Top-echelon theory: systematic review of the effects of the management team on organizational performance

This research analyzed the scientific production about the theory of high echelon, from the seminal article of Hambrick and Mason (1984) until April 2020. Therefore, a qualitative research of the descriptive type was carried out through the Knowledge Development Process-Constructivist Proknow-C). 3,109 articles were identified which, after filtering, gave rise to the final portfolio containing 33 articles. The main results of the research indicate that: (a) the Academy of Management Annals journal has a greater impact factor (JCR / SJR); (b) A resource-based view of the firm, by Wernerfelt (1984), was identified as the most scientifically recognized article; (c) the most relevant authors were Bantel and Hambrick; (d) Upper echelons theory and Top management team were the most prominent keywords; (e) the pairing pointed out that the theory of limited rationality, the theory of contingency and the theory of agency, figure in most of the research, being analyzed concurrently with the theory of high ranking. Finally, this research expands the understanding about the theory of high level as an alternative to