A LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS ON INTELLECTUAL STRUCTURE OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT: THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS AND RESEARCH TRENDS

Abstract

In this study, the intellectual structure of the field of human resources management (HRM) has been investigated and new theoretical foundations and research trends that will contribute to the development of the field have been proposed. Qualitative content analysis was used in the research and a longitudinal analysis was performed. The results show that sociology-based organizational theories further affected the field in the 1990s. In the 2000s, it was determined that the dominant theories in the field were human capital theory from economy discipline, social exchange theory from sociology discipline, and resource based view from strategic management discipline. In the 2010s, human capital theory from economy discipline, social capital theory from sociology discipline, and resource based view from strategic management discipline had widespread effects in the field. Finally, strategic human resource management (SHRM), outcomes and human resources practices were determined as the research trends that have been most effective on the field from the 1990s to the present. However, the context research trend was less effective in the field compared to other research trends. As a result, it can be stated that future researches that want to contribute to the field of human resources management can benefit from theory of the growth of the firm, Austrian school of economics, strategy as a practice and new institutional economies. In addition, research trends in the future of the field could be stated as the effects of industry 4.0, e-HRM, and artificial intelligence studies on human resource management.