Figure 1.
Systematic literature review procedure, according to PRISMA guidelines
Source: adapted from (PRISMA Group, n.d.)
Table 1.
General information about the extracted records
| Description | Results |
|---|---|
| Timespan | 2000:2023 |
| Sources | 160 |
| Documents | 221 |
| Annual Growth Rate% | 14,38 |
| Average age of the document | 5,98 |
| Average citation per doc | 19,91 |
| References | 10.225 |
Figure 2.
Bradford’s law grouping of sources
Source: own processing
Table 2.
Calculations for Lotka’s law
| No. articles | No. authors | Freq |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 542 | 0.9426087 |
| 2 | 27 | 0.04695652 |
| 3 | 3 | 0.00521739 |
| 4 | 3 | 0.00521739 |
Table 3.
Quantitative bibliometric indicators: synthesis
| Quantitative bibliometric indicator | Main takeaways |
|---|---|
| Lotka's Law | The concentration of single-paper authors suggests diverse perspectives, enriching the study of managerial sustainability. |
| Bradford's Law | Core journals identified guide the literature review, ensuring focus on the most impactful sources within the sustainability discourse. |
| Most Relevant Authors | Frequent contributions by key authors inform the study with relevant work on sustainability practices in management. |
| Core Sources | Journals identified as core sources provide authoritative insights and appropriate methodologies. |
| Most Cited Articles | Highly cited articles shape the theoretical framework and best practices in sustainable development, directly applicable to the business context. |
| Annual Scientific Output | Increasing research output reflects a heightened academic and practical interest in integrating sustainability across all business levels. |
Figure 3.
Keyword co-occurrences
Source: own processing
Figure 4.
Thematic evolution: growth areas
Source: own processing
Table 4.
Works on topics of interest
| Thematic | Centrality | Density | Centrality level | Density level | Theme frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sustainability | 13.17 | 71.63 | 1 | 2 | 139 |
| Sustainable development | 31.27 | 90.91 | 13 | 9 | 569 |
| Commerce | 15.12 | 75.34 | 12 | 6 | 175 |
| Forestry | 1.42 | 75.00 | 5.5 | 4 | 8 |
| Human | 1.44 | 85.42 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Reputation | 1.42 | 129.34 | 5.5 | 13 | 20 |
| Supply chains | 10.05 | 106.00 | 10 | 8 | 92 |
| Economics | 5.51 | 80.49 | 9 | 7 | 50 |
| Performance assessment | 1.68 | 104.23 | 8 | 10 | 24 |
| Empirical studies | 0.78 | 127.78 | 4 | 12 | 15 |
| Civil engineering | 0.25 | 62.50 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Mathematical models | - | 75.00 | 15 | 4 | 4 |
| Distributed computer systems | - | 75.00 | 15 | 4 | 4 |
Table 5.
Identified themes from clustered data
| Theme type | Cluster label | Occurrences | Centrality measures | Page rank centrality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driving Themes | Sustainable Development | 142 | Betweenness: 428.933; Closeness: 0.001818 | 0.094 |
| Economic and Social Effects | 26 | Betweenness: 2425.616; Closeness: 0.002358 | 0.024 | |
| Environmental Management | 18 | Betweenness: 1991.702; Closeness: 0.002309 | 0.016 | |
| Emerging Themes | Corporate Social Responsibility | 12 | Betweenness: 578.046; Closeness: 0.002100 | 0.007 |
| Commerce | 12 | Betweenness: 1060.348; Closeness: 0.002207 | 0.011 | |
| Supply Chain Management | 12 | Betweenness: 643.648; Closeness: 0.002100 | 0.009 |
Figure 5.
Node degree mapping
Source: own processing
Table 6.
