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Advances in management research: a bibliometric overview of the Review of Managerial Science

• Original Paper
• Open access
• Published: 03 August 2020
• Volume 14 , pages 933–958, ( 2020 )

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• Alicia Mas-Tur 1 ,
• Sascha Kraus   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-4886-7482 2 ,
• Mario Brandtner 3 ,
• Ralf Ewert 4 &
• Wolfgang Kürsten 3  

8059 Accesses

79 Citations

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The Review of Managerial Science (RMS) is a leading international journal that publishes major advances related to business administration and management. The journal was launched in April 2007 and publishes eight issues per year (from 2021 onwards). The scope of RMS encompasses, but is not limited to, the functional areas of operations (such as production, operations management, and marketing), management (such as human resources management, strategic management, and organizational theory), information systems and their interrelations with capital markets (such as accounting, auditing, finance, and taxation), as well as questions of business strategy, entrepreneurship, innovation, and corporate governance. This study offers a bibliometric overview of the publication and citation structure of RMS from its inception in 2007 until 2020 in terms of topics, authors, institutions, and countries, thereby offering a comprehensive overview of the history of the journal so far. All the data for the study are from the Web of Science Core Collection database. To complement this analysis, VOSviewer software provides graphical analysis. The analysis is based on several bibliometric techniques such as co-citation analysis and bibliographic coupling.

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1 Introduction

The Review of Managerial Science (RMS) is an international journal that provides a forum for innovative research from all scientific areas of business administration and management. The scope of RMS encompasses, but is not limited to, the functional areas of operations (such as production, operations management, and marketing), management (such as human resources management, strategic management, and organizational theory), information systems and their interrelations with capital markets (such as accounting, auditing, finance, and taxation), as well as questions of business strategy, entrepreneurship, innovation, and corporate governance. RMS encourages the submission of papers combining ideas and/or approaches from different areas in an innovative way. The journal also welcomes review papers presenting the “state-of-the-art” of a research area and highlighting new directions for further research, a category that has been increasingly neglected in many other journals in recent years. The scientific standards of RMS are guaranteed by a rigorous (at least) double-blind peer review process with ad hoc referees and the journal’s international Editorial Board.

RMS first appeared in 2007, with the founding Co-Editors-in-Chief Ralf Ewert (University of Graz, Austria) and Wolfgang Kürsten (University of Jena, Germany), who still lead the journal. Since 2019, the two Editors-in-Chief are supported by a group of Associate Editors which has continuously been extended to accommodate the ongoing constant growth. From August 2020 onwards, this group consists of seven Associates: Ricarda B. Bouncken (University of Bayreuth, Germany; primary area: business strategy & innovation management), Laura Cabeza - García (University of Léon, Spain; primary area: corporate governance & corporate social responsibility), Reinhold Decker (Bielefeld University, Germany; primary area: marketing), Fabian Homberg (LUISS University, Rome, Italy; primary area: Human Resource Management), Sascha Kraus (Durham University, UK; primary area: entrepreneurship, SMEs, & family business), Marc - Steffen Rapp (University of Marburg, Germany; primary area: corporate governance, accounting, & finance), and Kirsten Thommes (University of Paderborn, Germany; primary area: Human Resource Management).

RMS started by publishing three issues per year and has increased this number over time to eight issues per year from 2021 onwards. The yearly page budget has correspondingly increased from approximately 250 pages in the founding years to around 1100 pages in recent years. The number of submissions strongly increased from approximately 40 during the founding years to more than 540 in 2019. At the same time, the acceptance rate decreased substantially to below 10% in 2018 and 2019 (see Table  1 ).

RMS is indexed and abstracted in major databases, including the Social Science Citation Index, Journal Citation Reports/Social Sciences Edition, SCOPUS, and EBSCO Discovery Service. In 2011, the journal’s first Journal Citation Reports (JCR) Impact Factor (IF) was announced. Since then, RMS has constantly increased its IF to its current IF of 3.00 in 2019. In Elsevier’s SCOPUS database, RMS is currently rated #25 out of 221 journals in the category “General Business, Management and Accounting” based on its 2019 CiteScore rank of 4.4. Additionally, RMS is rated “B” (on a scale from A to D) in the German VHB Jourqual (JQ3) journal ranking, and it has been listed in the British Academic Journal Guide (ABS) and the French CNRS ratings since their latest editions.

The purpose of this overview study is to examine the main factors that have influenced RMS so far, mainly focusing on the authors, institutions, and countries publishing in the journal, as well as the leading topics that have been published up to now. This in-depth analysis establishes a general overview of the journal’s publication structure.

In order to conduct this kind of analysis, several bibliometric techniques are applied. Bibliometrics is a library and information science research field where quantitative methods are used to study bibliographic material (Broadus 1987 ; Pritchard 1969 ). Using the Web of Science Core Collection (WoS CC) database, bibliometric analyses enable qualitative study of bibliographic material over the 13-year existence of the journal (2007–2019).

A bibliometric study of a journal is a popular approach for identifying the leading trends of a journal in terms of topics, highly cited papers, authors, institutions, and countries. Many journals have already published bibliometric analyses of their publication and citation structure, with notable examples including Accounting Review (Heck and Bremser 1986 ), Journal of Financial Economics (Schwert 1993 ), Technovation (García-Merino et al. 2006 ; Thongpapanl 2012 ), Journal of Business Research (Merigó et al. 2015 ), and Journal of Knowledge Management (Gaviria-Marín et al. 2018 ).

