Navigating Digital Horizons: A Bibliometric Exploration of Digitalization in Family Businesses and Emerging Research Agendas
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63822/qbwx6k02Keywords:
family business; digitalization; bibliometric analysis; artificial intelligence; sustainabilityAbstract
Digitalization has become a strategic imperative for family businesses as they navigate the challenges of Industry 4.0, shifting market dynamics, and post-pandemic recovery. Despite the growing relevance of digital transformation, existing research on this topic remains fragmented and lacks a comprehensive understanding of its intellectual and thematic evolution. This study aims to map the development of scientific publications on digitalization in family businesses, identify dominant research themes, and outline emerging research directions related to technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainability. Using the Scopus database, a bibliometric approach was applied to analyze publication trends, geographic distribution, co-authorship networks, and keyword co-occurrence patterns over the last decade. The results reveal significant growth in publication volume, with research concentrated in advanced economies and increasingly influenced by China’s expanding collaboration network. Six major thematic clusters emerged, highlighting topics such as sustainability orientation, human capital, governance, Industry 4.0 technologies, and the catalytic effects of COVID-19 on digital adoption. These findings demonstrate that digital transformation in family firms is not merely technological, but deeply shaped by socio-emotional, governance, and cultural dimensions. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive research landscape and offers a forward-looking agenda to support more inclusive and sustainable digitalization in family businesses.
Downloads
References
Alam, K., Ali, M., Erdiaw‐Kwasie, M., Murray, P., & Wiesner, R. (2022). Digital transformation among smes: does gender matter?. Sustainability, 14(1), 535. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010535
Alkan, S., Akdağ, S., & Alola, A. (2023). Evaluating the hierarchical contagion of economic policy uncertainty among the leading developed and developing economies. Economies, 11(8), 201. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies11080201
Ariswati, L. D., Kesuma, M. R., Aini, R. N. ., Irianto, E. D. O., Widaryo, C. M., & Henrika, M. (2025). Does financial literacy drive SME success in resource-rich regions?. Priviet Social Sciences Journal, 5(11), 308–321. https://doi.org/10.55942/pssj.v5i11.714
Augustin, P., Sokolovski, V., Subrahmanyam, M., & Tomio, D. (2022). In sickness and in debt: the covid-19 impact on sovereign credit risk. Journal of Financial Economics, 143(3), 1251-1274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfineco.2021.05.009
Behl, A., Chavan, M., Dutta, P., & Sheorey, P. (2019). Benchmarking publication metrics for indian business researchers. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 27(2), 571-591. https://doi.org/10.1108/bij-04-2019-0184
Calabrò, A., Torchia, M., Gimenez-Jimenez, D., & Kraus, S. (2020). The role of human capital on family firm innovativeness: the strategic leadership role of family board members. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 17(1), 261-287. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-020-00657-y
Eugene, J. and Arivazhagan, R. (2024). Development of integrated business excellence model to align with digital innovation for indian auto component industries at chennai. Educational Administration Theory and Practices. https://doi.org/10.53555/kuey.v30i6.5326
Fusco, G. (2021). Twenty years of common agricultural policy in europe: a bibliometric analysis. Sustainability, 13(19), 10650. https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910650
Garcés–Galdeano, L., Olaverri, C. G., & Arribas, E. H. (2016). Management capability and performance in spanish family firms. Academia Revista Latinoamericana De Administración, 29(3), 303-325. https://doi.org/10.1108/arla-08-2015-0195
Garg, M. and Kumar, P. (2024). Harnessing digital technologies for triple bottom line sustainability in the banking industry: a bibliometric review. Future Business Journal, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-024-00336-2