Cluster 1: Central sustainability constructs (in red)
| Node | Betweenness | Closeness | Page rank | Network map interaction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sustainable Development | 9.005.531,00 | 0.020408 | 0.2134 | Core node with extensive reach across the network |
| Economic and Social Effects | 342.133,00 | 0.014705 | 0.05732 | Influential in discussions on sustainable economic development |
| Planning | 60.684,00 | 0.012345 | 0.02880 | Significant role in strategic planning for sustainability |
| Environmental Management | 52.184,00 | 0.012345 | 0.03249 | Central to discussions around managing environmental impact |
| Manufacture | 29.188,00 | 0.012048 | 0.02501 | Involved in discussions on sustainable manufacturing practices |
| Supply Chains | 23.730,00 | 0.011764 | 0.02158 | Crucial for understanding the role of supply chains in sustainability |
| Profitability | 22.501,00 | 0.012048 | 0.02436 | Links economic gains to sustainable practices |
| Corporate Social Responsibility | 15.586,00 | 0.010869 | 0.01332 | Reflects the role of corporations in sustainable development |
| Environmental Impact | 15.258,00 | 0.011494 | 0.01774 | Important for assessing sustainability on environmental terms |
| Sales | 0.9879 | 0.011627 | 0.01860 | Connects commercial success with sustainable products and practices |
| Risk Assessment | 0.8922 | 0.011363 | 0.01615 | Essential for evaluating potential risks in sustainability initiatives |
| Costs | 0.7911 | 0.011494 | 0.01406 | Concerns the cost-efficiency aspect of sustainability practices |
| Benchmarking | 0.5809 | 0.010989 | 0.01245 | Used to compare sustainability performance against standards |
| Safety Engineering | 0.5440 | 0.010989 | 0.01253 | Deals with designing systems that ensure safety and sustainability |
| Risk Management | 0.5352 | 0.010869 | 0.01242 | Concerns the management of sustainability risks |
| Social Aspects | 0.5171 | 0.011235 | 0.01570 | Highlights the social dimensions of sustainable development |
| Supply Chain Management | 0.4270 | 0.010989 | 0.01427 | Pertains to the management of resources in a sustainable manner |
| Environmental Performance | 0.3786 | 0.011235 | 0.01877 | Relates to how actions and policies perform from an environmental perspective |
| Investments | 0.1773 | 0.010989 | 0.01085 | Connects financial investments with sustainable outcomes |
| Societies and Institutions | 0.1239 | 0.010752 | 0.00962 | Reflects the societal and institutional frameworks of sustainability |
| Decision Making | 0.0359 | 0.010638 | 0.00939 | Reflects the importance of informed decisions in sustainability |
| Project Management | 0.0333 | 0.010526 | 0.00741 | Involves organizing and managing projects with sustainability objectives |
| Construction Industry | - | 0.010526 | 0.00674 | Less central, focused on sustainability in construction |
| Product Design | - | 0.010638 | 0.00933 | Focuses on creating sustainable products |
Table 7.
Cluster 2: Environmental and organizational sustainability (in blue)
| Node | Betweenness | Closeness | Page rank | Network map interaction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Protection | 26.121 | 0.011494 | 0.01928 | Strong influence in environmental sustainability discussions |
| Sustainability | 17.357 | 0.011363 | 0.02228 | Key node with extensive connections to various sustainability aspects |
| Environmental Economics | 0.3376 | 0.010989 | 0.01426 | Central to discussions on the economic impact of environmental policies |
| Performance Assessment | 0.2339 | 0.010869 | 0.01200 | Related to assessing the performance of sustainability measures |
| Stakeholder | 0.1793 | 0.010869 | 0.01237 | Important for stakeholder theory in sustainability |
| China | 0 | 0.010526 | 0.00786 | Represents the geographical focus on sustainability practices in China |
| Strategic Planning | 0 | 0.010416 | 0.00611 | Involves long-term planning for sustainable development |
Table 8.
Cluster 3: Innovation and regional development (in green)
| Node | Betweenness | Closeness | Page rank | Network map interaction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Innovation | 13.436 | 0.011235 | 0.01614 | Drives forward-thinking approaches in sustainable development |
| Economics | 0.5509 | 0.010989 | 0.01613 | Connects economic theory with practical sustainability efforts |
| Information management | 0.1060 | 0.010869 | 0.01512 | Key in managing data and information for sustainability |
| Regional planning | 0.1060 | 0.010869 | 0.01467 | Important for sustainable urban and regional development planning |
Table 9.
Cluster 4: Corporate strategies and finance (in purple)
| Node | Betweenness | Closeness | Page rank | Network map interaction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Competition | 66.297 | 0.01234 | 0.03211 | A pivotal concept linking sustainable development with market dynamics |
| Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) | 18.088 | 0.01176 | 0.02090 | Reflects the growing importance of CSR in corporate strategy |
| Social Responsibilities | 17.925 | 0.01176 | 0.01906 | Indicates the role of social responsibility in sustainability discourse |
| Finance | 16.353 | 0.01149 | 0.01801 | Central to discussions on funding sustainable initiatives |
| Competitive Advantage | 0.1494 | 0.01098 | 0.01494 | Represents the strategic benefit of sustainability in business |
| Financial Performance | 0.1407 | 0.01086 | 0.01062 | Ties financial outcomes to sustainable practices |
| Corporate Reputations | 0.1257 | 0.01075 | 0.00972 | Relates the impact of sustainability on corporate image |
Table 10.
