Directorate ties: a bibliometric analysis

Purpose: Over the last 100 years, research on interlocking directorates has proliferated. The purpose of this paper is to realize a bibliometric analysis of articles on interlocking directorates to identify the evolutionary patterns that characterize the studies on board interlocks. Design/methodology/approach: A bibliometric analysis of articles on interlocking directorates published since 1914 was realized to evidence how research has evolved over time. Papers were classified according to the research topic, the type of article and the use of different theories to explain board interlocks’ causes and effects. Findings: The authors identified four different periods that characterize board interlocks studies: the emerging debate, the earliest modern era, the modern era and the post-modern era. Originality/value: This bibliometric analysis assesses the extant literature by highlighting emerging trends and identifying several avenues for future research.