This bibliometric study analyzes the characteristics and knowledge structure of family-friendly policy research from 1985 to 2022 using data from the Web of Science Core Collection. The study finds an exponential increase in publications and citations, with US scholars and institutions dominating the field. Research is concentrated in management, sociology, and psychology, showing a trend toward interdisciplinarity but lacking a core group of authors. Most research focuses on the organizational level, examining policy impact on married women. Current research hotspots include policy fairness, childcare services, employee satisfaction, and work flexibility. Future research should explore policy dynamics and cross-level integration to better align policies with employee needs.

Zheng-Dong Li, Bei Zhang