Pathways to Sustainable Competitive Advantage for SMEs: A Bibliometric Analysis

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-698-7_9How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Sustainable Competitive Advantage (SCA); Dynamic Capabilities; Entrepreneurial Orientation; Organization Agility; Digital Transformation; Innovation Capabilities; Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE)

Abstract

This conceptual paper develops a framework for building sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) in SMEs through intangible resources. Drawing on the Resource-Based Theory, the Resource Advantage Theory of Competition, the Dynamic Capabilities middle-range theory, and the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, this study identifies three key exogenous variables: Dynamic Capabilities, Entrepreneurial Orientation, and Organizational Agility. Dynamic Capabilities refer to an organization’s adaptability and reconfiguration of competencies in response to environmental changes. Entrepreneurial Orientation encompasses innovation, proactiveness, and risk-taking, supporting market opportunity exploitation and competitive edge. Organizational Agility denotes an organization’s flexibility and speed in addressing market demands. Together, these variables build a solid foundation for SCA. Digital Transformation and Innovation Capabilities serve as essential mediators to maximize their impact. Digital Transformation enhances operational efficiency, customer interaction, and new business avenues, while Innovation Capabilities enable the development of market-relevant products and services. AA’s systematic review methodology followed the PRISMA guidelines in developing this framework. Articles were identified from high-quality databases, including Scopus and ScienceDirect, using specific keywords such as Sustainable Competitive Advantage, SMEs, Dynamic Capabilities, Entrepreneurial Orientation, Organizational Agility, Digital Transformation, and Innovation Capabilities. The inclusion criteria focused on peer-reviewed articles published between 2010–2024, directly addressing the constructs of interest. After screening 1,500 articles for relevance and methodological rigor, 162 were included to inform this conceptual paper. The findings provide strategic insights for SMEs to achieve sustainable competitive advantage through technological adaptation and innovation.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Catharina Clara
AU  - Sulastri Sulastri
AU  - Ahmad Maulana
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/04/30
TI  - Pathways to Sustainable Competitive Advantage for SMEs: A Bibliometric Analysis
BT  - Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Management and Business (ICOMB 2024)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 78
EP  - 97
SN  - 2352-5428
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-698-7_9
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-698-7_9
ID  - Clara2025
ER  -