Systematic Literature Review: the Sustainable Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Under the Trend of Globalization

Abstract

Purpose: The development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often faces such problems as shortage of funds and backward technology. The systematic literature review on sustainable development (SD) of SMEs can help accelerate the pace of SMEs' information management construction and promote enterprises' development and growth. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted on empirical data on the sustainable development of small and medium-sized enterprises in China and abroad from 2000 to 2022. Theoretical framework: Systematic review/meta-analysis refers to a research method that comprehensively collects all relevant studies, conducts rigorous evaluation and analysis one by one, and then uses quantitative or qualitative synthesis methods to process the data to reach comprehensive conclusions (Pansare et al., 2023). Design/methodology/approach: This literature review covers 50 articles from peer-reviewed academic journals related to their theoretical area, research design, sampling/data collection methods, data analysis, and thematic areas. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statements were used to analyze this study’s systematic literature review. Findings: The result illustrated that numerous research had been done during the past twenty years and new findings are involved with this topic area. SMEs attach more and more importance to the goal of SD and adopt systematic, structured, and formalized ways to promote the SD of enterprises. Research, Practical & Social implications: Several pieces of literature can cover the aspects of ecological entrepreneurship, innovation, business, and environment, which are positively correlated with SD. Originality/value: This paper summarizes existing research results, which can provide research references for the SD of SMEs.