The Concept of Top Management Teams: A Systematic Review of the Research Discourse

The personal maturity and professional competence of top management teams (TMTs) are increasingly recognized as critical factors for ensuring organizational sustainability and competitiveness in contemporary strategic management research. This study presents a systematic review of the academic literature examining top management teams and their contribution to the strategic success of organizations. A total of 41 publications indexed in the Web of Science and Scopus databases between 1980 and 2025 were analysed. The review findings indicate that research on the TMT concept is predominantly characterized by the use of quantitative methodologies and a focus on economically developed countries. At the same time, several important areas remain underexplored, including the transformation of top management teams in organizations pursuing long-term strategic orientations, the internal cognitive and behavioral processes within teams, and the specific features of TMT functioning in companies operating in emerging economies. The identified research gaps highlight the need for further empirical and qualitative studies aimed at deepening the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the formation and transformation of top management teams and their influence on organizational strategic resilience.

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