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This study aims to holistically explore the intersection of sustainable supply chain management, carbon accounting and life cycle assessment (LCA). The purpose of this study is to derive state-of-the-art knowledge of this landscape and use it to build a structured research agenda that can help to further develop this field.

Seventy-eight distinct contributions, identified through a rigorous, transparent and replicable search protocol, are analyzed through a systematic literature review. Additionally, bibliometric information on the studies is extracted from the Scopus database and visualized through the use of VOSViewer and RStudio.

This study outlines the current state-of-the-art knowledge across three spheres of supply chain management, synthesizing the extant literature into several nascent themes – namely, the significance of Scope 3 emissions; how LCA can be integrated into carbon accounting and sustainability disclosures, the differences between countries and industries in terms of carbon emissions and policies for a concerted effort toward carbon reduction.

Several practical implications can be drawn from the research for both practitioners and policymakers. The research provides a comprehensive, bird’s eye view on the discrepancies between different industries and countries in terms of carbon emissions, along with how carbon accounting should move toward strategic and predictive adoption.

The results show that adopting life cycle thinking can contribute to more transparent monitoring of carbon emissions in supply chains; however, its use in sustainability reporting needs to become more widespread, encompassing not only the carbon footprints of products and services but also the organization as a whole.

Using bibliographic and critical qualitative analyses, this study reviews the literature on LCA in sustainable supply chain management and carbon accounting. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this review is the first attempt to synthesize this relevant and rapidly growing nexus between the three literature streams mentioned above.

This paper aims to examine the most commonly used categories of sustainability literature review regarding their purpose, nature, strengths, weaknesses and potential for impact. This paper also discusses the motivation, incremental contribution and framing that occurs by considering the research papers included in this Special Issue.

Given the paucity of clear guidelines for undertaking, writing and publishing literature review studies in sustainability research, this paper describes the main types and processes in conducting a literature review and emerging tools that can help advance the field.

This paper finds a variety of approaches in application with strengths and weaknesses, including the emerging role of software support, artificial intelligence and machine learning. This paper reviews the ethical implications of using emerging tools in the sustainability literature review methodology and their impacts on originality, authenticity and accountability. This paper discusses the seven carefully selected and meticulously reviewed articles in this Special Issue through the lens of these findings by specifically highlighting their purpose, strengths, weaknesses and practical and policy implications.

Through the systemization of ways to conduct meaningful literature reviews, this paper explores the significant relevance of the method in creating a basis of academic understanding and advancing future research that can have significant impacts on the industry. Through the discussion of the articles in this Special Issue, this paper highlights the practical and policy implications and limitations of literature reviews in sustainability research.

This paper highlights the purpose of literature reviews in identifying areas for further research and how the papers included in this Special Issue achieve this goal, i.e. how their findings possess specific positive externalities in summarizing and systematizing sustainability research.

This paper systematizes methods and processes for writing impactful literature reviews in sustainability research, particularly focusing on the use of emerging technology and the opportunities and challenges this may offer in this process.

This paper aims to carry out a comprehensive overview of the academic debate on utilities’ non-financial reporting by highlighting the main issues and the emerging gaps.

Using a structured literature review, this study identifies the state of the art, maps the evolution of non-financial reporting in utility companies and reveals unexplored issues and aspects.

A critical analysis of the existing academic debate shows the development of utilities’ non-financial reporting literature and the focus of this debate. It provides insight into how utilities pay attention to non-financial reporting, what role this plays in corporate actions and relationships with stakeholders and what research gaps need further investigation.

This study provides some useful recommendations to practitioners and regulators to be more conscious of the weaknesses and criticalities of utilities’ non-financial reporting and to address them when building such reporting. However, this study considered only articles published in peer-reviewed academic journals.

A comprehensive literature review in the utilities’ non-financial reporting area is timely, given the increase in this type of reporting. The study has an original focus and develops an analytical framework highlighting the peculiarities of utilities.

This paper presents a conceptual framework based on an extensive literature review. The aim of this study is to deepen understanding of the relationship between carbon performance and the financial market by applying qualitative research approaches.

The investigation has identified 372 articles sourced from Scopus databases, subjecting the bibliographic data to a comprehensive qualitative–quantitative analysis. The research uses established protocols for a structured literature review, adhering to PRISMA guidelines, machine learning-based structural topic modelling using Python and bibliometric citation analysis.

