The Emergence and Trajectories of the Glocalization Concept (1990–2025)

This article presents a systematic, comparative, and reproducible mapping of the scientific literature examining how the term glocalization is mobilized in contemporary research. We analyze a corpus of 2200 articles (1990–September 2025) from Web of Science and Scopus and report in line with PRISMA 2020 and PRISMA-ScR (scoping). Methodologically, we combine PRISMA-ScR-aligned screening with the bibliometric and lexicometry mapping of metadata, complemented by the qualitative interpretation of a purposive subset of key texts to contextualize the mapped trajectories. Following normalization, we apply co-occurrence and correspondence analyses to identify lexical proximities and cross-disciplinary translation zones. We ask how glocalization is conceptualized, the contexts in which it is deployed, and whether classic theoretical frameworks retain their explanatory power. Findings show a gradual shift from a mainly conceptual to more operational register. Regional differences are marked yet organized around a core of governance, multilevel coordination, and collective practice. The disciplinary landscape shows continuity between techno-applied and reflexive approaches, supported by bridging disciplines (sociology, communication, education, health, sport) that translate a general grammar into research and intervention tools. We offer a cumulative methodological framework for tracing the scientific trajectory of glocalization. As a bridge concept between theory and action, glocalization provides an explanatory lens on transformations and resistances in early-twenty-first-century globalized society. We therefore position this study as a PRISMA-traceable corpus construction combined with bibliometric and lexicometry science mapping.