Cluster 5: Commerce and empirical research (in orange)
| Node | Betweenness | Closeness | Page rank | Network map interaction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commerce | 64.196 | 0.01219 | 0.02450 | Central node, likely indicating commerce's role in sustainability |
| Surveys | 0.9277 | 0.01123 | 0.01533 | Important for empirical research within the field |
| Marketing | 0.1655 | 0.01075 | 0.01012 | Relates to the dissemination and promotion of sustainable practices |
| Efficiency | 0 | 0.01052 | 0.00601 | Less central, possibly focuses on efficiency in sustainable operations |
Table 11.
Cluster 6: Sustainability integration and reporting (in brown)
| Node | Betweenness | Closeness | Page rank | Network map interaction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | 0.4683 | 0.01086 | 0.01355 | Strongly influential in linking sustainability with performance metrics |
| Sustainability Performance | 0.1393 | 0.01063 | 0.00950 | Important for measuring and assessing sustainability efforts |
| Sustainability Reporting | 0.0895 | 0.01075 | 0.01030 | Critical for transparency and accountability in sustainability |
| Management Systems | 0 | 0.01041 | 0.00654 | Peripheral, suggesting a supportive role in sustainability integration |
Table 12.
Clustered data: Synthesis
| Cluster | Focus | Main takeaways |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Integrative Foundation of Sustainability | Highlights the holistic lens through which sustainability integrates economic, social, and environmental dimensions, emphasizing foundational importance. |
| 2 | Economic and Environmental Interplay | Underscores the critical balance between economic development and environmental management, stressing the synergy between economic policies and environmental conservation. |
| 3 | Innovation as a Catalyst | Points to the transformative potential of innovation in driving sustainable outcomes, emphasizing the role of technology and innovative strategies. |
| 4 | Corporate Responsibility and Strategic Finance | Illustrates the evolving role of businesses in sustainability, integrating social and environmental considerations into financial strategies. |
| 5 | Market Dynamics and Empirical Insights | Emphasizes the importance of market-oriented strategies and transparency in sustainability efforts, underlining the role of empirical research. |
| 6 | Strategic Application and Communication | Focuses on the operationalization and communication of sustainability within organizations, highlighting the need for actionable strategies and effective reporting. |
Figure 6.
Thematic evolution: topic shifts
Source:own processing
Table 13.
Streamlined version of themes transition
| From (2000-2018) | To (2019-2023) | Central themes | Importance | Occurrences | Stability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Aspects | Environmental Aspects | Environmental Concepts | 0.5 | 2 | 0.25 |
| Environmental Impact | Commerce | Economic Influence | 0.11 | 3 | 0.02 |
| Environmental Impact | Company Reputations | Health Concerns | 0.5 | 3 | 0.03 |
| Environmental Impact | Decision Making | Impact and Decisions | 0.5 | 6 | 0.03 |
| Environmental Impact | Environmental Aspects | Management Systems | 0.33 | 4 | 0.03 |
| Environmental Impact | Environmental Tech | Benchmarking | 0.1 | 5 | 0.03 |
| Environmental Impact | Risk Management | Risk Management | 0.33 | 4 | 0.03 |
| Environmental Impact | Sustainable Development | Social and Risk Factors | 0.13 | 4 | 0.01 |
| Regional Planning | China | Innovation | 0.14 | 3 | 0.05 |
| Sustainability | China | Sustainability Economics | 0.22 | 7 | 0.04 |
| Sustainability | Sustainability Reporting | Reporting Practices | 0.18 | 4 | 0.04 |
| Sustainability | Sustainable Development | CSR and Strategy | 0.25 | 6 | 0.01 |
| Sustainable Development | Built Environment | Project Management | 0.25 | 5 | 0.02 |
| Sustainable Development | Commerce | Business Performance | 0.25 | 4 | 0.02 |
| Sustainable Development | Data Acquisition | Construction Industry | 0.17 | 3 | 0.02 |
| Sustainable Development | Forestry | Modeling Techniques | 0.33 | 3 | 0.02 |
| Sustainable Development | Knowledge Management | Knowledge Strategies | 0.29 | 2 | 0.02 |
| Sustainable Development | Sustainability Reporting | Reputation | 0.12 | 2 | 0.02 |
| Sustainable Development | Sustainable Development | Comprehensive Sustainability | 0.57 | 67 | 0.01 |
Figure 7.