To thoroughly analyze bibliographic characteristics, mapping techniques are employed as well (Cobo et al. 2011 ; Small 1999 ). This article presents analysis of co-occurrences, co-citations, and bibliographic coupling based on the journal’s 10-year presence in the Web of Science (WoS) database. The results are visualized using VOSviewer software (Van Eck and Waltman 2010 ).

Bibliometrics can be defined as the research field in which the quantitative aspects of bibliographic material are studied (Broadus 1987 ). Bibliometrics was used as a key concept for the first time by Alan Pritchard in 1969 to replace the ambiguous concept of statistical bibliography (Pritchard 1969 ). Another term to refer to bibliometrics is scientometrics , which was coined by Nalimov and Mulchenko ( 1969 ) to define the study of all aspects of the literature of science and technology (Nalimov and Mulchenko 1969 ). Finally, Nacke ( 1979 ) proposed the term informetrics as a substitute for bibliometrics. Nowadays, bibliometrics, scientometrics, and informetrics are similar key concepts to define the discipline aimed at the quantitative study of bibliographic data (Sengupta 1992 ; Hood and Wilson 2001 ).

Bibliometrics is a library and information science research field where bibliographic material is studied using quantitative methods (Broadus 1987 ; Pritchard 1969 ). It is very useful for developing a comprehensive overview of the leading trends in a research field, journal, or country (Hood and Wilson 2001 ). It also enables identification of the most relevant authors on a given topic. A scientometric review provides a holistic approach because it involves a wide coverage of academic research (in this case, 285 publications) and provides objective analysis of a journal or a research field. This extensive review, which is based on a large number of published works, gives a more complete understanding of a journal or research field and can determine the qualitative and quantitative changes that occur. Likewise, it enables the creation of maps by generating groups of the main research topics. Essentially, scientometric maps give a holistic view of a particular domain and highlight trends and gaps in research (Suriñach Caralt et al. 2002 ).

Bibliometric studies are available in a wide range of fields including economics (Coupe 2003 ), management (Podsakoff et al. 2008 ), innovation (Fagerberg et al. 2012 ), entrepreneurship (Landström et al. 2012 ; Ferreira et al. 2019 ), family business (Xi et al. 2015 ), and operations research (Merigó and Yang 2017 ). In comparison with traditional literature reviews (e.g., Kraus et al. 2020 ), which are prone to subjective interpretation by researchers, scientometric reviews constitute a methodological innovation (Serrano Bedia et al. 2013 ). This innovation stems from their use of algorithms, data on production, dispersion, collaboration, and impact indexes (Moya and Prior 2008 ) to provide objectivity, consistency, and transparency (van Eck and Waltman 2014 ).

To perform a bibliometric analysis, it is important to define the bibliometric indicators that are used to analyze the data (Merigó et al. 2015 ). This study considers the number of publications and citations. The number of publications measures productivity, whereas the number of citations reflects popularity and influence. This study also considers the cites-per-paper ratio and the h-index (Hirsch 2005 ). The h-index indicates the maximum number ( h ) such that a given author (or journal) has published h papers that have each been cited at least h times. For the country analysis, the results are provided per million inhabitants in order to compare countries with different sizes (Table  7 ). For the university analysis, the general world ranking of the top universities with authors published in RMS is presented, according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) and the Quacquarelli & Symonds (QS) University Ranking (Table  6 ).

The study offers further graphical analysis of the bibliographic data using VOSviewer software (Van Eck and Waltman 2010 , 2014 ). Using this software, two bibliometric techniques are presented: co-citation analysis (Small 1999 ) and bibliographic coupling (Kessler 1963 ). A co-citation occurs when two documents receive a citation from the same third document. Bibliographic coupling refers to situations where two studies cite the same third document. Co-citation analysis applies to authors, and bibliographic coupling applies to authors, institutions, and countries.

In the period 2009 to 2019, RMS published 285 documents indexed in WoS. These 285 documents encompass 248 original papers, 28 review papers, 7 editorials, and 2 other items such as proceedings or corrections. In this bibliometric analysis, 267 documents are considered. Notably, for 2019, 16 articles with early access are excluded. These articles were published online between October and November 2019, but had not been assigned to a regular issue at the time of the study.

Table  2 and Fig.  1 present the annual number of citations of RMS publications, as well as the number of publications reaching a certain citation threshold (more than 100 citations, more than 50 citations, etc.). The number of publications has increased over time. Simultaneously, there was a strong increase in the number of the citations from 2010 (24) to 2011 (296). The last few years show a decline in the number of citations. This decline can be regarded as normal and is due to the lag until articles which cite those papers have also undergone the necessary review process before acceptance or publication. Papers published in the years 2013 and 2014 seem to have attracted a smaller audience as well.

Annual citation structure of the journal

Figure  2 shows the evolution of the TOP 5 most cited papers. On an individual basis, three papers have received more than 100 citations: the 2011 paper by Gamerschlag et al. entitled “Determinants of voluntary CSR disclosure: empirical evidence from Germany”, the Kraus et al. 2012 paper by Kraus et al. entitled “Entrepreneurial orientation and the business performance of SMEs: a quantitative study from the Netherlands”, and the 2015 paper by Bouncken et al. entitled “Coopetition: a systematic review, synthesis, and future research directions”. These papers are from three separate subject areas: CSR, entrepreneurship, and strategy.

