Rigor and relevance in empirical TM research : key issues and challenges

This paper aims to offer a critical reflection on the way Talent Management (TM) is investigated in practice, by addressing the key issues regarding the quality (in terms of rigor and relevance) of academic empirical TM research and therefore the critical scrutiny of TM scholars’ work. We will argue that despite the growth in the quantity, the quality of many empirical TM papers is lagging behind and hindering the progress of the academic field of TM. Based on a content analysis of 174 peer-reviewed articles published between 2006 and 2017, the paper outlines nine critical issues regarding the quality of the existent empirical TM research. In order to improve the positioning of the field as well as the impact of TM research on practice it is absolutely necessary for TM scholars to secure the quality of academic empirical TM research. Also, the collaboration between practitioners and scholars should increase.