Interdisciplinarity and communication across research employing different methods under the loupe: A bibliometric examination of the literature on boundary-crossing ICT use

Abstract

In this article, we present a bibliometric analysis of studies examining the consequences of boundary-crossing information communication technology (ICT) use, e.g., the use of ICT to conduct tasks across the work and family domains. We explore main contributors, disciplines, and topics of focus, as well as knowledge gaps, and lines of communication within this interdisciplinary field. Our aim is to explore knowledge production and knowledge exchange across disciplines and research employing different methods. Our findings reveal two clusters of publications: an interdisciplinary cluster, and a cluster dominated by organizational psychology, organizational science, and human resource management. Furthermore, our findings show that despite overlapping topics, qualitative and quantitative studies primary rely on two different bodies of literature. We argue that more communication across research employing different methods and a greater variety of disciplines is needed to advance the research on boundary-crossing ICT use.