Evolution of the citations of the most cited RMS papers

Another relevant question is, Who cites RMS? The answer indicates the sources of RMS’s influence. During the years of 2009 to 2019, RMS received 1643 citations (February 2020). Table  3 presents the journals that have published more than 10 articles citing RMS.

As expected, RMS itself is the journal with the highest number of articles citing RMS publications because the research published in one journal tends to influence future research in the same journal, building an important foundation for the ongoing academic discourse on that topic. The journals Sustainability (90 documents), Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management (37 documents), Journal of Cleaner Production (32 documents), and Journal of Business Research (30 documents) also cite RMS frequently.

In the next step, the relationship between RMS and other journals is analyzed using a co-citation mapping of journals cited by RMS publications (Fig.  3 ). Co-citations can be defined as two documents that receive a citation from the same third document (Cancino et al. 2017 ). A co-citation mapping is valuable for understanding the clusters of journals that are most closely linked to RMS because they are cited by papers published in RMS.

Co-citation of journals in RMS (minimum citation threshold of 10 and 100 lines)

There are four main clusters. The first one is led by Strategic Management Journal and Academy of Management Journal , the second is led by Journal of Finance and Journal of Financial Economics , the third is led by Journal of Business Research , and the fourth is led by Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice . The conclusion is that there are four main areas of research cited by the manuscripts published in RMS: management, finance, business, and entrepreneurship.

Table  4 presents a list of the 25 most cited studies published in RMS according to the results found in WoS. In 1927, the first article that used the citation count to evaluate the importance of scientific research was published (Gross and Gross 1927 ). In the article, the author argues that success breeds success and that a document with many citations is more likely to be cited again than a document with few citations. Similarly, an author with many articles is more likely than a less productive author to publish a new article, and it is more common to refer to a frequently consulted journal than a journal with a small readership (Price 1976 ). As Joseph ( 2003 ) reports, citations can be viewed as the “currency of modern science” (Marsh and Merton 1986 ; Garfield 1999 ), and the analysis of citations has become increasingly important to journal editors, authors, and readers (Merigó et al. 2015 ). The list of the 25 most cited papers reveals three main topics: corporate social responsibility (CSR), business sustainability, and entrepreneurship and management.

In the fields of CSR and business sustainability, the topics of social entrepreneurship and green innovation are receiving considerable attention due to the current concerns related to environmental destruction (Abdullah et al. 2016 ). The most cited papers in RMS dealing with CSR and business sustainability focus on: (1) voluntary CSR disclosure as a key issue for company visibility, shareholder structure, and the relationship with stakeholders (Gamerschlag et al. 2011 ); (2) the relationship between CSR disclosure and market valuations, especially in reference to firms operating in environmentally sensitive industries (Reverte 2016 ); (3) board independence as the main way to enhance the adoption of social activities (Fernández-Gago et al. 2016 ); and (4) the growth in CSR practices and its effect on managerial discretion (Ferrero et al. 2012 ). There are two main points that attract scholars’ attention in this field of research: CSR disclosure and managerial implications of social activities.

Regarding entrepreneurship and management, Bouncken is a leading author whose research in RMS is focused on different fields of entrepreneurship. (1) Entrepreneurial orientation: Bouncken et al. ( 2016 ) focus on entrepreneurial orientation in inter-organizational alliances. From the dynamic capabilities point of view, the authors conclude that the ability to absorb partners’ knowledge is a key point to improve joint product innovation; (2) entrepreneurial performance: Bouncken and Reuschl ( 2018 ) focus on entrepreneurial performance and opportunism. Opportunism is seen as knowledge leakage, which reduces organizational learning processes by decreasing trust and community building; (3) entrepreneurial coopetition: As previously outlined, Bouncken et al. ( 2015 ) focus on coopetition. This is a novel research field, and the authors highlight the importance of developing more theoretical and empirical approaches. They focus on the implications for innovation, taking into consideration the relationship between coopetition and knowledge flow.

In the field of entrepreneurship, some of the most cited papers in RMS deal with family business, focusing on the following topics: (1) internationalization in family firms (Mitter et al. 2014 ); (2) capital structure decisions of family firms (Ampenberger et al. 2013 ); and (3) corporate reputation and image (Sageder et al. 2018 ). In all cases, the studies focus on the influence of the family owners on the management of the company.

Table  5 lists the leading authors in terms of publications and impact. To be included in this list, the authors must have more than five citations and at least three publications. In academia, it has long been argued that more than one indicator must be evaluated to determine the overall contribution of an author or institution. Therefore, Table  5 provides different commonly used impact metrics: the total publications of the author, the h-index, the total number of citations, and, as a relative impact approach, the number of citations divided by the number of publications. The leading author in both number of publications and number of citations is Sascha Kraus, whose area of expertise is entrepreneurship, strategic management, and international management.

Finally, when analyzing the location of the authors’ affiliation, two main clusters can be found: one consists of authors from German institutions, and the other of authors from Austrian institutions.

Figure  4 a, b show the co-citations of authors in RMS. A co-citation (Small 1999 ; Marshakova-Shaikevich 2005 ) of authors occurs when the authors of two documents receive a citation from the same author in a third document. Thus, the co-citation establishes the number of documents in which they are cited together.

a Co-citation of authors in RMS (minimum citation threshold of 20 and 100 links). b Co-citation of authors in RMS: one special cluster (minimum citation threshold of 20 and 100 links)

Figure  4 a shows the relationship between authors in RMS, where four different clusters can be detected. This analysis shows that two of the most cited authors, Kraus and Bouncken, are especially related because of their common field of research: entrepreneurship and coopetition.

