Coauthorship Trends in the Field of Management: Facts and Perceptions

Abstract

This paper explores the perceptions, preferences, and motivations that contribute to a widely recognized phenomenon: the continuous rise of co-authorship within the field of management. Using data from Web of Science, we first confirm that the average number of authors on published papers has steadily and continuously increased over the last four decades, and compare this trend across subfields and journals. We also conducted a survey, asking management researchers about their perceptions of co-authorship trends and their reactions to specific authorship scenarios. Comparing the "facts" and the "perceptions" of co-authorship, we suggest that increasing co-authorship in management reflects not only quality considerations and the need for collaborations but also instrumental motivations. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for the processes of peer evaluation and education in management.