Factorial analysis
Source: own processing
Table 14.
Streamlined version of themes transition
| Concept | Primary trend (Major theme) | Secondary trend (Supporting theme) |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Regulations | 46.447 | -0.16 |
| CSR - Corporate Social Responsibility | 45.658 | 43.466 |
| Risk Assessment | 45.597 | -0.57 |
| Economic and Social Effects | 45.323 | 0.00 |
| Environmental Impact | 42.736 | -0.01 |
| Social Responsibilities | 41.640 | 0.76 |
| Investments | 33.970 | -0.44 |
| Social Aspects | 32.509 | -0.18 |
| Benchmarking | 29.587 | -1.43 |
| Costs | 21.610 | 0.56 |
| Petroleum Prospecting | 21.217 | -1.20 |
| Health | 20.880 | -0.30 |
| Supply Chains | 16.438 | 0.26 |
| Safety Engineering | 13.181 | -1.05 |
| Financial Performance | 1.00 | 13.516 |
| Sustainability Reporting | 0.95 | -1.02 |
| Societies and Institutions | 0.83 | 1.00 |
| Competition | 0.81 | 0.15 |
| Sales | 0.75 | 0.88 |
| Finance | 0.74 | 47.119 |
| Risk Management | 0.61 | -0.48 |
| Product Design | 0.58 | 0.60 |
| Manufacture | 0.49 | 14.246 |
| Competitive Advantage | 0.39 | 0.50 |
| Commerce | 0.38 | 43.466 |
| Decision Making | 0.33 | 0.01 |
| Environmental Management | 0.29 | -0.68 |
| Planning | 0.29 | 0.55 |
| Marketing | 0.25 | 0.76 |
| Profitability | 0.22 | 0.34 |
| Knowledge Management | 0.18 | 0.20 |
| Sustainability Performance | 0.17 | -0.59 |
| Environmental Protection | 0.13 | -0.58 |
| Corporate Reputations | 0.12 | 13.881 |
| Sustainable Performance | 0.11 | -0.78 |
| Project Management | 0.09 | -0.18 |
| Structural Equation Modeling | 0.00 | 11.324 |
| Regional Planning | -1.08 | 12.816 |
| Innovation | -1.06 | 0.54 |
| Performance Assessment | -0.96 | -1.46 |
| Information Management | -0.91 | 45.628 |
| Environmental Economics | -0.86 | -1.83 |
| Economics | -0.75 | 33.970 |
| Sustainability | -0.68 | -1.44 |
| China | -0.55 | -0.24 |
| Corporate Social Responsibility | -0.49 | -0.78 |
| Strategic Planning | -0.42 | -0.52 |
| Stakeholder | -0.41 | -1.25 |
| Environmental Sustainability | -0.25 | 18.994 |
| Environmental Technology | -0.20 | -0.59 |
Table 15.
Factorial analysis: A synthesis
| Concept | Primary trend (Growth & Importance) | Secondary trend (Interconnectedness) |
|---|---|---|
| Economic and Social Effects | High positive value | Neutral value |
| (Central to discussions) | (Interactions may be stabilizing) | |
| Commerce | High positive value | High positive value |
| (Substantial link with sustainability) | (Growing interconnectedness) | |
| Manufacture | High positive value | Neutral value |
| (Integral in sustainable adaptation) | (Interactions may be stabilizing) | |
| Environmental Regulations | High positive value | Negative value |
| (Prominent in research) | (Focused specialization) | |
| Corporate Social Responsibility | High positive value | High positive value |
| (Essential in business practices) | (Broadening scope) | |
| Risk Assessment | High positive value | Negative value |
| (Prominent in research) | (Less emphasis on connections) | |
| Information Management | Neutral value | High positive value |
| (Consistent focus) | (Emerging importance) | |
| Environmental Impact | High positive value | Near-neutral value |
| (Continuing central theme) | (Stable growth) | |
| Sustainability | Negative value | Negative value |
| (Integrating into broader frameworks) | (Shifting focus) | |
| Environmental Technology | Negative value | Negative value |
| (Evolving association with sustainability) | (Holistic environmental management) | |
| Benchmarking | Neutral value | Negative value |
| (Steady importance) | (Changing methodologies) | |
| Sustainability Reporting | Neutral value | Negative value |
| (Consistent relevance) | (Evolving practices) | |
| Environmental Economics | Negative value | Negative value |
| (Pivoting to specific themes) | (Paradigmatic change) | |
| Innovation | Negative value | Negative value |
| (Moving towards advanced themes) | (Shifting scholarly focus) |
Table 16.