Figure  4 b shows that Kraus, the leading author publishing in RMS according to Table  5 , is the link between the clusters. As can be seen from Table  4 , Kraus investigates topics related to entrepreneurship, coopetition, and family firms, so it is unsurprising that he has relationships with different clusters.

Figure  5 shows the co-occurrence of author keywords in RMS. Keyword co-occurrence is also called co-word analysis. This analysis links the most used keywords in the published manuscripts to describe the conceptual framework of a research field—in this case, the research focus of RMS (Callon et al. 1983 ; Courtial 1994 ; Ding et al. 2001 ).

Co-occurrence of author keywords in RMS (minimum occurrence threshold of 2 and 100 links)

Figure  5 displays the evolution of topics in RMS. Table  4 shows that there are two predominant topics addressed in RMS: CSR and family business. This figure also shows the most novel keywords (RMS keywords from 2018 appear in yellow). In the last year, two new key topics appeared: innovation and coopetition.

Table  6 presents the 14 most productive and influential institutions with more than five publications in RMS, ranked by total number of publications. For the university analysis, this study presents the general world ranking of the top universities in RMS, according to the ARWU and the QS University Ranking (Table  6 ).

Table  6 shows that the University of Regensburg (Germany) tops the ranking. Two members of the RMS Editorial Board belong to this university. One of them, Roland Helm, is the third-ranked author in terms of number of publications. Second and third, with the same number of publications, are Johannes Kepler University of Linz (Austria) and the University of Liechtenstein.

Table  6 shows a strong European cluster. From the 14 universities included in the ranking, 12 are located in Europe. The two non-European institutions are the National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan and the University of Malaya in Malaysia.

Table  7 represents the annual evolution of contributions by countries. The dominant country in RMS with the most contributions is Germany (91), followed by Spain (33) and Austria (25). For the country analysis, the results are presented per million inhabitants in order to compare countries of different sizes (Table  7 ).

Figure  6 shows the bibliographic coupling of countries publishing in RMS with a minimum publication threshold of two documents and 50 links. According to Kessler ( 1963 ), bibliographic coupling can be defined as the number of shared references by citing documents (that is, two documents that cite the same third document).

Bibliographic coupling of countries publishing in RMS (minimum publication threshold of 2 documents and 50 links)

As Fig.  6 shows, there are four country clusters. The first cluster contains Germany, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United States. The second is composed of Spain, Chile, the United States, and Portugal. The third cluster comprises Austria, the Netherlands, Germany, and England. The fourth cluster is made up of Liechtenstein, Finland, Poland, and France. Additionally, there is a fifth cluster. Despite being small, this cluster should be mentioned because it contains countries such as China, South Korea, Malaysia, and Australia, all of which are Asia–Pacific countries that share research with each other.

Germany has by far the most bibliographic couplings and links with all other countries. This is unsurprising since Germany is the most productive and influential country publishing in RMS over time (Table  7 ). Moreover, Germany also has the most productive and influential institution, with the University of Regensburg (Table  6 ), and another six German universities appear in Table  6 among the most productive institutions. In addition, Fig.  5 shows other major clusters such as Austria, Taiwan, Liechtenstein, and England. Austria is also present in this research because it is the third country in Table  7 . Moreover, four Austrian institutions appear in Table  6 , where the most productive and influential institutions are shown, and six of the most influential authors belong to this country.

Furthermore, Spain (in blue) is closely related to Germany. Spain is also related to Chile, which is another Spanish-speaking country. As can be seen from Table  7 , Spain is the second most productive and influential country. Finally, Fig.  6 shows a close relationship between Germany, Austria, and Liechtenstein. This pattern is unsurprising because this paper has already shown that the authors and institutions from these countries–which all share the same language–are closely linked.

4 Conclusions

This study offers an overview of the structure of publications that have appeared in RMS from the journal’s launch in 2007 until the end of 2019. To carry out the study, bibliometric indicators from the WoS database are used. The analysis examines the number of citations of RMS by authors and other journals, as well as the most cited articles and the most productive and influential institutions and countries. In addition, the bibliometric study is complemented by VOSviewer analysis, which provides graphical analysis of the clusters of research topics, countries, and authors in the journal.

The results show a strong increase in publications and citations over time. It is worth highlighting the high impact of the articles published by the main authors, since they have managed to receive citations of all their articles published in RMS. The results also indicate that Germany is the leading country in the journal in terms of impact, followed by Spain, Austria, and Switzerland. In a similar vein, the most influential institution is the University of Regensburg in Germany, with a total of 15 publications, followed by other European universities. In addition, the VOSviewer analysis shows that Germany has the most bibliographic couplings and links with other countries.

Regarding the clusters obtained from the VOSviewer analysis of knowledge areas and topics, there are four main areas of research cited by the manuscripts published in RMS: management, finance, business, and entrepreneurship. Within these areas, there are two dominant topics in the journal’s publications throughout its history: CSR and family business. However, innovation and coopetition have recently become increasingly cited topics.

