Past, Present, and Future of Learning Agility: A Bibliometric and Content Analysis

Abstract

Given the unpredictability and complexity of the business environment -due to the Fourth Industrial Revolution and augmented by the COVID-19 pandemic-, employees are required to continually learn new skills and ways of working. Even though 20 years have passed since the coining of the learning agility (LA) construct, only one literature review has explored it qualitatively. Through a co-word bibliometric analysis, complemented by a content analysis, this paper aims to identify the intellectual structure of the LA. Results show that the scientific production by research areas, journals, and studies that have contributed most to the field. Career variety was found as a central and underdeveloped theme while Talent Management was identified as potential emergent one. The important themes for structuring the field on LA were mostly examined from an individual level, as a process or as an outcome. Future research within the Human Resource Development field is suggested.