A co-citation bibliometric analysis of strategic management research

Abstract

Strategic management remains a recent field of research that is dynamic and changing with the global business economy. Given the sheer importance of research on this field of business management, this paper aims to conduct a co-citation bibliometric analysis of strategic management research. We map the authors and the most relevant approaches as well as detailing the new theoretical perspectives to strategic management theory. The analysis conducted uses three multivariate statistical analysis techniques in addition to the co-citation matrix to shed light on these issues. By incorporating all the citations that are included in the Science Citation Index and the Social Science Citation Index, we analyze co-citation patterns of the strategic management field during the period 1971-2014 and identify six subfields (clusters) that constitute the intellectual structure and investigate their mutual relationships. The main findings of the factor analysis suggest that there is a clear division between strategic entrepreneurship and corporate entrepreneurship. In addition, the concept of strategic behavior affects most strategic management research as evidenced by the co-citation analysis. A debate of future directions on the strategic management literature is discussed, which highlights the importance of combining more of a strategic entrepreneurship perspective based on behavioral intentions to the emerging research.

A Retrospective and Foresight: Bibliometric Review of International Research on Strategic Management for Sustainability, 1991–2019

“…This research review employs science mapping in order to develop a comprehensive picture of knowledge accumulation with respect to a specific management domain in the sustainability literature. Consequently, the review extends prior bibliometric reviews of the strategic management [18][19][20][21] and managing for sustainable development and sustainability [3,24,33,34] literatures. This section describes the procedures for identifying the sources for review as well as data analysis and synthesis.…”

“…Both the growth of strategic management and its emerging centrality in the operation of organizations has been well documented in a number of broad-scale bibliometric reviews of research [18][19][20][21]. However, the field lacks documentation of ways in which strategic management is being used to achieve 'sustainability' goals that balance economic, environmental and social aspirations of the firm.…”

Introduction: the role of entrepreneurial universities in society

“…In order to propel students into the new economic landscape, universities are incorporating more entrepreneurial initiatives on campus. This forms part of the changing academic landscape that incorporates a more interactive style of teaching and research (Ferreira et al, 2016). Universities need to integrate entrepreneurial ideas and beliefs into their organizational structures (Clark, 1998).…”

Intellectual Structure and Scientific Evolution of Strategic Decision in the Field of Business and Management from 1971 to 2018

“…Over time, the bibliometric databases encompassing Scopus or Web of Science, and the various bibliometric tools such as the VOS viewer, and the SciMAT, had attracted much attention. These bibliometric methods have been consistently employed to explore the intellectual structure of strategic management (Ferreira, Fernandes, & Ratten, 2016;Nerur, Rasheed, & Natarajan, 2008;Ramos-Rodríguez & Ruíz-Navarro, 2004;Ronda-Pupo & Guerras-Martin, 2012). Earlier bibliometric literature had mainly focussed on fuzzy decision making (Blanco-Mesa et al, 2017), multiple criteria decision making (Bragge et al, 2010;Yu et al, 2018), and the decision support system (Qaiser et al, 2017).…”

“…Earlier bibliometric literature had mainly focussed on fuzzy decision making (Blanco-Mesa et al, 2017), multiple criteria decision making (Bragge et al, 2010;Yu et al, 2018), and the decision support system (Qaiser et al, 2017). Seminal bibliometric analyses have been used by scholars (Yu et al, 2018;Blanco-Mesa et al, 2017;Ferreira et al, 2016;Steptoe-Warren et al, 2011;Elbanna & Younies, 2008;Rajagopalan et al, 1993) to review literature on SD. However, digressing slightly from this, the current review aims to provide a perspective of the continuity, and a more updated and integrative point of view on the research on SD, as compiled from past studies.…”