Research on social relationships and processes governing the behaviors of members of the corporate elite: a review and bibliometric analysis

In this paper, we examine the origins and evolution of and main influences on research on within- and between-firm relationships among directors and executives. We conduct a review of the literature supplemented with bibliometric analyses that allow us to examine the complex citation network of publications spanning several decades and multiple disciplines (i.e., management, sociology, economics, accounting, and finance). First, we use main path analysis to uncover the primary paths of knowledge codification and diffusion of the literature on relationships among directors and executives. Next, we conduct bibliographic coupling analysis to map out current themes and developments in the field. In so doing, we provide an integrative framework for research on social processes and relationships of the corporate elite and discuss changes in the field’s emphasis on various issues, identifying key theoretical and empirical advances, and offer directions for future research. Scholars and practitioners have raised concerns about problems underlying the presence and use of intra- and inter-firm relationships among members of the corporate elite. Our findings provide a balanced view of the positive and negative influence of intra- and inter-firm relationships of corporate elite members on organizational outcomes.