The results identified the leading academic authors, institutions and countries concerning carbon performance and financial markets literature. Quantitative studies dominate this research theme. The study has identified six knowledge clusters using topic modelling related to environmental reporting; price drivers of carbon markets; environmental policy and capital markets; financial development and carbon emissions; carbon risk and financial markets; and environmental performance and firm value. The results of the study also present the opportunities associated with carbon performance and the financial market and propose future research agendas on research through theory, characteristics, context and methodology.

The results of the study offer insights to practitioners, researchers and academicians regarding scientific development, intricate relationships and the complexities involved in the intersection of carbon performance and financial markets. For policymakers, a better understanding of carbon performance and financial markets will contribute to designing policies to set up priorities for countering carbon emissions.

The study highlights the critical areas that require attention to limit greenhouse gas emissions and promote decarbonisation effectively. Policymakers can leverage these insights to develop targeted and evidence-based policies that facilitate the transition to a more sustainable and low-carbon economy.

The study initially attempts to discuss the research stream on carbon performance and financial markets literature from a systematic literature review.

The topic of artificial intelligence (AI) has been expanding rapidly in recent years, gaining the attention of academics and practitioners. This study provides a structured literature review (SLR) on AI and management decisions (MDs) by analysing the scientific output and defining new research topics.

The study uses a rigorous methodological approach to summarise the state of the art of the past literature. The authors used Scopus as the database for data collection and utilised the Bibliometrix R package. In total, 204 peer-reviewed English articles were collected and analysed.

The results showed that literature in this field is emerging. Studies are focused on using AI as forecasting and classification for management decision-making, AI as a tool to improve knowledge management in organisations and extract information. The cluster analysis revealed the presence of five thematic clusters of studies on the topic.

The study’s originality lies in providing a new perspective on AI for MDs. In particular, the analysis reveals a new classification of research streams and provides fruitful research questions to continue research on the topic.

This study aims to evaluate the usage of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) in journals related to logistics and supply chain management (LSCM).

Based on a structured literature review approach, the authors reviewed 401 articles in the field of LSCM applying PLS-SEM published in 15 major journals between 2014 and 2022. The analysis focused on reasons for using PLS-SEM, measurement model and structural model evaluation criteria, advanced analysis techniques and reporting practices.

LSCM researchers sometimes did not clarify the reasons for using PLS-SEM, such as sample size, complex models and non-normal distributions. Additionally, most articles exhibit limited use of measurement models and structural model evaluation techniques, leading to inappropriate use of assessment criteria. Furthermore, progress in the practical implementation of advanced analysis techniques is slow, and there is a need for improved transparency in reporting analysis algorithms.

This study contributes to the field of LSCM by providing clear criteria and steps for using PLS-SEM, enriching the understanding and advancement of research methodologies in this field.

This paper aims to conduct a systematic literature review of Socially Conscious Investment (SCI) articles published in premier journals. Its objective is to shed light on the publication trend, leading authors, journals, countries and themes in contemporary SCI research. The article also provides a conceptual model of SCI to enhance understanding of the knowledge structure and the future research direction.

A systematic review followed the PRISMA guidelines and encompasses 264 full-text articles indexed in A* and A category journals listed in ABDC is reviewed. The literature synthesis adopts the theories, contexts, characteristics and methodology (TCCM) framework.

The article has identified the research trends related to author impact, journal impact, article impact and the outcomes derived from the TCCM framework. Additionally, it highlights three key themes: Performance of SCI, Behavioural issues and SCI development literature.

The insight on various aspects of SCI was explored for a comprehensive understanding. The authors also developed a conceptual model for socially conscious investment.

Inland shipping has been extensively recognised as a sustainable, efficient and good alternative to rail and road modes of transportation. In recent years, various authorities and academic researchers have advocated shifting from road to other sustainable modes like inland waterway transport (IWT) or rail transport. Academic work on modernisation and technological innovations to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of waterborne transportation is becoming apparent as a growing body of literature caused by the need to achieve a sustainable transport system. Thus, it became apparent to explore the research trends on IWT.

