Systematic literature and modeling review of Personal Branding

Abstract

In recent years, Personal Branding is gaining more and more attention as a concept in academica, within the fields of management and business studies. Even-though having more than 100 academic studies published on the phenomenon to this date, connecting the concept with areas like management, psychology, communication, entrepreneurship and others, it lacks fundamentals, due to factors such as, diversity of definitions and finding its place within academia. Being a fragmented research area, it is crucial to get an understanding of its origins and draw a clear path of its heterogeneous nature in order to create a base for advancement of research both in theoretical and empirical aspects. This paper aims to review the origins and contemporary literature and show directions of an integrated model of standardization of the effect of Personal Branding on Business Development. By conducting a systematic literature review, the paper 1) identifies key characteristics of constructs, 2) compares the existing theoretical models and their findings, and 3) analyzes concepts in order to propose a widely usable definition of Personal Branding. The summary of the literature review results in a proposed outline of models, trends, drivers, outcomes, and processes as well, based on the findings of other reviewed studies. The review keeps an important highlight on not only scientific, but real life practical usability as well. Finally, the paper outlines the further touchpoints of research that can be discussed in order to understand the phenomenon of Personal Branding as a determinative factor within the success metrics of business development.