Abstract

The multidisciplinary character of the theories that support research in the discipline of Innovation Management (IM), the growing importance being attributed to the increasingly rigorous approach to IM studies by academics, and the impact of IM on the competitive advantage of firms are just some of the indicators demonstrating the relevance of this discipline in the broader field of management. These developments explain why a quantitative analysis of IM studies based on bibliometric techniques is particularly opportune.

The aim of this paper is to analyze the dynamics of the intellectual structure of IM research throughout the last 20 years, to find out the main convergence axis within the field. The analysis of the intellectual structure shows that there are four convergence axes during the said period: (1) the study of how to manage innovation from the Strategic Management and Business Administration ambit; (2) New Products Development; (3) The importance of Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management for IM; and (4) The importance of the technological change, supply of technology, innovation process and innovation model. The dynamic analysis of all this, shows that in the 90’s there was a predominance of the axis (1) and (2). Subsequently, the predominance changed during the first decade of the XXI century, because the axis (2) remained dominating, but axis (4) began to appear strongly. Finally, it’s evident the strengthening of the authority of axis (4) in the intellectual structure of the IM research during the last period of study.

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