A systematic and structured literature review study was employed in this paper to identify the challenges and concepts in modernising inland waterways for freight transportation. The review analysed 94 articles published in 54 journals from six well-known databases between 2010 and 2022.

The key findings of this review are that despite various challenges confronting the sector, there have been successful cases of technological advancement in the industry. The main interest among scholars is improving technical and economic performance, digitalisation, and safety and environmental issues. The review revealed that most of the literature is fragmented despite growing interest from practitioners and academic scholars. Academic research to address the strategic objectives, including strengthening competitiveness (shipbuilding, hydrodynamics, incorporating artificial intelligence into the decision-making process, adopting blockchain technology to ensure transparency and security in the transactions, new technologies for fleets adaptation to climate change, more effective handling, maintenance and rehabilitation technologies), matching growth and changing trade patterns (intermodal solutions and new logistics approaches) are major causes of concerns.

By employing the approach of reviewing previously available literature on IWT review papers, this review complements the existing body of literature in the field of IWT by providing in a single paper a consolidation of recent state-of-the-art research on technological developments and challenges for inland waterways freight transport in the intermodal supply chain that can act as a single resource to keep researchers up to date with the most recent advancements in research in the domain of inland waterway freight transport. Additionally, this review identified gaps in the literature that may inspire new research themes in the field of IWT.

This paper systematically reviews the evolution of Internet of Things (IoT) research in business and management over the past decade and a half. It synthesizes current knowledge, identifies major themes, gaps, and future opportunities to guide scholars on potential research directions within this exponentially growing domain.

A structured systematic literature review methodology filtered IoT publications across business/management journals using Scopus database. Detailed thematic and bibliometric analyses chronologically mapped the progress of peer-reviewed articles from 2005–2023. Both quantitative metrics and qualitative coding inductively revealed historical trends, topics, applications and research implications.

Analysis uncovered six primary IoT research themes - business models, technology, data, customers, organizations, and sustainability. Dominant focuses were found on technological enablers, business model innovation and customer experience transformations. While technical aspects are well-documented, strategic technology integrations and organizational change management require greater emphasis.

Focus restricted to academic articles published in management journals risks missing relevant papers published in other fields. Screening process involved some subjectivity. Lacks geographic analysis of research contexts. The rapidly evolving nature of technology domain risks findings’ generalizability.

Key enablers and success factors that we identified may support managerial decision making when it comes to IoT adoption.

We discuss advancing IoT innovation through ethics and sustainability lenses and these may help ensure responsible adoption.

This analysis weaves together the extant literature and offers an evidence-based research agenda for management scholars by chronicling the state, evolution, influential factors, and future opportunities within IoT literature. It highlights major thematic shifts and priority gaps to address.

Many countries struggled to respond to the pandemic burden; in fact, most suffer from healthcare incapacity generally. Therefore, they need to find innovative systems to compensate for their deficiencies in dealing with current and future problems. One such goes down the public-private partnership (PPP) route. It is important to note, however, that PPP is not a magic wand, and some of these projects have been criticized for overruns that exceed the value created. Aiming to promote the value created in healthcare PPP projects, this study aims to identify factors and critical points related to their implementation.

A two-stage literature review was conducted to shape semi-structured interviews. Based on this, the questions to be asked in the interviews were prepared. The interviews were conducted with twelve experts. The transcripts of the twelve semi-structured interviews were analyzed using manual thematic analysis to reveal the most critical value-creation factors (VCFs). The VFCs were validated by comparing them with the studies in the literature and by having focus group discussions (FGDs) with the experts. Finally, in an FGD, the experts discussed how these factors affect value creation in healthcare PPP projects.

The findings show that VFCs can be categorized into four dimensions: assets, partnership synergy, cooperation environment and processes. Based on the frequency of codes during the thematic analysis, the most frequently addressed VFCs in each category were identified. These were complementary skills and resources, attitude, early establishment of the operational body and effective design development, respectively.

This research contributes to both society and practice by unveiling VCFs and effective ways to achieve them in healthcare PPP projects. Thus, practitioners can generate more value and bring value to the forefront of healthcare PPPs, which can then enhance the value gained by society.

Studies to date have offered little about VCFs and how to realize value in PPP projects by considering the factors involved in them. Moreover, value creation in PPP healthcare projects has largely remained unexplored, despite PPPs being adopted and investigated quite commonly.