Digital Transformation and Business Innovation: A Bibliometric Review and Strategic Research Agenda

Volume 2, Issue 1,  Article Number: 261002 (2026) 

Kajal Sejwani1,* ORCID logo  | Ruchi Jain1 ORCID logo 

1IIS (deemed to be) University, Jaipur – 302020, Rajasthan (India)
*Corresponding Author: kajalsejwani067@gmail.co

Received: 28 December 2025 | Revised: 18 January 2026

Accepted: 22 January 2026 | Published Online: 30 January 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18358053

© 2026 The Authors, under a Creative Commons license, Published by Scholarly Publication

Abstract

In this paper, we present a bibliometric analysis of research conducted between 2015-2022 regarding digital transformation (DT) and business innovation (BI) that has addressed sustainability and ESG-related themes. We utilized bibliographic information from the Scopus database utilizing the Title-Abstract-Keywords (TITLE-ABS-KEY) search query for ‘digital transformation’ AND ‘business innovation’. Using the PRISMA Guidelines for conducting systematic reviews, we conducted a review of 168 peer-reviewed journal articles that were identified during the search process. Analyses of keyword co-occurrences and citation performance were completed using VOSviewer via full counting with a minimum occurrence of 5. The analysis identified four primary clusters of literature related to DT & organizational change, industry 4.0 and competitiveness, technological innovation and implementation, and artificial intelligence driven sustainability. Temporal visualizations indicate increased scholarly interest in ESG and sustainability topics post-2019. The Business Model Theory is the interpretive lens utilized to analyze how the aforementioned clusters reflect how Digitally Enabled Firms (DEFs) create, deliver, and capture value through the mapped clusters of literature. We provide a replicable overview of the domain providing insights regarding how researchers can build upon our findings to develop a research agenda focused on sustainability governance, capability development, and cross region validation.

Keywords

Digital transformation, Business innovation, Bibliometric review, ESG, Business model theory

References

  • Bai, C., Dallasega, P., Orzes, G., & Sarkis, J. (2020). Industry 4.0 technologies assessment: A sustainability perspective. International journal of production economics, 229, 107776.

[View Article]         [Google Scholar]

  • Barney, J. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of management, 17, 99-120.

[View Article]         [Google Scholar]

  • Climent, R. C., & Haftor, D. M. (2021). Business model theory-based prediction of digital technology use: An empirical assessment. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 173, 121174.

[View Article]         [Google Scholar]

  • Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of business research, 133, 285-296.

[View Article]         [Google Scholar]

  • El-Kassar, A. N., & Singh, S. K. (2019). Green innovation and organizational performance: The influence of big data and the moderating role of management commitment and HR practices. Technological forecasting and social change, 144, 483-498.

[View Article]         [Google Scholar]

  • Ennen, E., & Richter, A. (2010). The whole is more than the sum of its parts—or is it? A review of the empirical literature on complementarities in organizations. Journal of Management, 36, 207-233.

[View Article]         [Google Scholar]

  • Feroz, A. K., Zo, H., & Chiravuri, A. (2021). Digital transformation and environmental sustainability: A review and research agenda. Sustainability, 13, 1530.

[View Article]         [Google Scholar]

  • Foss, N. J., & Saebi, T. (2017). Fifteen years of research on business model innovation: How far have we come, and where should we go?. Journal of management, 43, 200-227.

[View Article]         [Google Scholar]

  • Goksu, I. (2021). Bibliometric mapping of mobile learning. Telematics and Informatics, 56, 101491.

[View Article]        [Google Scholar]

  • Kraus, S., Durst, S., Ferreira, J. J., Veiga, P., Kailer, N., & Weinmann, A. (2022). Digital transformation in business and management research: An overview of the current status quo. International Journal of Information Management, 63, 102466.

[View Article]        [Google Scholar]

  • Kulins, C., Leonardy, H., & Weber, C. (2016). A configurational approach in business model design. Journal of Business Research, 69, 1437-1441.

[View Article]         [Google Scholar]

  • Lopez, F. J. D., Bastein, T., & Tukker, A. (2019). Business model innovation for resource-efficiency, circularity and cleaner production: What 143 cases tell us. Ecological Economics, 155, 20-35.

[View Article]         [Google Scholar]

  • Massa, L., Tucci, C. L., & Afuah, A. (2017). A critical assessment of business model research. Academy of Management annals, 11, 73-104.

[View Article]        [Google Scholar]

  • Pierli, G., Murmura, F., & Bravi, L. (2022). Digital transformation and sustainability. A systematic literature review. In International scientific conference on Digital Transformation in Industry: Trends, Management, Strategies, 83-99, Springer Nature, Switzerland.

[View Article]         [Google Scholar]

  • Porter, M. E. (1985). Technology and competitive advantage. Journal of business strategy, 5, 60-78.

[View Article]        [Google Scholar]

  • Reis, J., Amorim, M., Melão, N., Matos, P. (2018). Digital Transformation: A Literature Review and Guidelines for Future Research. In: Rocha, Á., Adeli, H., Reis, L.P., Costanzo, S. (eds) Trends and Advances in Information Systems and Technologies. WorldCIST’18 2018. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 745, 411-421, Springer, Cham.

[View Article]         [Google Scholar]

  • Ricciardi, F., Zardini, A., & Rossignoli, C. (2016). Organizational dynamism and adaptive business model innovation: The triple paradox configuration. Journal of Business Research, 69, 5487-5493.

[View Article]        [Google Scholar]

  • Sahoo, S. K., Goswami, S. S., Sarkar, S., & Mitra, S. (2023). A review of digital transformation and industry 4.0 in supply chain management for small and medium-sized enterprises. Spectrum of engineering and management sciences, 1, 58-70.

[View Article]         [Google Scholar]

  • Sohl, T., Vroom, G., & McCann, B. T. (2020). Business model diversification and firm performance: A demand‐side perspective. Strategic entrepreneurship journal, 14, 198-223.

[View Article]        [Google Scholar]

  • Teece, D. J. (2010). Business models, business strategy and innovation. Long range planning, 43, 172-194.

[View Article]        [Google Scholar]

  • Teece, D. J. (2019). A capability theory of the firm: an economics and (strategic) management perspective. New zealand economic papers, 53, 1-43.

[View Article]        [Google Scholar]

  • Vial, G. (2019). Understanding digital transformation: A review and a research agenda. The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 28, 118-144.

[View Article]

  • Zott, C., & Amit, R. (2008). The fit between product market strategy and business model: Implications for firm performance. Strategic management journal, 29, 1-26.

[View Article]        [Google Scholar]

Cite This Article

K. Sejwani and R. Jain, “Digital Transformation and Business Innovation: A Bibliometric Review and Strategic Research Agenda,” Commercia 2(1) (2026) 261002. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18358053

Rights & Permission

This is an open access article published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) International License, which allows unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. No permission is needed to reuse this content under the terms of the license.
For uses not covered above, please contact the Scholarly Publication Rights Department.