Mapping the research landscape of SME success factors: a configurational perspective based on bibliometric evidence

Abstract

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a central role in employment generation, innovation diffusion, local economic dynamism, and sustainable development. However, research on SME success remains fragmented, often emphasizing isolated determinants rather than integrated explanations. This study maps the scientific landscape of SME success factors from a configurational perspective, considering how strategic orientations, organizational capabilities, implementation practices, and contextual conditions interact to shape business performance. A bibliometric and science mapping study was conducted using records retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science. The search covered publications indexed between 1985 and 2025 and was conducted on February 4, 2025. After duplicate removal, title and abstract screening, and full-text assessment following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, 935 studies were included in the final corpus. Data were processed and analyzed using R and VOSviewer. The analysis included publication trends, citation patterns, productive journals, highly cited documents, keyword co-occurrence, co-authorship networks, co-citation structures, and bibliographic coupling. The findings show a progressive consolidation of SME success research, with accelerated growth from 2016 onward. The most influential research streams are centered on entrepreneurial orientation, critical success factors, operational excellence, innovation, digital transformation, sustainability, green innovation, and circular economy practices. The intellectual structure of the field is supported by strategic management, entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainability literatures. International collaboration patterns reveal an expanding but unevenly distributed research network, with several countries acting as central knowledge hubs. The evidence suggests that SME success cannot be adequately explained through single-factor or linear approaches. Instead, it should be understood as a multidimensional and contingent phenomenon shaped by configurations of internal capabilities, strategic choices, implementation processes, and external environmental conditions. This study provides an integrated map of the field and offers a foundation for future theoretical development, comparative empirical research, and policy design aimed at strengthening competitive and sustainable SME performance.