Knowledge Domains and Research Frontiersin Employer Branding: A Bibliometric investigation

Abstract

The overriding aim of this study is to explore the patterns of thematicevolution, research gap, and the intellectual structure of employer brandingusing bibliometric techniques. The study utilises journal articles indexed inthe Scopus database. The study employs publication metadata andanalyses it using keyword co-occurrence and network analysis to determinethe dominant themes in the employer branding literature and the variousknowledge clusters. The results show that employer branding has emergedas a significant, central cross-field concept for integrating human resourcemanagement, marketing, organisational behaviour, and strategicmanagement. However, it further illustrates persistent theoreticalfragmentation and excessive focus on the recruitment and attractionoutcomes. The four main thematic clusters are: employer branding andorganisational attractiveness; HRM and talent management; employee-centric outcomes and organisational profile; and digital platforms and co-creation of the employer brand. The research also shows a plethora ofunderdeveloped areas in sustainability, employee experience, ethics, andcontextual diversity. This study shows that there is a need for multi-leveltheoretical integration and longitudinal, contextual research. The rediscoveryof employer branding as a dynamic, multi-level, and holistically relevantconcept in the study of sustainable and meaningful employmentrelationships is the value-add to the current literature on the human resourcemanagement employer branding phenomenon.