Revisiting Organizational Socialization and Onboarding Through Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

Purpose- This bibliometric analysis examines two central concepts in organizational behaviour research: organizational socialization and onboarding.

Design/methodology/approach- Preferred Reporting Item for systematic review and Meta-Analyses framework is used for the compilation of the paper and the RStudio and VOS Viewer application with Scopus database is used for bibliometric analysis.

Finding- Overall, the bibliometric findings indicate that organizational socialization and onboarding research has evolved from a nascent field into a rapidly expanding and mature domain, with a sharp growth in publications over the past decade. The literature is intellectually anchored in a small set of highly influential journals and scholars, primarily within vocational and organizational psychology, while also drawing from HRM, communication, and career studies. Geographically, knowledge production remains concentrated in North America and Europe, with growing contributions from Asia, highlighting both increasing internationalization and the need for broader global representation.

Originality/Value – The study represents the author’s original work and has been conducted without any conflict of interest involving any individual, group, or organization.

Keyword- Organizational socialization, Newcomer socialization, Employee socialization, Entry socialization, Employee adaptation, Newcomer Adjustment, Onboarding, Induction, Orientation training & orientation assimilation, Organizational entry