Baharom, Zulkiffly and Abdullah, Khairul Hafezad (2025) Bibliometric Analysis of Institutional Theory Research. Fronteiras, 14 (2). pp. 168-184. ISSN 2238-8869

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Abstract

This study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of Institutional Theory research, utilizing data from the Scopus database from 1957 to 2023. The investigation employed a precise Boolean query using the term "institutional theory" with specific limits to article type and publication stage, yielding 436 articles after duplicate removal. Analysis through ScientoPy and VOSviewer revealed significant publication growth, with a 6% average annual growth rate and 16.7% of all papers published in the final year studied. The Journal of Management Inquiry leads with 15 publications (h-index 13), while emerging venues show increasing interest in sustainability applications. Geels' (2004) work on socio-technical systems, with 2,508 citations, remains the most influential publication. The United States dominates with 127 publications (h-index 46), although China and Brazil have demonstrated substantial recent contributions, with 20% and 33.3% of their publications appearing in recent years, respectively. Analysis of co-authorship networks revealed three major collaborative clusters centered around North American institutions, European researchers, and an emerging cluster connecting scholars from Brazil, China, and Australia, with cross-institutional collaboration increasing by 37% over the past decade. Research has evolved from institutional isomorphism to newer themes, including legitimacy (h-index 8) and sustainability, which has seen a 40% increase in recent publications. Notable limitations include reliance solely on Scopus, which may overlook unindexed journals and limit comprehensiveness. These findings provide practical frameworks for researchers exploring institutional pressures and organizational legitimacy while offering policymakers concrete strategies for designing institutions that facilitate corporate adaptation to sustainability challenges, guide organizational responses to digital transformation, and enhance resilience to global crises through institutional innovation and governance mechanisms..

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Institutional Theory; bibliometric analysis; research trends; organizational studies; knowledge evolution.
Subjects:	Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA75 Electronic computers. Computer science
Divisions:	School of Business Management
Depositing User:	Mdm. Rozana Zakaria
Date Deposited:	09 Nov 2026 14:10
Last Modified:	09 Nov 2026 14:10
URI:	https://repo.uum.edu.my/id/eprint/34468

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