Although this study offers a comprehensive analysis of the main RMS publications, it of course has some limitations. The study of the journal’s publications refers to the period since the journal’s inception. Accordingly, the earliest published articles have normally received more citations than the most recent ones, even if the latter might be more influential; their long-term impact might not yet have been seen. Furthermore, by their very nature, the analyses are descriptive as well as backward-oriented. They can serve very well for presenting the past but can only give limited information about upcoming future trends in terms of the topics which will become influential. What can be concluded already, however, is that the journal is continuing to rise. As a result of the high quality of its publications, RMS has been indexed in the WoS since 2011, just four years after its launch. This achievement shows the high degree of interest of authors and readers in the topics of the journal, as well as its academic impact. Also the JCR Impact Factor is constantly increasing. RMS currently holds a JCR Impact Factor of 3.0 (as of 2019), and it is ranked in the second quartile of the “Management” category. RMS has gained international appeal and is continuing to actively shape academic discourse in several areas of management science.

All in all, RMS continues to welcome contributions from all areas within the wider business and management continuum that, regardless of the chosen method (quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, experimental, conceptual, as well as review articles or meta-analyses, but usually excluding single case studies, student samples or samples from one single geographical area–such as cities or regions–with limited representativeness or generalizability), have the potential to set new foundations for a prominent future academic discourse within the journal and beyond.

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Mas-Tur, A., Kraus, S., Brandtner, M. et al. Advances in management research: a bibliometric overview of the Review of Managerial Science. Rev Manag Sci 14 , 933–958 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-020-00406-z

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Business Management Research Paper Topics

This page provides a comprehensive guide on business management research paper topics , designed to assist students in selecting areas that align with their interests and academic goals. The content is organized into several sections, offering an extensive list of topics divided into ten major categories, practical tips on choosing and writing on these topics, and information about iResearchNet’s customized writing services. The material aims to not only inspire and educate students but also support them in their academic journey, making the process of writing a research paper in business management more accessible and engaging. Whether you are new to the field or looking to explore new areas, this resource serves as a valuable starting point.

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Strategic Management

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Marketing Management

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Operations Management

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Business Ethics and Social Responsibility

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Technology Management

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• Technology Management in Healthcare
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• Innovation in Mobile Technologies for Business
• Technology in Human Resources Management
• Internet of Things (IoT) and Smart Businesses
• Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) in Marketing

In conclusion, this comprehensive list of business management research paper topics offers students an expansive range of subjects to explore. These topics cater to various interests and can be further customized to align with specific research goals and academic requirements. Whether focusing on leadership, innovation, ethics, or technology, the options provided enable students to dive into meaningful inquiries that contribute to our understanding of the complex and dynamic field of business management.

Business Management and the Range of Research Paper Topics

Business management is an intricate and multifaceted discipline that encompasses various aspects of the modern corporate environment. It involves planning, organizing, directing, and controlling organizational resources to achieve specific goals. This vast field offers a plethora of research paper topics that span across leadership, strategy, marketing, human resources, technology, and more. In this article, we’ll explore the core areas of business management and the wide range of research topics they offer to students and scholars.

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Human resources management (HRM) plays a critical role in recruiting, training, motivating, and retaining employees. Research topics within HRM may include diversity and inclusion, talent management, performance appraisal systems, and employee wellness programs. The evolving nature of remote work has also opened new avenues for research in HR practices and its impact on organizational culture.

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Financial management is vital for the financial health and stability of an organization. Research in this area may involve financial planning, investment strategies, risk management, financial technology, and corporate finance. Analyzing the effects of economic fluctuations or studying the role of FinTech in business can contribute to a deeper understanding of financial decisions and their consequences.

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Innovation and entrepreneurship are about fostering creativity, starting new ventures, and driving organizational growth. Research in this field can cover start-up culture, social entrepreneurship, venture capital, women entrepreneurs, and innovation in product development. Understanding disruptive technologies or exploring creativity in entrepreneurship can enrich the body of knowledge in business innovation.

Business ethics and social responsibility examine how organizations engage with stakeholders and the broader community. Topics include corporate social responsibility, ethical decision-making, transparency, and compliance. Research in this area can highlight the importance of ethics in global operations or explore the social impact of business practices.

International business management studies how organizations operate on a global scale. Research topics in this area may include globalization, cross-border mergers, international business strategy, and emerging markets. Investigating international marketing strategies or leadership in international business can offer unique insights into global commerce and cross-cultural interactions.

Technology management is an evolving field that integrates technology into business strategies. Research can explore artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital transformation, blockchain technology, and more. Investigating the role of technology in various business functions can lead to new ways of leveraging technology for growth and innovation.

Business management is a dynamic and complex field that intersects with various domains and specialties. The breadth of topics available for research reflects the multifaceted nature of the business world. Whether investigating leadership philosophies, diving into marketing strategies, exploring financial decision-making, or examining the ethical considerations of business practices, the field of business management offers a rich and varied landscape for intellectual inquiry.

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How to Choose Business Management Research Paper Topics

Choosing a topic for a research paper in business management can be a daunting task given the multifaceted nature of the field. Selecting the right topic is crucial as it lays the foundation for the entire research process. A well-chosen topic not only engages the reader but also aligns with the researcher’s interest, the study’s scope, and academic requirements. Here, we’ll explore some strategies and tips to help guide you through the process of choosing business management research paper topics that will resonate with your academic pursuits and curiosity.

