The Past, Current and Future Trends of Institutional Theory in Government: A Bibliometric Review
Keywords:
Institutional Theory , Government, Institutional Framework, Local Government, Public GovernanceAbstract
Institutional theory has long been a cornerstone for understanding the structures, practices, and dynamics within governance systems. This study employs bibliometric and network analysis to comprehensively review the evolution, application, and emerging trends of institutional theory in government studies. Drawing from 217 documents indexed in the SCOPUS database, a systematic review and two-phase analysis were conducted. The first phase examined descriptive trends in publications and citations, while the second phase utilized bibliometric tools such as co-authorship, clustering, citation, and keyword analyses using VOSviewer. Findings indicate a steady increase in academic interest, peaking in 2023, followed by a slight decline in 2024, signaling potential shifts in research priorities or saturation. The study identifies key contributors, influential publications, and thematic clusters, revealing diverse applications of institutional theory in addressing governance challenges, including sustainability, public trust, and institutional legitimacy. Furthermore, it highlights the interplay between cultural and macro political determinants across historical, sociological, and political institutionalist perspectives.
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