The role of career management in achieving organizational sustainability: bibliometric analysis

Purpose of the study is to investigate the developing relationship between career management and organizational sustainability via a bibliometric analysis of international academic literature. Although the recent prominence of both sectors, their integration is still underdeveloped, especially in emerging economies like Kazakhstan. Methodology : Drawing on 742 articles on career management (1970-2025) and 428 articles on organizational sustainability (2002-2025) sourced from the Scopus database, the analysis applies keyword co-occurrence mapping, thematic evolution tracking, and factorial analysis using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny (RStudio). Originality/Value: The study highlights an increasing alignment between these career management and organizational sustainability, emphasizing common objectives in employees’ development of an organization and sustained organizational performance. The analysis highlights significant research gaps, including insufficient contextualization in emerging economies and an absence of integrated HR frameworks that connect employee development to sustainable goals. Implications are derived for academic research and organizational practice, especially in Kazakhstan, where formal career management is still in its infancy. This research delineates the intellectual framework of the topic and provides ideas for formulating sustainability-focused career strategies. Results : The results of the research identify key thematic clusters: career adaptability, green human resource management (GHRM), sustainable leadership, digital transformation, and stakeholder engagement. Also indicate that while career management literature emphasizes employability, self-directed career paths, and career resilience, sustainability research increasingly focuses on governance, innovation, and environmental responsibility. Merging intersections are found in themes such as green HRM and sustainable workforce strategies. Future studies should investigate how digitalization, artificial intelligence, and green policies shape sustainable career development in organizational ecosystems.