• Identify Your Area of Interest : Start by identifying the particular aspect of business management that intrigues you the most. Whether it’s human resources, marketing, finance, leadership, or any other area, focusing on your interest helps ensure that the research process will be engaging and rewarding.
• Analyze the Relevance : Consider the relevance of the topic to current trends and issues in the business world. Researching a relevant and timely subject allows your work to contribute to contemporary discourse and can make it more appealing to readers.
• Consider Academic and Practical Applications:  Think about the academic significance and real-world applications of the chosen topic. It’s essential to align the topic with academic theories while also considering how it can apply to real-world business scenarios.
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• Consult with a Mentor or Advisor:  Consulting with a mentor, advisor, or faculty member can provide valuable insights and guidance in selecting the most suitable topic. They can offer expert advice based on your interests, academic requirements, and the field’s current trends.
• Analyze Previous Research:  Reviewing existing research in the desired field can highlight gaps in knowledge, emerging trends, and potential areas for further investigation. Analyzing previous works helps in building on existing knowledge and contributing something new to the field.
• Consider Ethical Implications:  It’s important to consider the ethical implications of the chosen research topic, especially if it involves human subjects, sensitive data, or controversial issues. Ensuring that the research adheres to ethical standards adds credibility to your work.
• Align with Learning Objectives : Make sure that the chosen topic aligns with your course’s learning objectives and your personal academic goals. A topic that complements your academic trajectory can enhance your understanding of the field and contribute to your professional development.
• Test the Topic : Before fully committing to a topic, consider writing a brief overview or outline to test if the topic resonates with your interests and if it can be explored in depth. This preliminary exercise can help in refining the topic and ensuring that it’s suitable for an extensive research paper.

Choosing the right business management research paper topic is a critical step that requires careful consideration and thoughtful planning. By following these tips, students can navigate the vast landscape of business management research and hone in on a topic that aligns with their interests, academic requirements, and the current trends in the field.

The chosen topic should not only reflect personal curiosity but also contribute to the broader understanding of business management. Engaging with mentors, analyzing existing research, considering practical applications, and evaluating the ethical and academic alignment of the topic will enable students to embark on a rewarding research journey that resonates with both academic scholars and business professionals.

How to Write a Business Management Research Paper

Writing a business management research paper involves meticulous planning, research, analysis, and composition. A well-crafted paper should reflect an in-depth understanding of business principles, theories, practices, and their application in the real world. In this section, we’ll guide you through the process of writing a compelling and insightful business management research paper, from the initial stages of planning to the final draft.

• Understand the Assignment Requirements : Before you begin, carefully read and understand the assignment guidelines and requirements. Pay attention to the expected length, format, style, and deadlines. Knowing what’s expected ensures that you meet the specific criteria and avoid unnecessary revisions.
• Start with a Strong Thesis Statement : Your thesis statement is the central argument or claim that you’ll be supporting throughout the paper. It should be clear, concise, and specific, guiding the reader on what to expect from your research.
• Conduct Thorough Research : Invest time in conducting thorough research. Utilize academic databases, scholarly articles, textbooks, and reputable online sources. Ensure that your sources are credible, recent, and relevant to your topic.
• Create a Detailed Outline : A well-structured outline helps in organizing your thoughts, arguments, and supporting evidence. Outline each section of your paper, including the introduction, methodology, analysis, conclusion, and bibliography.
• Write the Introduction : The introduction sets the stage for your research, providing background information, context, and the rationale for your study. Clearly state the problem you are addressing, your research questions, and your thesis statement.
• Develop the Methodology : In the methodology section, describe the research methods you used, such as surveys, interviews, or case studies. Explain why you chose these methods and how they helped you gather and analyze data.
• Analyze and Discuss Your Findings : Present and analyze your findings in a logical and coherent manner. Use charts, graphs, or tables to illustrate key points. Discuss how your findings support or challenge existing theories, and provide insights into the implications for business management.
• Craft a Thoughtful Conclusion : The conclusion should summarize the key findings, restate the thesis, and discuss the broader implications of your research. Highlight any limitations and suggest areas for future research.
• Cite Your Sources Properly : Proper citation is essential for academic integrity. Use the required citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, Harvard) consistently throughout the paper. Create a comprehensive bibliography to list all the sources you’ve referenced.
• Revise and Edit : Spend ample time revising and editing your paper. Check for clarity, coherence, grammatical errors, and stylistic issues. Consider seeking feedback from peers, tutors, or professional editors to ensure that your paper meets high standards.
• Consider the Practical Implications : Discuss the practical implications of your findings, linking theoretical concepts with real-world business applications. Demonstrating how your research can be applied in a business context adds value to your paper.
• Adhere to Ethical Standards : Ensure that your research complies with ethical standards, particularly if you’ve used human subjects or sensitive data. Obtain necessary permissions and be transparent about your research procedures.
• Add an Executive Summary (if required) : An executive summary provides a concise overview of the entire paper and is particularly useful for papers intended for a business audience. It should highlight the main points, findings, and implications in a brief and accessible manner.

Writing a business management research paper requires careful planning, critical thinking, and meticulous execution. By following these tips, you can craft a paper that is coherent, insightful, and engaging.

Remember that a successful business management research paper not only adheres to academic standards but also resonates with professionals in the field. Invest time in understanding the topic, conducting robust research, articulating your arguments, and reflecting on the broader implications of your findings. With dedication, attention to detail, and a thoughtful approach, you’ll be well on your way to producing a research paper that stands out in both academic and business communities.

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10 Trending Business Management Research Topics in 2024

Home Blog Business Management 10 Trending Business Management Research Topics in 2024

Business management has become essential for staying competitive and profitable in today's fast-paced world. It encompasses understanding all aspects of business, from its structure to finance, marketing, and strategy. Pursuing a postgraduate course in business management, such as PGDM, requires writing a well-researched paper to kickstart one's career. 

