Mapping collaboration networks in talent management research

Purpose Despite the popularity of talent management (TM), very little has been published on the community of scholars that contribute to the knowledge base of the field. The purpose of this paper is to disclose the dynamics in TM research through a detailed analysis of its evolving collaboration networks (i.e. research communities) in order to identify key authors and major topics covered. Design/methodology/approach A total of 225 co-authored articles published on TM from 2001 to May 2016 were retrieved from the Web of Science and Scopus and then analyzed and mapped using social network analysis methods. Findings The authors identified two major scientific communities (one of 63 authors and the other one of 24 authors). Both communities not only have different characteristics and structure, but also focus on different topics. The authors identified key players within each community and offer a dynamic view on the main topics studied. Practical implications This paper may help practitioners and newcomers to the field to rapidly identify key players and main topics studied in the TM field. It may assist academic institutions and journal editorial teams in better assessing and identifying key scholars in this field. Originality/value This paper offers the first analysis of TM collaborative research networks.