The diffusion of talent management as an organizational practice: An analysis based on institutional theory

Talent Management, which is a practice that started to be on the agenda at the threshold of the 21st century, finds a wider place in the agenda of both the Academy and the organizations that represent the practitioners' side. Increasing interest in talent management practice is also observed in enterprises operating in Turkey and it is monitored that enterprises have changed their department-position names and especially started to update their recruitment methods. Within the scope of the study, starting from this point first of all, the talent management literature was studied; In the next stage, the diffusion of talent management practice in Turkey and its carrier elements have been examined within the framework of isomorphism mechanisms of institutional theory. It has been tried to understand to which institutional pressures were effective in the adoption of talent management practice by organizations, which individual or organized actors have pioneered the diffusion and to what extent the companies that have declared that they have adopted the practice have integrated it into their operations. A mixed model was adopted in the study and during the data collection phase; document – web page review, experience, and interview methods were used. As a result of the research; It is possible to say that talent management practice has diffused in Turkey and this diffusion is mostly observed in foreign-based organizations and in the FMCG sector. Although traces of all isomorphism mechanisms of institutional theory have been found, it has been concluded that coercive, normative and intensely mimetic pressures dominate as defined in the literature. At this point, the contribution of academia, professional organizations, and consultancy companies as an individual or organized actors playing a role in diffusion is found important. In addition, it is seen that international organizations play an intermediary role in transferring the practice to Turkey. A significant proportion of the organizations that declared that they have implemented the talent management practice; It has been observed that the tools of the practice are decoupled from their existing structures and processes or they are loose coupled.