However, the biggest challenge lies in selecting a relevant and trending research topic. To help with this, we have compiled a list of ten business management research paper topics that are currently trending in 2024, covering advancements in technology and innovative leadership strategies. Enrolling in Business Management training courses can further enhance your skills and knowledge, enabling you to take your career to new heights. So, let's delve into these cutting-edge topics together and gain insights for career growth.

What are some Good Business Management Research Topics?

Every aspect of business, like strategy, finance, operations, and management, is essential. So, it’s hard to say that a particular area of research is more significant. Choosing the best research topic in business management within your area of interest or specialization is one way to decide what your business management research project will be about. It is also a learning process and an opportunity to showcase your in-depth knowledge. 

But if you want to explore other options, write about trending issues and events in the business world, and learn something new, here’s a list of 10 research proposal topics in business management that can help you create an engaging and practical project. You can also take a CCBA training certification to learn more in-depth about business management. 

Conflict Management in a Work Team

With businesses going global, team management has escalated from merely managing people to guiding, mentoring and resolving conflicts among individuals. Teams with multicultural members from different departments are fertile ground for conflicts. If you are looking for international business management research topics, conflict management in work teams is an excellent option. 

This research will give you an insight into the various causes of conflict and different techniques and methods of conflict resolution within global multi-lingual and multi-cultural teams enabling you to lead teams successfully and keep disruptions minimal. Better teams translate to better productivity and, eventually, revenue. On the personal front, it means career growth, leadership roles, and higher pay scales for you.

The Role of Women in Business Management

In contemporary society, women have made notable strides in shattering patriarchal norms and embracing diverse opportunities and career paths, thereby demonstrating their strength and autonomy. While women encounter challenges in assuming leadership roles, often stemming from prevailing cultural attitudes, their presence in business management positions is more prevalent than commonly perceived. This prompts inquiry into the factors that contribute to the exceptional success of certain women in managerial positions and the unique value they bring to such roles. Exploring this subject through qualitative research could yield insightful findings regarding women's impact on business management.

Issues that Affect the Management of Business Startups

The COVID-19 pandemic drove everyone online and created a new digital startup ecosystem. However, while it may be easy to set up a digital business, sustenance, scaling, and growth are some of the challenges that follow. If you are entrepreneurial, your research title about business management should read something like “Challenges in the startup ecosystem.” Such research covers issues that affect the management of business startups. It covers the various factors that lead to success and the pitfalls and obstacles on the growth trajectory. It covers effective strategies to mitigate or work around challenges, and this is where you can get creative. Limiting your research to startups is okay, but you can also cover significant ground across other business models.

Consequences of Excessive Work in Business

Work-life balance is the buzzword in today’s business environment. If you choose to write your thesis on the impact of excessive work in business, it could well escalate to international levels as everyone talks about employee well-being, from corporates to SMEs and top management to HR. 

The single most significant reason behind this is the instances of early burnout seen in the past. Secondly, globalization is another cause for concern since people are often required to work multiple shifts. Lastly, the recent trend of post-Covid layoffs that have driven the need for side hustle makes it even more necessary to keep track of how hectic business operations are. 

Why You Should Start a New Business After One Fails

Failure is the steppingstone to success. Or so the saying goes. The recent outcrop of start-ups has proven this to be true. If one venture fails, do not give up. Learn from the experience and start again. Not only is that the mantra of the current generation, but it is also among the trending quantitative research topics in business management. 

The main objective and outcome of this business management research topic are to explore lessons learned from failures, the advantages of starting afresh, and the strategies for overcoming the fear of failure.

Importance of Inter-organizational Leadership and Networks

This research focuses on managing global networks in leadership roles. It is among the hot favorite research topics for business management students considering how businesses are going global. If you are an aspiring global entrepreneur or leader, you would want to know more about local and global inter-organizational networks, how things work, how people communicate, etc. Researching inter-organizational leadership and networks can provide insights into businesses' challenges and opportunities when building and maintaining relationships. Managing these relationships is another challenging part of the process, and that is what you will learn through this research. 

How to Manage Organizational Crisis in Business

Not only is crisis management a critical leadership skill, but today's turbulent business environment is fertile ground for an organizational crisis. Globalization, digitization, and the startup ecosystem have disrupted the environment. Barring corporates, a crisis can strike any business at any time and bailing out of that crisis is the responsibility of the business leadership. Managing an organizational crisis in business is a popular business management research paper topic, especially among MBA students, PGDM, and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Product and Service Development in a Strategic Alliance

When it comes to research paper topics related to business management, one area worth exploring is product bundling in a strategic alliance. The ICICI credit card offered to online customers of Amazon India is a classic example.

Development of such strategic products or services requires in-depth product knowledge, knowledge of finance, and of course, a strategic mindset. If you have a strategic mindset and interest in product management, this is one of your best business management research project topics.

Innovation and Network Markets as a Business Strategy

Innovation and Network marketing is an emerging and strategic business model for startups. When entrepreneurs need more resources to raise seed or venture capital for their businesses, they elect to market their products through networking. Social Media platforms like Facebook offer substantial networking opportunities. Choose this probe as your quantitative research topic for business management if you have entrepreneurial aspirations to understand every aspect of this business model and strategy in depth.

