# Anthropomorphism Unveiled: A Decade of Systematic Insights in Business and Technology Trends

## TL;DR

This paper reviews 14 years of anthropomorphism research in business, management, and accounting to identify trends and guide future studies.

## Contribution

It provides a systematic bibliometric analysis of anthropomorphism studies from 2010 to 2024, filling a literature gap in business contexts.

## Key findings

- Anthropomorphism research has rapidly increased, especially from 2022 to 2024.
- The study identifies trends in theories, methodologies, and key research themes over time.
- It highlights gaps in marketing communication tactics related to anthropomorphism.

## Abstract

Anthropomorphism studies have been conducted over the past decade; however, there is a void in the literature that provides an overview of anthropomorphism studies in business, management, and accounting. This article provides an in-depth analysis and mapping of major studies in the literature linked to anthropomorphism over the last 14 years by providing a topical classification consistent with present and future anthropomorphism research. The critical function of anthropomorphism in marketing communication tactics necessitates a thorough evaluation that is currently lacking, supplementing past studies to support academics’ and practitioners' interests in performing a thorough analysis of anthropomorphism in future marketing communication trends. This article summarizes studies on anthropomorphism in business, management, and accounting published in Scopus-indexed journals between 2010 and 2024 using Bibliometric-R and VOS viewer in compliance with the PRISMA protocol. The findings highlight significant trends in the articles, including the evolution of the literature (theories and methodologies employed), publications, authors, countries, journal performance, and trends in supporting research themes in the past, present, and future. Research on anthropomorphism has grown rapidly, particularly from 2022 to 2024. This paper provides a complete summary of the fragmented literature to guide future research.