A Systematic Literature Review of Sustainable Competitive Advantage: Identifying Directions for Future Research

Abstract

The objective of this study is to examine a range of relevant publications to assess sustainable competitive advantage and generate future possible research questions. This article systematically evaluates a comprehensive assessment of the literature on sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) studies published between 2000 and 2023. The study makes use of data from the Scopus database, by using keyword sustainable competitive advantage. From 521 publications, thirty highly cited papers were chosen for this comprehensive literature review. Studies from multiple countries have found that assorted resources and capabilities are important for organisational success and achieving sustainable competitive advantage. These include human capital, dynamic contextual training, corporate social responsibility, supplier integration capabilities, market orientation, supply chain management, brand building, inter-organizational learning, new product innovation, knowledge sharing, and investing in intangible resources and capabilities. Strategies such as implementing green innovation strategy, adopting total quality management (TQM), and coopetition may also be beneficial in some contexts. Understanding consumer behavior, prioritizing human resources management, and investing in knowledge management processes are also important for achieving sustainable competitive advantage. Based on a review and analysis of the SCA literature, this paper generated 11 research questions for future researchers, allowing the research to be conducted.