Aug 2026· The TQM Journal· 0 citations· 91 references
TL;DR
An integrated conceptual framework is developed with the help of key findings and propositions that emerged from the selected studies to address specific research questions, find gaps and propose future research agendas.
Abstract
The purpose of this systematic literature review is to extract and synthesize findings of research papers published in high-quality journals to address our specific research questions, find gaps and propose future research agendas. We want to understand the mechanisms by which digital innovation adoption (DIA) and digital transformation (DT) help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) achieve competitive advantage and enhance operational performance, ultimately leading to sustainable competitive advantage (SCA).
Fifty-nine studies were selected following the extended PRISMA guidelines as the methodological framework.
Four key themes have been generated based on thematic analysis of selected studies, which further helped us to find research gaps, implications and future research scopes.
DIA can enhance competitive advantage by business model innovation, strategic agility, resilience and foundational organizational capabilities in SMEs. Also, improve operational performance by process management, supply chain optimization and increasing employee productivity. Also, marketing orientation has been used as a complementary lens along with strategic and operational perspectives. The existing literature has not extensively addressed how these viewpoints can be integrated to create an SCA for SMEs. To address this gap, we developed an integrated conceptual framework with the help of key findings and propositions that emerged from the selected studies. We concluded the study by providing propositions for future empirical testing.
The findings indicate that leadership commitment and strategic alignment are the most consistently cited critical success factors for successful digital transformation and the Comprehensive digital transformation Success Model (CDTSM) is proposed, which integrates these CSFs into a structured framework encompassing the initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and sustainability phases of digital transformation.
Behzad Salavati Tehrani, Carmen De-Pablos-Heredero· 0 citations
Digital transformation is increasingly redefining the managerial practices, organizational coordination, and results of innovation in diverse industries. Empirical studies have created connections between digital capabilities, organisational agility, performance measures, and the creation of new business models, but the current literature is scattered and mostly descriptive. This current research paper is a systemic review of recent literature that aims at questioning the processes by which digital transformation enables managerial innovation. The review uses a PRISMA-conformable screening protocol to summarize the results of 25 peer-reviewed articles. The analysis presents three most common ways in which digital transformation is connected to the results of innovation: (1) digital capability building, (2) managerial process redesign, and (3) business-model innovation. The comparative analysis reveals that small and medium enterprises focus on ability building, industrial firms are oriented on strategic performance, and organisations of the public sector dedicate their efforts to the system of governance and role redesigning. The article reflects gaps in research in relation to intersecting research sectors, integration of theory, and causal explanation. It hypothesizes a conceptual framework that locates the digital capabilities onto managerial and innovation outcomes through mediating mechanisms and contextual moderators. These observations are the refinement of a research agenda based on multilevel processes, longitudinal studies, and sector-specific patterns of digital transformation.
Gopala B, S. P. Singh· International Journal of Int...· 0 citations
Background: Digital transformation has become a central process in contemporary business environments, as organizations increasingly integrate advanced technologies into their operations and business models. While digital transformation is widely recognized as a driver of organizational change and innovation capacity, its direct effect on competitive advantage remains unclear, as the mechanisms through which digital investments translate into strategic outcomes are not yet fully understood. Purpose: The aim of this research is to examine how digital transformation influences innovation and competitive advantage, and to assess whether innovation performance mediates this relationship. Study design/methodology/approach: Data were collected through a structured survey in which 53 representatives of companies from Split, Croatia participated. The response rate was 31.2%. Empirical analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the proposed relationships between digital transformation, innovation performance, and competitive advantage, which is particularly appropriate for small samples and exploratory research designs. Findings/conclusions: The results indicate that digital transformation positively influences innovation performance, which in turn positively influences competitive advantage. Innovation performance fully mediates the relationship between digital transformation and competitive advantage, with the direct path becoming insignificant once the mediator is included. These findings suggest that digital transformation generates competitive advantage primarily through its capacity to enhance innovation performance, rather than through direct technological adoption. Limitations/future research: The study is limited by a small convenience sample drawn from a single geographic area, which restricts generalizability. Future research should examine different institutional, sectoral and national contexts, incorporate objective performance measures, and apply longitudinal designs to better establish causality.
