Analysis of Research Trends in Business Administration Using Topic Modeling and Cluster Analysis

This study analyzed research trends and the knowledge structure in the field of business administration by applying topic modeling and cluster analysis to the abstracts of 1,036 articles published in the Korean Journal of Business Administration from 2015 to 2024.The topic modeling results revealed that 23 distinct research topics have emerged in the field over the past decade, while the cluster analysis showed that these topics can be grouped into six thematic clusters.According to the trend analysis over time, topics such as corporate finance and ownership, investment management and market dynamics, tax avoidance, earnings management, and corporate governance were identified as cold topics.In contrast, topics such as leadership and employee behavior, employee well-being and organizational psychology, and entrepreneurship education and behavioral characteristics were identified as emerging areas of interest.According to trend analysis results, research in the field of leadership and employee behavior is expected to become increasingly active, with a particular emphasis on leadership styles and employee behavior strategies tailored to emerging organizational structures such as digital transformation and hybrid work environments.In the domain of employee well-being and organizational psychology, there is anticipated growth in studies focusing on emotional resilience, strategies for sustaining organizational commitment in remote work settings, and the interplay between work-life balance and productivity.In the area of entrepreneurship education and behavioral characteristics, research is expected to expand on topics such as digital-based entrepreneurship education platforms, the psychological traits of entrepreneurs, and social influence factors, as well as causal analyses examining the relationship between education and entrepreneurial behavior.These findings can serve as a strategic resource for researchers to understand current research trends and identify future directions in the field of business administration.