEE
[1]A. Dedahanov, M. S. Rustamjonov, A. Atkhamova, N. Bositxonova, and A. Fayzullaev, “A Systematic Review of Supervisor Phubbing: Current Knowledge and Research Gaps”, tarr, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 1119–1137, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.30622/tarr.1767337.
ISNAD
Dedahanov, Alisher - Rustamjonov, Muhammad Sodiq - Atkhamova, Azizakhon - Bositxonova, Nodiraxon - Fayzullaev, Abdulkhamid. “A Systematic Review of Supervisor Phubbing: Current Knowledge and Research Gaps”. Turkish Academic Research Review 10/4 (December 1, 2025): 1119-1137. https://doi.org/10.30622/tarr.1767337.
JAMA
1.Dedahanov A, Rustamjonov MS, Atkhamova A, Bositxonova N, Fayzullaev A. A Systematic Review of Supervisor Phubbing: Current Knowledge and Research Gaps. tarr. 2025;10:1119–1137.
MLA
Dedahanov, Alisher, et al. “A Systematic Review of Supervisor Phubbing: Current Knowledge and Research Gaps”. Turkish Academic Research Review, vol. 10, no. 4, Dec. 2025, pp. 1119-37, doi:10.30622/tarr.1767337.
Vancouver
1.Alisher Dedahanov, Muhammad Sodiq Rustamjonov, Azizakhon Atkhamova, Nodiraxon Bositxonova, Abdulkhamid Fayzullaev. A Systematic Review of Supervisor Phubbing: Current Knowledge and Research Gaps. tarr. 2025 Dec. 1;10(4):1119-37. doi:10.30622/tarr.1767337