Anita Talaja, K. Matić· Strategii Manageriale· 0 citations
Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) increasingly need to reconfigure how they create, deliver, and capture value in response to digitalisation, sustainability demands, and environmental uncertainty. This study systematically reviews 162 English-language articles published in SSCI-indexed journals to integrate fragmented research on business model innovation (BMI) in SMEs. Descriptive analysis, keyword co-occurrence analysis, and article-level qualitative content analysis are combined. The findings identify four broad knowledge domains and show that 41 studies treat BMI primarily as an outcome, 44 as an organisational process, 17 as an antecedent of subsequent outcomes, and 36 as part of a combined causal relationship; a further 24 studies are descriptive or typological. Across these roles, the literature explains BMI through resource mobilisation, entrepreneurial action logics, absorptive and dynamic capabilities, experimentation, and network mobilisation. Its effects on performance, growth, resilience, internationalisation, and sustainability depend on complementary resources, implementation capabilities, stakeholder alignment, and environmental conditions. The evidence supports an adaptive and iterative interpretation of SME BMI, but direct evidence of recursive feedback remains limited. Resource constraints also have conditional effects, stimulating bricolage and focused experimentation in some circumstances while inhibiting substantive change when shortages become severe. The review provides an integrative synthesis specific to SMEs and advances digital business model innovation research by explaining how digital pressures are translated into changes in value proposition, value creation and delivery, and value capture through organisational and relational mechanisms.
Bi Zhang, Nurul Atasha Jamaludin, Shan-Shan Yue et al.· Future Business Journal· 0 citations
The purpose of this study is to advance knowledge for managers, policymakers, and researchers regarding the important key factors of successful Digital Transformation (DT) adoption, which can shed light on research gaps and help form a research agenda. A systematic literature review was conducted to analyse 26 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2020 and 2025 from the Scopus, Emerald, Insight, Google Scholar, and ProQuest databases, following the PRISMA guidelines. Four DT adoption models, such as Diffusion of Innovation (DOI), Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Task-Technology Fit (TTF), and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), have been analysed to understand why people embrace DT either positively or negatively. According to the literature, the success factors for adopting DT have been identified. In addition, it is found that using only one DT adoption model does not ensure success. It is advisable to use an integrated multi-model or multiple frameworks for the theoretical adoption of DT. Using multiple frameworks makes DT adoption easier to understand. The Input-Process Output (IPO) schema allows consolidating the gaps in the present state and setting out the research agenda. The IPO schema can be considered a helpful tool for identifying research gaps and setting the research agenda, as well as for planning, decision-making, and policymaking.
Amando Singun· International Journal of Inn...· 0 citations
This study investigates how digital innovation (DII) drives sustainable performance (SUS) through the mediating role of business model innovation (BMI) and the moderating effects of servitization (SER) and relational orientation (REO). Drawing on Service-Dominant Logic, a survey was conducted among 167 medium and large Swedish enterprises in manufacturing, packaging, logistics, and environmental technology. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling, results show that DII significantly enhances BMI, which in turn improves SUS. Servitization strengthens the DII-BMI link, while relational orientation amplifies the BMI-SUS relationship. The findings advance theory by integrating digital innovation, service strategies, and stakeholder collaboration into a sustainability context. Practically, the study provides actionable insights for managers seeking to integrate sustainability into their business models through technology-enabled services and multi-stakeholder ecosystems. This research contributes to the growing body of work on digital-sustainable transformation pathways in advanced economies.
Shivam Gupta, Sachin Modgil, Vinit Parida et al.· Journal of Environmental Man...· 0 citations
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