An analysis of the scientific literature produced on bank marketing through bibliometrics and scientific mapping – what has been the role of sales in banking?

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to provide an integrated, synthesised overview of the current state of knowledge in the field of bank marketing. This aim prompts us to seek to determine the role of studies on sales within commercial banking literature, to contribute to the flow of new knowledge and to orient both researchers and practitioners with regard to current issues and findings.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs a combined process of bibliometric analysis and scientific mapping using keyword co-occurrence analysis and a representation of relationships by clustering and their longitudinal arrangement. A total of 1,203 articles were analysed using SciMAT.FindingsThe entire conceptual structure of bank marketing is organised into 12 major thematic areas. These are comprised of a set of main topics during each period, changing from one phase to another. The initial periods exhibit less depth in the pursuit of lines of work on bank marketing. The most recent periods show that interest centres on users' acceptance of online and mobile banking, along with the traditional concepts of satisfaction, loyalty and trust. However, it was determined that sales-related topics have never occupied a central role in the bank marketing academic literature.Research limitations/implicationsThis study draws up a scientific map that serves as a guide to perceive what has been done thus far in the area of bank marketing. The detection of specific sub-topics allows for the application of other synthesis techniques, such as meta-analysis. The study's main limitation lies in the difficulty of synthesising all the papers published on bank marketing literature.Originality/valueThe number of disciplines in which bibliometric analyses are used to synthesise and visually portray the whole bodies of scientific literature is increasing. This study maps out the gradual advancement in the field over the years and could serve as a valuable reference for researchers and practitioners interested in bank marketing. Consequently, the conclusions of this retrospective analysis might be considered a summary of its conceptual structure and a comparable foundation for future studies.