Half a century of research on corporate diversification: A new comprehensive framework

•In-depth analysis of corporate diversification between 1970 and 2017.•Bibliometric methods for a literature review of corporate diversification.•Examination of articles from Strategic Management, Economics and Finance.•A new comprehensive framework for studying corporate diversification.•Identifyin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of business research Vol. 114; pp. 124 - 141
Main Authors Guerras-Martín, Luis Ángel, Ronda-Pupo, Guillermo Armando, Zúñiga-Vicente, José Ángel, Benito-Osorio, Diana
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Elsevier Inc 01.06.2020
Subjects
Bibliometrics
Comprehensive framework
Corporate diversification
Evolution of the field
Literature review
Strategic management
Strategic management
Literature review
Comprehensive framework
Evolution of the field
Bibliometrics
Corporate diversification
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Summary:•In-depth analysis of corporate diversification between 1970 and 2017.•Bibliometric methods for a literature review of corporate diversification.•Examination of articles from Strategic Management, Economics and Finance.•A new comprehensive framework for studying corporate diversification.•Identifying emergent and prevailing research topics on corporate diversification. This paper is an initial attempt to use a bibliometric approach for an exhaustive literature review of corporate diversification in order to propose a new comprehensive framework for its study. We conduct an in-depth analysis of the historical evolution of research over the period 1970–2017 in six eight-year stages, shedding light on the main issues in each stage and the links among them using a sample of 1,253 articles. Attention is also paid to the three disciplines in this research stream: Strategic Management, Economics, and Finance. Our analysis reveals how the research on corporate diversification has extended the range of topics addressed and added new theoretical approaches and methodological tools, thereby ensuring greater maturity in its development. Emergent and prevailing research streams are identified, as they are expected to play a key role in the near future. We conclude by recognizing the need for an integrated theory on corporate diversification.
ISSN:0148-2963
1873-7978
DOI:10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.03.037