Exploring human resource development research themes: A keyword network analysis

• Date: 01 June 2019
• Author: Sangok Yoo,Soebin Jang,Sunyoung Park,Sang Won Byun
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21336
• Published date: 01 June 2019

LITERATURE REVIEW

Exploring human resource development research

themes: A keyword network analysis

Sangok Yoo

1

|SoebinJang

1

| Sang Won Byun

1

| Sunyoung Park

2

1

Department of Organizational Leadership,

Policy, and Development, University of

Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota

2

School of Leadership and Human Resource

Development, Louisiana State University,

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Correspondence

Sangok Yoo, 204 Burton Hall, 178 Pillsbury

Drive SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455.

Email: yooxx238@umn.edu

This study aimed to explore human resource development (HRD)

research themes by investigatingthe relationships among keywords

in articles published in the four primary HRD journals between

2010 and 2017. We identified 29 core keywords and then explored

the characteristics of these keywords within a keyword network

structure. For example, leadership and leadership development were

identified as dominant keywordsin HRD research. Furthermore, our

analysis revealed four cohesive subgroups (i.e., factions) and identi-

fied keywords that played “central connector”roles and “boundary

spanner”roles, within each subgroup. Specifically, subgroup 1 con-

sisted of keywords connected to leadership and leadership develop-

ment. Subgroup 2 included keywords related to traditional HRD

practices and organizational outcomes,such as training and develop-

ment and engagement, respectively.Subgroup 3 mostly consisted of

keywords pertinent to criticalHRD, such as gender and diversity. Sub-

group 4 included other emerging keywords including virtual HRD.

Through this study, HRD scholars and practitioners may better

understand the roles of influential keywords, and their inter-

relationships amongkey research themes in HRD research.

KEYWORDS

HRD research themes, HRD research trends, human resource

development, keyword network analysis

1|INTRODUCTION

As an interdisciplinary field of research and practice, the definition and boundaries of human resource development

(HRD) have long been contested (Hamlin & Stewart, 2011; Wang & Sun, 2009; Weinberger, 1998). In this regard,

scholars have made efforts to identify the theoretical foundations of HRD and HRD research themes by utilizing vari-

ous approaches, including literature reviews, survey methods, content analyses, the Delphi technique, and cocitation

analyses (e.g., Ghosh, Kim, Kim, & Callahan, 2014; Jo, Jeung, Park, & Yoon, 2009; McGuire & Cseh, 2006; Mehdia-

badi, Seo, Huang, & Han, 2017).

DOI: 10.1002/hrdq.21336

© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Human Resource Development Quarterly. 2019;30:155–174. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/hrdq 155

Prior work on HRD research themes can be categorized into top-down and bottom-up approaches. From a top-

down perspective, themes in HRD research and practice have been identified using theoretical frameworks

(e.g., McLagan, 1989) and HRD professionals' collective stances (e.g., McGuire & Cseh, 2006). Notably, the field of

HRD has been categorized based on McLagan's (1989) HRD wheel, which consists of training and development,

organization development, and career development. On the other hand, a bottom-up perspective has allowed

scholars to inductively understand the boundaries and identity of HRD, often based on analysis of researchpublica-

tions and bibliographic databases (Wang, Gilley, & Sun, 2012). In a recent study, for example, Jo et al. (2009) identi-

fied learning and performance, theory building, and training transfer as dominant research themes in HRD, through

analyzing articles published between 1999 and 2007 in the four journals sponsored by the Academy of Human

Resource Development (AHRD). Taken together, these studies have contributed to our understanding of the histori-

cal evolution and emerging trends in HRD; however, there is still a need to more closely understand the expanding

boundaries, themes, and patterns in HRD research (Han, Chae, Han, & Yoon, 2017; Ruona, 2016). In this regard,

researchers have underscored the importance to utilize advanced research methods and techniques, such as keyword

network analysis, to better explore and analyze bibliographic data (Wang et al., 2012).

Social network analysis (SNA) has been widely used to map and understand hidden network patterns using bib-

liographic data. SNA allows researchers to effectively analyze large volumes of data and identify knowledge struc-

tures, within a given field of study (e.g., Khan & Wood, 2015; Ravikumar, Agrahari, & Singh, 2015). In the field of

HRD, only a small number of studies have specifically utilized SNA to analyze bibliographic data and research articles

(e.g., Chae, Kim, & Han, 2017; Jo et al., 2009; Jung, Ho, & Song, 2014). Although these studies have provided valu-

able information on the dominant themes and keywords in HRD research, most studies have focused on analyzing

network patterns and structures—no study to date has explored the specific roles of influential keywords and their

inter-relationships among subgroups within keyword network structures.

Thus, we extend our research on keyword network structures in HRD by utilizing faction analysis to identify

cohesive groups and influential keywords in HRD research. We explored HRD research themes based on relation-

ships of keywords in scholarly articles, among the four primary HRD journals published from 2010 to 2017: Advances

in Developing Human Resources (ADHR), Human Resource Development International (HRDI), Human Resource Develop-

ment Quarterly (HRDQ), and Human Resource Development Review (HRDR). The time frame for this study

(2010–2017) was chosen to include most recent HRD research published since 2010, as prior studies have often

focused on years prior to 2010 (e.g., Han et al., 2017; Jo et al., 2009) and up to early-2010 or mid-2010 (e.g., Chae

et al., 2017; Ghosh et al., 2014; Jung et al., 2014). The overarching research question for this study was: What are

the influential keywords and their relationships identified in the four primary HRD journals? To address this question,

the following subquestions were explored: What are the influential keywords in the keyword network? Which key-

words are identified as cohesive groups? And, what are the distinct network characteristics of the individual key-

words in each cohesive subgroup?

By answering the aforementioned questions, this study makes three meaningful contributions to the field of

HRD. First, we make a theoretical contribution to HRD scholarship by providing a closer look on network structures

and inter-relationships among influential keywords in HRD research. Specifically, our findings that point to important

roles of influential keywords (i.e., central connectors and boundary spanners) within networks and fractions may help

identify potential themes for future HRD research; this may provide insights into developing HRD theory that inte-

grates multiple disciplines and perspectives (Ruona, 2016).

Second, this study contributes methodologically to the field of HRD. By employing faction analysis, we extend

previous approaches in keyword network analysis in HRD research. In doing so, our study provides a more detailed

understanding of keyword network structures in HRD research, by identifying cohesive subgroups and inter-

relationships among keywords. Based on these structures, we also provide unique information about the different

roles influential keywords play within the whole network and factions, by adopting concepts of central connector

and boundary spanner (Cross & Prusak, 2002). Our study also answers calls to adopt more advanced scientometric

methods and tools to better capture the evolving and dynamic nature of the field (Wang et al., 2012).

156 YOO ET AL.