Mapping the intellectual structure of business-to-business loyalty literature: a bibliometric analysis approach
Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing
ISSN: 0885-8624
Article publication date: 18 August 2021
Issue publication date: 15 April 2022
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify evolution and advancement in the field of business-to-business (B2B) loyalty knowledge area by analyzing its intellectual structure.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use bibliometric analysis for quantitative evaluation of scholarly studies published on B2B loyalty area over a period of 27 years (1993–2020). The authors analyze intellectual knowledge base of B2B loyalty area by looking into 263 studies with 14,028 references authored by 693 researchers.
Findings
The results provide a comprehensive review of B2B loyalty area by identifying its foundations, influential works and intellectual communication linkage between these works. Notably, the analysis reveals most cited studies, key authors, important keywords, intellectual turning points and emerging trends of research in the discipline.
Research limitations/implications
This study creates a baseline for presenting precise and comprehensive insights into research themes in B2B loyalty area, and identifies progressive trends over a period. This study is also helpful for researchers in identifying future directions of research in the discipline.
Originality/value
This study reveals the intellectual structure of B2B loyalty area.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the reviewers and the editor, whose guidance and valuable comments have helped improve the paper’s quality. This article is an outcome of the doctoral dissertation of Mr Prathamesh Kittur at IIT Kharagpur.
Citation
Kittur, P., Chatterjee, S. and Upadhyay, A. (2022), "Mapping the intellectual structure of business-to-business loyalty literature: a bibliometric analysis approach", Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Vol. 37 No. 5, pp. 1091-1110. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-02-2021-0093
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited