Bibliometric study of the reverse salient concept
Abstract: In the development
of technological systems the focus of system analysis is often on the
sub-system that delivers insufficient performance – i.e. the reverse salient –
which subsequently limits the performance of the system in its entirety. The
reverse salient is therefore a useful concept in the study of technological
systems and while the literature holds numerous accounts of its use, it is not
known how often, in which streams of literature, and in what type of
application the concept has been utilized by scholars since its introduction by
Thomas Hughes in 1983. In this paper we employ bibliometric citation analysis
between 1983 and 2008, inclusively, to study the impact of the reverse salient
concept in the literature at large as well as study the dissemination of the
concept into different fields of research. The study results show continuously
growing number of concept citations in the literature over time as well as
increasing concept diffusion into different research areas. The analysis of
article contents additionally suggests the opportunity for scholars to engage
in deeper conceptual application. Finally, the continuing increase in the
number of citations highlights the importance of the reverse salient concept to
scholars and practitioners.
Author: Ozgur Dedehayir
Journal Code: jptindustrigg090030
