Business Initiatives among Expatriates: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

Business initiatives including entrepreneurship, start-ups are fast growing and dynamic academic research field with a long intellectual tradition. In academics it attracts scholars who have distinct background and theoretical frameworks with different levels of analyses and methodological orientations. The study aims to examine the extent of research conducted on materials by employing a bibliometric review and data mapping methodology. The use of bibliometrics is progressively expanding across various academic fields. Bibliometrics is particularly well-suited for science mapping, especially during a time when there is a growing emphasis on empirical contributions, resulting in extensive, fragmented, and contentious research streams. Science mapping can be challenging and cumbersome due to its multi-step nature, often necessitating the use of multiple and varied software tools. Research data on materials were obtained from Scopus database including business initiatives among expatriate for the world landscape during the period 1975 to 2023. The search methodology involves focusing on a specific subject area and using titles, keywords, and abstracts of the study materials. The mapping process is done using R-tool and VOSviewer. A total of 623 articles were found. The results showed that the most studied study material was in the 1975-2023 range. This review can certainly provide a reference point for further research related to materials.

Introduction

I. INTRODUCTION

Business initiatives including entrepreneurship, start-ups are having advanced significantly over the past few decades as a result of entrepreneurship academics strong commitment to expanding its theoretical foundation through increasingly sophisticated research. There are many chances for multilevel study because the field of entrepreneurship can be studied from a variety of perspectives, including disciplines, functions, and contexts (Audretsch et al., 2019; Douglas & Prentice, 2019). The need for more rigour in quantitative business research is currently very strong. Currently, (Maula & Stam, 2020) point out there is a significant movement towards enhancing the thoroughness of quantitative research in business. This shift is motivated by various recent advancements, including the realization that commonly used empirical methods in business research have significant drawbacks, a general unease about the ability to reproduce previous findings in social science research, and the rapid progress in research techniques that enable the execution of more rigorous investigations. Research on expatriates (Dabic et al., 2015) can be categorized into two distinct yet interconnected areas: human resource management (HRM) and practices, and international business management (IBM). Given the extensive empirical research conducted over the past four decades, there appears to be a need for a comprehensive review to establish a solid groundwork for developing a theory of expatriate management. An expatriate can also be an individual who has relinquished citizenship in their home country to become a citizen of another. In the cross-cultural adjustment literature, expatriates (Peltokorpi & Froese, 2009) have traditionally been portrayed as a uniform and diverse group. Nevertheless, recent studies have started to differentiate between two specific types of expatriates: organizational expatriates (OEs), who are sent by their home companies to international assignments, and self-initiated expatriates. Bibliometric analysis (Osareh, 1996) examines metadata extracted from academic research databases to offer a comprehensive overview of the current advancements within a specific research field. It is evident that (Velt et al., 2020) one of the research methodologies that facilitate the execution of more rigorous studies in this field is bibliometric analysis. In comparison to other approaches for literature review, bibliometric studies possess the potential for greater stringency, reduced bias, and provide an overview of the scientific literature within a specific domain, thus complementing meta-analyses and systematic literature reviews. Metadata comprises (Zupic & ?ater, 2015) essential elements, including source titles, abstracts, keywords, authors, references, and citation counts. These databases provide valuable information that can be utilized for various analyses and visualizations, shedding light on the research landscape. Through bibliometric studies, one can gain an understanding of the current scope and progress of a particular research field, examining publication and citation records. Additionally, these studies can assist in identifying intellectual frameworks, thematic clusters, and their corresponding findings.

In contrast to alternative approaches for literature review, bibliometric studies offer the potential for increased rigor, reduced bias, and provide a comprehensive overview of the scientific literature within a specific field. They serve as a valuable complement to meta-analyses and systematic literature reviews.

Conclusion

The study relates to business research, which encompasses various disciplines, has made significant progress in establishing its credibility. However, there is still room for improvement by drawing lessons from other fields that have recently endeavoured to enhance their research methodologies. Business research (Baker, 2016; Camerer et al., 2016; Gelman, 2018; Honig et al., 2018; Miguel et al., 2014; Open Science Collaboration, 2015) is experiencing rapid growth, partly due to the increasing acknowledgment across multiple fields of the potential flaws and limitations in research findings. Bibliometric methods show significant promise in quantitatively validating subjectively determined categories in published reviews. Additionally, these methods offer valuable insights into the research landscape and facilitate the identification of various categories.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2023 Vishnunath J, Dr. Sangeetha Vincent. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.