The role of career management in achieving organizational sustainability: bibliometric analysis

Purpose of the study is to investigate the developing relationship between career management and organizational sustainability via a bibliometric analysis of international academic literature. Although the recent prominence of both sectors, their integration is still underdeveloped, especially in emerging economies like Kazakhstan.

Methodology: Drawing on 742 articles on career management (1970-2025) and 428 articles on organizational sustainability (2002-2025) sourced from the Scopus database, the analysis applies keyword co-occurrence mapping, thematic evolution tracking, and factorial analysis using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny (RStudio).

Originality/Value: The study highlights an increasing alignment between these career management and organizational sustainability, emphasizing common objectives in employees’ development of an organization and sustained organizational performance. The analysis highlights significant research gaps, including insufficient contextualization in emerging economies and an absence of integrated HR frameworks that connect employee development to sustainable goals. Implications are derived for academic research and organizational practice, especially in Kazakhstan, where formal career management is still in its infancy. This research delineates the intellectual framework of the topic and provides ideas for formulating sustainability-focused career strategies.

Results: The results of the research identify key thematic clusters: career adaptability, green human resource management (GHRM), sustainable leadership, digital transformation, and stakeholder engagement. Also indicate that while career management literature emphasizes employability, self-directed career paths, and career resilience, sustainability research increasingly focuses on governance, innovation, and environmental responsibility. Merging intersections are found in themes such as green HRM and sustainable workforce strategies.

Future studies should investigate how digitalization, artificial intelligence, and green policies shape sustainable career development in organizational ecosystems.

1. Baruch, Y. (2015) “Organizational and labor markets as career ecosystem” Ans De Vos, Belgium and Beatrice I.J.M. Van der Heijden (Ed.) Handbook of Research on Sustainable Careers.-UK.:Edward Elgar Publishing pp. 169-80. DOI: 10.4337/9781782547037.00029

2. McMahon, M., & Arthur, N. (2018). “Career development theory : Origins and history” (pp. 3–19). Routledge.https DOI:10.4324/9781315276175-2

3. Herr, E. L. (2001). “Career Development and Its Practice: A Historical Perspective”, Career Development Quarterly, 49(3), 196–211. DOI:10.1002/J.2161-0045.2001.TB00562.X

4. Cappelli, P. (2009). “What’s old is new again: Managerial “talent” in an historical context” (Vol. 28). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. DOI:10.1108/S0742-7301(2009)0000028008

5. Cappelli, P., Cappelli, P., & Keller, J. (2014). “Talent Management: Conceptual Approaches and Practical Challenges”. Social Science Research Network, 1(1), 305–331. DOI:10.1146/ANNUREV-ORGPSYCH-031413-091314

6. Talluri, S. B., Uppal, N., Akkermans, J., & Newman, A. (2024). “Towards a self-regulation model of career competencies: A systematic review and future research agenda”. Journal of Vocational Behavior. DOI: 10.1016/j.jvb.2024.103969

7. Baruch, Y., Altman, Y., & Tung, R. L. (2016). “Career Mobility in a Global Era: Advances in Managing Expatriation and Repatriation”. The Academy of Management Annals, 10(1), 841–889. DOI:10.5465/19416520.2016.1162013

8. Hall DT. (1976). “Careers in Organizations”. Glenview. - IL: Scott Foresman & Co., 1976. – 236p.

9. Hall, D. T., (2004). “The Protean career: A quarter-century journey”. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 65(1), 1-13. DOI:10.1016/j.jvb.2003.10.006

10. Arthur, M. B. (2014). “The boundaryless career at 20: Where do we stand, and where can we go?” Career Development International, 19(6) DOI:10.1108/CDI-05-2014-0068

11. Mainiero, L.A., Sullivan, S.E. (2005), "Kaleidoscope careers: an alternative explanation for theopt-out generation", Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 19 No.1, pp.106-23 DOI:10.1108/13620430910966442

12. Wiernik, B. M., & Wille, B. “Careers, career development, and career management”. In D. S. Ones, N. Anderson, H. K. Sinangil, & C. Viswesvaran (Eds.), Handbook of industrial, work and organizational psychology (2nd ed., Vol. 3). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage,2017-512p.

13. McDonald, K. S., & Hite, L. M. “Career Development: A human resource development perspective”. – NY.:Routledge, 2015 – 208p.