Giotopoulos, I., Κοντόλαιμου, Α., & Τσακανίκας, Ά. (2022). Digital responses of smes to the covid-19 crisis. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 28(7), 1751-1772. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijebr-11-2021-0924
Guevara, M. and Mendoza, M. (2016). Publishing patterns in bric countries: a network analysis. Publications, 4(3), 20. https://doi.org/10.3390/publications4030020
Henrika, M., Kesuma, M. R., Ariswati, L. D., Widaryo, C. M.& Irianto, E. D. O. (2025). Dinamika Likuiditas dan Kinerja Perusahaan: Wawasan dari Sektor Teknologi ASEAN. Economic and Education Journal (Ecoducation), 7(2), 630-647. https://doi.org/10.33503/ecoducation.v7i2.1672
Heubeck, T. and Meckl, R. (2021). Antecedents to cognitive business model evaluation: a dynamic managerial capabilities perspective. Review of Managerial Science, 16(8), 2441-2466. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-021-00503-7
Heubeck, T. and Meckl, R. (2022). More capable, more innovative? an empirical inquiry into the effects of dynamic managerial capabilities on digital firms' innovativeness. European Journal of Innovation Management, 25(6), 892-915. https://doi.org/10.1108/ejim-02-2022-0099
Hung, C., Wang, C., Chang, H., & Song, C. (2024). The development of utilization rate and energy consumption monitoring and networking system for old machine. Proceedings of International Conference on Artificial Life and Robotics, 29, 160-164. https://doi.org/10.5954/icarob.2024.os5-3
Irianto, E. D. O., Kesuma, M. R., Henrika, M., Widaryo, C. M., Aini, R. N., & Ariswati, L. D. (2025). Liquidity and Financial Resilience: Lessons from Indonesia Amid COVID-19 Resurgence. RIGGS: Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Business, 4(2), 2749–2757. https://doi.org/10.31004/riggs.v4i2.931
Kesuma, M. R., Henrika S., M., & Ariswati, L. D. (2025). The Impact Of Capital Intensity On Financial Stability Of Energy Sector Companies In Indonesia. Journal of Financial Economics & Investment, 5(2), 115–127. https://doi.org/10.22219/jofei.v5i2.40516
Kesuma, M. R., Wijaya, S., & Putri, A. S. (2025). Trash to treasure: Integrating waste management and financial literacy for sustainable behaviors. Priviet Social Sciences Journal, 5(10), 122–134. https://doi.org/10.55942/pssj.v5i10.681
Kesuma, M. R., Yustianingrum, A., Najwaa, N. A., Kobi, K. J., & Salsabila, R. (2025). Optimalisasi UMKM melalui Pemanfaatan Big Data: Digitalisasi MENATA Event Organizers untuk Transformasi Bisnis. Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat STIE Surakarta, 4(1), 36–43. https://doi.org/10.56456/dimaseta.v4i1.142
Kharaishvili, E. and Lobzhanidze, N. (2023). Digital transformation in small and medium-sized enterprises: approaches and challenges (focus: agricultural sector of georgia). MCAES. https://doi.org/10.55162/mcaes.06.151
Kozakiewicz, A. and Lis, A. (2021). Energy efficiency in cloud computing: exploring the intellectual structure of the research field and its research fronts with direct citation analysis. Energies, 14(21), 7036. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14217036
López-Pérez, M. E., Melero-Polo, I., Vázquez-Carrasco, R., & Cambra-Fierro, J. (2018). Sustainability and Business Outcomes in the Context of SMEs: Comparing Family Firms vs. Non-Family Firms. Sustainability, 10(11), 4080. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10114080
Mustafa, F., Lodh, S., Nandy, M., & Kumar, V. (2021). Coupling of cryptocurrency trading with the sustainable environmental goals: is it on the cards?. Business Strategy and the Environment, 31(3), 1152-1168. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2947
Penco, L., Profumo, G., Serravalle, F., & Viassone, M. (2022). Has covid-19 pushed digitalisation in smes? the role of entrepreneurial orientation. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 30(2), 311-341. https://doi.org/10.1108/jsbed-10-2021-0423
Parmentola, A., Petrillo, A., Tutore, I., & Felice, F. D. (2021). Is blockchain able to enhance environmental sustainability? a systematic review and research agenda from the perspective of sustainable development goals (sdgs). Business Strategy and the Environment, 31(1), 194-217. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2882
