Exploring the relationship of digital transformation and sustainability: a bibliometric analysis and future research agenda

Purpose – Recent academic literature has shown a connection between digital transformation (DT) and sustainability. Both concepts have experienced rapid growth and mutually reinforce one another. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to further explore this topic by conceptually mapping the existing knowledge and emphasizing the role of digital technologies within each emerging theme that links DT and sustainability. Design/methodology/approach – The authors selected a sample of 226 research papers and performed a bibliometric analysis, divided into two types: descriptive and topic analysis. The descriptive analysis provides insights into bibliometric data such as publication trends, the most productive countries, highly cited sources, average yearly citations and the most productive journals. Through the topic analysis, this study examined the top keywords used, their relationships with each other, journals and cited sources, along with the thematic map. Findings – Based on the analysis, this study identified emerging topics in the integration of DT and sustainability. Therefore, this study illustrated the key themes and their periodic evolution within these fields. Moreover, this study further grouped these themes, focusing on digital technologies, digital transformation contexts and sustainability by highlighting how these aspects are interconnected. Drawing from the discussion, this study also proposes and discusses a set of possible avenues for future research. Practical implications – This study enhances the synthesis of DT and sustainability integration, identifying the key and emerging topics. Based on the emerging themes and inside topics, this study highlights the significant implications for the organizations, managers, government policymakers and researchers which can contribute toward challenges and implementation of digital technologies for sustainability related areas like fintech or digital finance, ergonomics, digital supply chain, energy efficiency, environmental sustainability and overall sustainability performance. Social implications – This study’s findings also encourage stakeholders to promote corporate social responsibility and mindful use of digital technologies to achieve multiple sustainability goals. Originality/value – In conducting this literature review, this study used both quantitative (bibliometric analysis) and qualitative techniques (in-depth analysis of relevant articles). This approach allowed the authors to explore a large number of articles, identify the most relevant and emerging field of research, and leverage this information to propose recommendations for practice and research.