14. Anusuya M, Soundarapandian M. (2024). “Exploring human capital management practices: A comprehensive review”. World Journal Of Advanced Research and Reviews. DOI:10.30574/wjarr.2024.21.3.0975

15. Čater, T. and Fux, P. (2020), "Toward Better Understanding of the Corporate Sustainability Concept", Žabkar, V. and Redek, T. (Ed.) Challenges on the Path Toward Sustainability in Europe, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 81-99. DOI:10.1108/978-1-80043-972-620201006

16. Montiel, I., & Delgado-Ceballos, J. (2014). “Defining and Measuring Corporate Sustainability: Are We There Yet?” Organization & Environment, 27(2), 113–139. DOI:10.1177/1086026614526413

17. Suriyankietkaew, S., & Petison, P. (2019). “A retrospective and foresight: Bibliometric review of international research on strategic management for sustainability, 1991-2019.” Sustainability, 12(1), 91. DOI:10.3390/SU12010091

18. Serpeninova, Y. (2022). “Integrated reporting: chronological literaure review”. Економічний Часопис Волинського Національного Університету Імені Лесі Українки, 1(29), 42–49. DOI:10.29038/2786-4618-2022-01-42-49

19. Gerlich, C., Kanbach, D. K., & Kraus, S. (2025). Sustainable corporate entrepreneurship as a catalyst for sustainability – a systematic literature review. The International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. DOI:10.1177/14657503241307138

20. Florez-Jimenez, M., Lleo, A., Ruiz-Palomino, P., & Muñoz-Villamizar, A. F. (2024). Corporate sustainability, organizational resilience, and corporate purpose: a review of the academic traditions connecting them. Review of Managerial Science. DOI:10.1007/s11846-024-00735-3

21. Tipu, S. A. A. (2021). “Organizational change for environmental, social, and financial sustainability: A systematic literature review”. Review of Managerial Science, 1–46. DOI:10.1007/S11846-021-00494-5

22. Donald, W. E., van der Heijden, B., & Manville, G. (2024). “(Re)Framing sustainable careers: toward a conceptual model and future research agenda”. Career Development International. DOI:10.1108/cdi-02-2024-0073

23. Valcour, M. (2015). “Facilitating the crafting of sustainable careers in organizations”. Research Papers in Economics, 20–34. DOI:10.4337/9781782547037.00007

24. Yildiz, D., Bozbura, F. T., Tatoglu, E., & Zaim, S. (2023). “Howdo organizational career management activities influence employees’ career outcomes? The mediating role of career capital”. International Journal of Organizational Analysis. DOI:10.1108/ijoa-06-2023-3817

25. Arruda H, Silva ER, Lessa M, Proença D Jr, Bartholo R.(2022). “VOSviewer and Bibliometrix”. J Med Libr Assoc.Jul 1;110(3): pp.392-395. DOI:10.5195/jmla.2022.1434

26. Lim, W. M., & Kumar, S. (2024). “Guidelines for interpreting the results of bibliometric analysis: A sensemaking approach”. Global Business and Organizational Excellence, 43(2), 17–26. DOI:10.1002/joe.22229

27. Öztürk, O., Kocaman, R. & Kanbach, D.K. “How to design bibliometric research: an overview and a framework proposal”. Rev Manag Sci 18, 3333–3361 (2024). DOI:10.1007/s11846-024-00738-0

28. Passas, I. (2024). “Bibliometric Analysis: The Main Steps”. Encyclopedia, 4(2),1014-1025 DOI:10.3390

29. Van Eck N. J. and Waltman L., “Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping,” Scientometrics, vol. 84, no. 2, pp. 523–538, 2010 DOI:10.1007/s42452-022-05027-7

30. Mohamed Sadom, Nur Zulaikha & Mat Yusoff, Siti. (2023). “Unveiling the landscape of social media marketing in social science studies: A bibliometric analysis using VosViewer and Biblioshiny”. International Journal of Innovation and Business Strategy (IJIBS). DOI:10.11113/ijibs.v18.146.

31. Botín, J. A., & Palacios, M. (2010). “Sustainable management: a strategic challenge for a global minerals and metals industry”. Environmental Science, Business, Corpus ID: 56220025

32. Rice, L. (2011). “Black-boxing sustainability”. Journal of Sustainable Development,4(4). DOI: 10.5539/jsd.v4n4p32