Bibliometric analysis: overall conclusions
| Bibliometric Tool | Insight | Contribution to Literature Review |
|---|---|---|
| Bradford's Law | Identified core journals and seminal works | Ensures the review is based on influential sources, grounding the thesis in relevant literature. |
| Lotka's Law | Recognized key authors and contributions | Highlights central figures in sustainability, guiding a focused review of significant research. |
| Keyword Co-occurrences | Illuminated interconnected themes | Reveals the multidimensionality of sustainability, aiding in the exploration of complex relationships. |
| Thematic Evolution (Growth Areas) | Traced developments in sustainability research | Offers insights into emerging trends and literature gaps, informing areas for future investigation. |
| Works on Topic of Interest | Provided a focused view on current research directions | Enables a targeted review of methodologies and findings specific to Romanian companies' sustainability practices. |
| Clustering | Structured overview of sustainability themes | Presents a comprehensive landscape of sustainability research, from foundational principles to strategic applications. |
| Thematic Evolution (Topic Shifts) | Traced shifts in focus within sustainability research | Identifies historical and current trends (“hot topics”) in the field. |
| Factorial Analysis (Primary Trend) | Revealed primary directions and emerging priorities in sustainability | Provides a structured view on leading sustainability trends |
| Factorial Analysis (Secondary Trend) | Indicated supporting themes complementing the primary trends | Adds depth to the understanding of sustainability’s multiparadigmatic nature |
Table 17.
Bibliometric analysis: overall conclusions
| Aspect | Synthesis of existing knowledge | Identified research gaps | Areas for further investigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundational Theories | Integration of sustainability within economic, social, and environmental dimensions, and their evolving interplay, particularly noted in the positive primary trend for “economic and social effects”. | Theories may not yet fully encompass the dynamism identified in shifts towards commerce and manufacture sectors, or account for the negative secondary trend in “sustainability”. | Develop dynamic frameworks that address how foundational sustainability concepts are applied uniquely within Romania’s transitional economy, with particular attention to sectors showing primary growth. |
| Innovation and Technology | Acknowledges innovation’s role, evidenced by its shift in thematic evolution, and the increased focus on technology’s role in driving sustainability. | Lack of depth in research exploring how technological innovation is integrated within sustainability efforts, specifically within different sectors in Romania. | Dive into the forces driving innovation within Romanian sectors showing primary growth and investigate how technology adoption influences sustainability. |
| Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) | Reiterates CSR and finance as central themes, as shown by their positive primary trend, in sustaining ethical, social, and environmental business practices. | Requires deeper investigation into the specific impact of CSR initiatives in the Romanian context, where the negative secondary trend might indicate evolving CSR approaches. | Examine the balance between financial performance and CSR's evolving nature in Romania, and how this impacts the overall corporate strategy for sustainability. |
| Market Dynamics and Consumer Behavior | The importance of understanding market dynamics and consumer behavior towards sustainability, which may be inferred from the thematic shift towards sectors like commerce and the changing discourse on sustainability. | A noted absence of detailed consumer response analysis, particularly within sectors showing a positive primary trend. | Explore how Romanian consumer behaviors are adapting to the sustainability paradigm shift and the influence on corporate sustainability strategies. |
| Sustainability Reporting and Communication | The growing importance of transparency and communication in sustainability efforts, suggested by the positive secondary trend in “information management”. | Sparse research on the effectiveness of Romanian companies’ communication strategies concerning their sustainability efforts. | Investigate how Romanian companies are adapting their sustainability communication to align with the emerging importance of information management. |
| Empirical and Applied Research | Highlights empirical research’s role in practical sustainability applications, as seen in the positive primary trends of sectors like commerce and finance. | There are gaps in empirical studies on the application of global sustainability standards in the Romanian business landscape. | Conduct sector-specific empirical research that probes into the practicalities of applying global sustainability standards in Romania, considering the primary growth sectors. |