Academic Inbreeding in Higher Education Systems: A Systematic Literature Review and Theoretical Synthesis

The purpose of this study is to outline academic inbreeding across higher education systems. Academic inbreeding, the practice of higher education institutions hiring their own doctoral graduate, remains a controversial phenomenon. While more traditional literature often portrays it as a barrier, recent shifts in global academic dynamics, exacerbated by the post-pandemic era, necessitate a fresh systematic evaluation of how this topic is studied. Adhering to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses) 2020 guidelines, this study examined 29 articles (n = 29) published in SSCI (n = 16) and ESCI (n = 13) indexed higher education journals between 2005 and 2026. Specifically, it addresses two research questions; methodological approaches and focal themes related to academic inbreeding. In line with the purpose of the study, Web of Science and Springer databases were searched with the keywords determined. The findings indicate that the literature on academic inbreeding primarily emphasizes three thematic areas: contextual and institutional determinants, the correlation with research productivity and knowledge production, and concerns regarding academic mobility. Methodologically, there is a pronounced prevalence of quantitative designs, succeeded by qualitative studies, with a minimal application of mixed-method approaches. Based on the findings, it seems important to emphasize that academic inbreeding must be recognized as a multifaceted issue influenced by institutional, cultural, and systemic dynamics within higher education systems. The study moves beyond descriptive summaries by proposing an integrative conceptual framework that reconciles contradictory findings on inbreeding's systemic impacts, offering actionable implications for administrators and policy makers.