Table 1

Trends in HRM research identified in previous studies

AuthorsResearch aim, approach and scopeTrends
Fernandez-Alles and Ramos-Rodríguez (2009) Identification of HRM trends based on 551 HRM articles which were published in HumanTrend 1: HR and performance
Trend 2: Culture and motivation (psychological orientation)
Trend 3: International management of HR
Resource Management between 1985 and 2005, using factor analysisTrend 4: Strategy, structure, and environment
Trend 5: Strategic management of HR
Özlen (2014) Identification of trends in the Journal of Human Resource based on keyword analysisTrend 1: Employee Rights and Career
Trend 2: HR
Trend 3: Management
Trend 4: Context (Specific Industries. etc.)
Trend 5: Organizational Strategies
Trend 6: Performance Measurement and Training
Trend 7: Behavioral Issues and Motivation
Trend 8: Organizational Culture
Trend 9: Technical Issues (Information Systems, etc.)
Trend 10: Theories
Trend 11: Organizational Performance
García-Lillo et al. (2017) Bibliometric analysis of articles published in The International Journal of Human ResourceTrend 1: Reciprocity and perceived organizational support
Trend 2: Organizational commitment
Trend 3: The git process and the adaptation of expatriate staff
Trend 4: International and strategic HRM
Trend 5: The integration of HR strategies with business strategies
Trend 6: HRM and company performance
Management between 2000 and 2012
Trend 7: The configurational approach to HRM
Trend 8: High performance and innovative practices
Trend 9: The application of a resource-based view
Trend 10: The integration of HRM practices and systems with business strategies
Madera et al. (2017) Identification of industry specific trends (research on HRM in hospitality and tourism) based on a systematic literature reviewTrend 1: Human capital and company performance
Trend 2: High-performance HRM practices and performance
Trend 3: International/global issues and strategic HRM
Trend 4: Individual HRM practices and performance
Markoulli et al. (2017) Identification of trends related to HR systems research based on a systematic literature reviewTrend 1: Strategic HRM
Trend 2: Experiencing HRM
Trend 3: Employment Relations
Trend 4: International HRM, and Assessing People
Pietersen (2018) Identification of trends associated with the bibliometric characteristics of articles published in the South African Journal of HumanExamples:
Trend 1: The predominance of white people, male HRM researchers
Trend 2: The predominance of empirical research
Resource ManagementTrend 3: The substantial presence of qualitative research
Cooke et al. (2019) Determining trends in research on international HRM based on a systematic literature reviewTrend 1: HRM practices
Trend 2: MNC headquarters – subsidiary relations
Trend 3: Strategic HRM and business studies
Trend 4: Employment relations
Trend 5: Organizational behavior
Trend 6: Cultural studies
Trend 7: Comparative HRM
Trend 8: Language and communication in international business
Trend 9: Others
Yong et al. (2020) Determining trends in green HRM research based on a systematic literature reviewTrend 1: Concepts/models/reviews
Trend 2: Implementation
Trend 3: Determinants
Trend 4: Outcomes
Boon et al. (2019) Identification of trends related to HR systems research based on a systematic literature reviewTrend 1: Focus on broad, undifferentiated HR systems
Trend 2: Consensus among researchers on how to measure HR systems
Trend 3: The increasing use of additive approaches to combining HR practices within a single system
Cooper et al. (2020) Analysis of trends in research on HRM in the nonprofit sector based on a systematic literature reviewTrend 1: Training
Trend 2: Job design, job characteristics, and the work environment
Trend 3: Human capital, HR capacity, and HR slack
Trend 4: HR systems, HPWPs, HPWSs, bundles of HR practices, and strategic HRM
Trend 5: Labor mobility, employability, job choice and career decision-making
Trend 6: The HRM process, the changing nature of HRM, and precarious employment relations
Trend 7: Career development, leader development, coaching, and mentoring
Trend 8: Compensation, benefits, incentives and rewards, and pay-for-performance
Trend 9: Performance management/measurement/evaluation/appraisal/monitoring
Trend 10: Recruitment and selection
Trend 11: Succession planning
Trend 12: Communication and knowledge/information-sharing
Trend 13: Unionization and labor relations
Wood and Bischoff (2020) Identification of region specific HRM research trends (South Africa) based on a systematic literature reviewTrend 1: HRM and MNEs in Africa
Trend 2: The shifting domain and scope of HR practice
Trend 3: Industrial and employment relations
Trend 4: Changes in labor regulations
Trend 5: HR development
Trend 6: Indigenous management theory
Sanders and De Cieri (2020) Identification of trends associated with the bibliometric characteristics of conceptual articles on international and comparative HRMExamples:
Trend 1: An increasing number of empirical articles
Trend 2: A decreasing number of publications authored by US researchers
Chae et al. (2020) Identification of trends in Korean HRM research based on an analysis of keywordsTrend 1: Organizational behavior and organization theory
Trend 2: Organization theory and strategic management
Trend 3: Industrial Relations
Trend 4: The entire field of HRM

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