A Critical Review of Talent Management: A Research Agenda

This is a critical review of talent management investigating the origin of talent management, the factors that have influenced its growth and adoption, and the theoretical frame work used in the studies and identified gaps on the concept. Talent management was found to have various definitions and none that is universally agreed upon as scholars adapt either the inclusive or the exclusive views of the concept. The theories backing studies in talent management were identified as the human capital theory, social capital theory and the resource based view and studies in talent management ranged from the case studies to cross sectional surveys and the desk research. Talent management was studied as an independent variable in some of the studies and as a dependent variable in most of the studies examined for the purpose of this paper.