Exploring the intellectual structure of research in codes of ethics: A bibliometric analysis

In this study, we map the intellectual structure of the code of ethics research field by means of a co-citation bibliometric analysis. To date, this type of analysis is absent from the literature on codes of ethics. Previous literature reviews have clarified definitions, studied contents, and analyzed the effectiveness of codes of ethics. However, the qualitative nature of these reviews does not resolve fundamental issues for understanding the evolution and status of this research field. This study contributes to the field by providing a bibliometric review in which the main research areas, sources of knowledge, trends, interrelationships, and dissemination paths of the domain are shown. Our findings reveal four main lines of research in the field of codes of ethics: corporate agent behavior with respect to codes of ethics, content analysis, effectiveness of codes of ethics, and employees’ attitudes toward codes of ethics. We also show that the study of the contents of codes of ethics is the main connecting bridge in this area of knowledge. Finally, we identify upcoming research topics in the field such as cultural change, the defensive nature of codes of ethics, and the application of organizational theories to code analysis.