Petropoulou, A., Angelaki, E., Rompogiannakis, I., Passas, I., Garefalakis, A., & Thanasas, G. L. (2024). Digital transformation in smes: pre- and post-covid-19 era: a comparative bibliometric analysis. Sustainability, 16(23), 10536. https://doi.org/10.3390/su162310536
Prayitno, E., Tarigan, N. L. L., Mauidzoh, U., & Sukmawaty, W. E. P. (2024). The revival of smes in indonesia from the impact of the covid-19 pandemic. Journal of the Community Development in Asia, 7(2), 99-114. https://doi.org/10.32535/jcda.v7i2.2950
Priyono, A., Moin, A., & Putri, V. (2020). Identifying digital transformation paths in the business model of smes during the covid-19 pandemic. Journal of Open Innovation Technology Market and Complexity, 6(4), 104. https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc6040104
Raicu, A. and Raicu, G. (2021). Digital enterprise and cyber security evolution. Macromolecular Symposia, 396(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/masy.202000326
Sievers, J. and Blank, T. (2023). A systematic literature review on data-driven residential and industrial energy management systems. Energies, 16(4), 1688. https://doi.org/10.3390/en16041688
Sony, M. and Naik, S. (2019). Key ingredients for evaluating industry 4.0 readiness for organizations: a literature review. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 27(7), 2213-2232. https://doi.org/10.1108/bij-09-2018-0284
Syed, M. M., Khan, M. S., & Kadhum, M. M. (2024). The digital supply chain: challenges and opportunities in industry 4.0. Journal of E-Science Letters, 5(2), 7-13. https://doi.org/10.51470/esl.2024.5.2.07
Tipu, S. A. A. and Ryan, J. C. (2021). Are business and management journals anti-replication? an analysis of editorial policies. Management Research Review, 45(1), 101-117. https://doi.org/10.1108/mrr-01-2021-0050
Uddin, M. M. (2025). A philosophical inquiry into knowledge and originality to investigate the prevailing criticism of chatgpt et al.. Discover Education, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44217-025-00805-y
Upadhyay, N., Upadhyay, S., Al-Debei, M.M., Baabdullah, A.M. and Dwivedi, Y.K. (2023), “The influence of digital entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial orientation on intention of family businesses to adopt artificial intelligence: examining the mediating role of business innovativeness”, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research, Vol. 29 No. 1, pp. 80-115, doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-02-2022-0154.
Vedanthan, R., Bernabé-Ortíz, A., Herasme, O., Joshi, R., López‐Jaramillo, P., Thrift, A., … & Fuster, V. (2017). Innovative approaches to hypertension control in low- and middle-income countries. Cardiology Clinics, 35(1), 99-115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccl.2016.08.010
Vélez-Gutiérrez, J. M., Rojas-Jaramillo, A., Ascuntar-Viteri, J. D., Quintero, J. D., José, F., Bazuelo-Ruiz, B., … & Bonilla, D. A. (2025). Functional and neuroplastic effects of cross-education in anterior cruciate ligament rehabilitation: a scoping review with bibliometric analysis. Applied Sciences, 15(15), 8641. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15158641
Vera-Baceta, M., Thelwall, M., & Kousha, K. (2019). Web of science and scopus language coverage. Scientometrics, 121(3), 1803-1813. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-019-03264-z
Widaryo, C. M., Kesuma, M. R., Henrika S, M., Irianto, E. D. O., Nur, A. R., & Ariswati, L. D. (2025). Dual Crises Resilience: Financial Dynamics of ASEAN Tourism Firms. RIGGS: Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Business, 4(2), 3842–3848. https://doi.org/10.31004/riggs.v4i2.1127
Yılancı, V., Haouas, I., Özgür, Ö., & Sarkodie, S. (2021). Energy diversification and economic development in emergent countries: evidence from fourier function-driven bootstrap panel causality test. Frontiers in Energy Research, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenrg.2021.632712
Zhou, M., Qiao, Y., LIU, B., Vogel‐Heuser, B., & Kim, H. (2023). Machine learning for industry 4.0. IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine, 30(2), 8-9. https://doi.org/10.1109/mra.2023.3266618
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Steven Agung Jaya Saputra, Muhammad Rizky Uno Tofani, Nadiah Risma, Nur Aisyah, Muhammad Ramadhani Kesuma (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
