Mapping industrial and organizational psychology research and its alignment with the changing world of work: A topic modeling review
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The world of work is changing rapidly due to digitalization, economic shifts and environmental concerns. To examine whether industrial and organizational (I-O) psychology research reflects these changes, we analyzed 10,552 abstracts published in 20 leading journals between 2015 and 2025 using neural topic modeling (BERTopic) and compared them with research from 2005 to 2014. We identified 74 topics, grouped into 16 macro-themes, and measured how closely 24 emerging changes described by the World Economic Forum and recent I-O literature are represented in these topics. The core of the field, including personnel assessment, leadership, careers and job demands, remained stable over two decades, while research on diversity, inclusion and well-being expanded. Research on artificial intelligence grew almost tenfold but focused mainly on its use in human resource management. Changes concerning employees and their well-being were well represented, whereas wider changes in the economy and the labor market, such as the gig economy, reskilling and climate change, remained peripheral. Research on these changes exists but is scattered and often does not form distinct topics. We outline directions for research that addresses the changing world of work more directly.
Authors: Viktória Gajdošová, Matúš Adamkovič
Institutions: University of Trnava, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Social Sciences of the Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Charles University, University of Jyväskylä
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,180
OpenAlex ID: W7220875826