Social Enterprise and Entrepreneurship

Social enterprise is any business having a social objective and undertaking activities in the public interest. Writing a research paper on social enterprises and entrepreneurship will lead you to explore opportunities that can bring an innovative change in society and hold business potential. One thing to remember if you want to explore social enterprise and entrepreneurship as one of several business management research titles is that the organizational goal is primarily social impact rather than revenue generation. This research will make you more open to an inclusive idea of growth by bringing you closer to social causes, marginalized communities, and people thriving in them.

Business Research: Types and Methodologies

Business research, like any other research, involves the collection of data and information about your chosen topic, analysis of the information and data gathered, and exploring new possibilities in the field. 

Broadly speaking, research may be of two types – Quantitative or Qualitative. Quantitative research, also called empirical research, involves the collection of data from sample groups to answer a question. Qualitative research has more to do with the impact of certain phenomena. Such research is usually an extension of previously researched topics. 

The table below highlights the difference between quantitative research topics in business management and qualitative research about business management. 

How to Find Business Research Topics?

This is just our list of hot and trending business research topics. To help you discover more research project topics on business management, here are some quick-follow tips:

Identify Your Interests

Start by making a list of the various aspects of business management that interest you. Rate them on a scale of 1-10, with one being the least liked and 10 being your most favorite. You can also narrow down your topic to a specific niche while seeking sample research topics in business management.

Read Academic Journals

You might want to conduct preliminary research on a few of the topics you shortlisted to see if something interesting jumps out at you. One way to do this is by reading academic journals related to your selected area of business management. Findings by earlier researchers may trigger innovative thought.

Attend Events

Attending business events like seminars, conferences, and webinars on topics of interest can help you narrow down your list of research topics related to business management. It is also an excellent way to gather knowledge about your area of interest as well as to grow your network.

Consult your supervisor or Mentor

Your thesis supervisor is a valuable resource when searching for the best research topics in business management. They can guide you about relevant research areas and help you identify potential research questions apart from guiding you on research presentation.

Use Online Resources

Many research journals online allow students access to research papers either free of cost or in exchange for a small fee. Explore this resource and sign up for a few that are relevant to your area of interest.

The world of business management is constantly evolving and finding the right business management research topic might seem like a Herculean task. But, with a little thought, planning, and some research, it is not that hard. So, the 10 topics we've explored in this blog represent some of the most significant areas of development in the field of business management today, from the rise of women as business leaders and to the importance of innovation and network markets. As we move into 2024 and beyond, it's clear that these topics will only continue to grow in importance, shaping the way we do business and interact with the world around us. By staying informed and engaged with the latest research and trends, you can position yourself as a thought leader and innovator in the world of business management. 

Also, our pointers on how to discover a business management research topic will help you identify a list of research topics in business management for your thesis. You can then narrow it down to your area of talent or interest. If you still want to know more, you can enroll in our  KnowledgeHut Business Management training , where you’ll learn more about the different aspects of business. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Business management is wide in scope, and there is a spectrum of research topics to choose from. The most prominent areas of business include finance, operations, procurement, marketing, and HR. Within each of these, you’ll find several macro and micro niches to explore.

An example of a business research study could be investigating the impact of social media marketing on consumer buying behavior or examining the effectiveness of a new leadership development program in a company.

The 4 types of business research include:

• Exploratory
• Descriptive

Mansoor Mohammed

Mansoor Mohammed is a dynamic and energetic Enterprise Agile Coach, P3M & PMO Consultant, Trainer, Mentor, and Practitioner with over 20 years of experience in Strategy Execution and Business Agility. With a background in Avionics, Financial Services, Banking, Telecommunications, Retail, and Digital, Mansoor has led global infrastructure and software development teams, launched innovative products, and enabled Organizational Change Management. As a results-driven leader, he excels in collaborating, adapting, and driving partnerships with stakeholders at all levels. With expertise in Change Management, Transformation, Lean, Agile, and Organizational Design, Mansoor is passionate about aligning strategic goals and delivering creative solutions for successful business outcomes. Connect with him to explore change, Agile Governance, implementation delivery, and the future of work.

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Title: Determinants of Facebook adoption as a marketing strategy among services-sector in north-western Nigeria

Authors : Idris Na'umma Abdullahi; Mohd Heikal Husin; Ahmad Suhaimi Baharudin

Addresses : School of Computer Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Pulau Pinang, Malaysia ' School of Computer Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Pulau Pinang, Malaysia ' School of Computer Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Pulau Pinang, Malaysia

Abstract : Despite the benefits of Facebook to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), little is known about the determinants of Facebook adoption by SMEs in developing countries. This paper investigates the effect of relative advantage, perceived risks, top management support, organisational readiness, competitive pressure, and government support on Facebook adoption using data from 153 decision-makers of service SMEs in north-western Nigeria. The technology-organisation-environment framework (TOE) was utilised as a theoretical basis. Data was collected via an online survey and analysed using SmartPLS 3.2.8. Relative advantage, top management support, organisational readiness, and government support showed a significant and positive effect on Facebook adoption. Perceived risk was found to have a significant negative impact, while competitive pressure does not influence Facebook adoption. Findings from this research can be used by managers, SME owners, and policymakers in Nigeria to improve the Facebook adoption by SMEs in the services sector of north-western Nigeria.

Keywords : Facebook adoption; service sector; small and medium enterprises; SMEs; Nigeria; marketing strategy.

DOI : 10.1504/IJBIR.2024.138138

International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, 2024 Vol.34 No.1, pp.41 - 63

Received: 11 Dec 2020 Accepted: 02 Jul 2021 Published online: 30 Apr 2024 *

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