A Bibliometric Analysis on Sustainability and Managerial Strategies. Research Trends and Key Insights

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Cluster 1: Central sustainability constructs (in red)

Node	Betweenness	Closeness	Page rank	Network map interaction
Sustainable Development	9.005.531,00	0.020408	0.2134	Core node with extensive reach across the network
Economic and Social Effects	342.133,00	0.014705	0.05732	Influential in discussions on sustainable economic development
Planning	60.684,00	0.012345	0.02880	Significant role in strategic planning for sustainability
Environmental Management	52.184,00	0.012345	0.03249	Central to discussions around managing environmental impact
Manufacture	29.188,00	0.012048	0.02501	Involved in discussions on sustainable manufacturing practices
Supply Chains	23.730,00	0.011764	0.02158	Crucial for understanding the role of supply chains in sustainability
Profitability	22.501,00	0.012048	0.02436	Links economic gains to sustainable practices
Corporate Social Responsibility	15.586,00	0.010869	0.01332	Reflects the role of corporations in sustainable development
Environmental Impact	15.258,00	0.011494	0.01774	Important for assessing sustainability on environmental terms
Sales	0.9879	0.011627	0.01860	Connects commercial success with sustainable products and practices
Risk Assessment	0.8922	0.011363	0.01615	Essential for evaluating potential risks in sustainability initiatives
Costs	0.7911	0.011494	0.01406	Concerns the cost-efficiency aspect of sustainability practices
Benchmarking	0.5809	0.010989	0.01245	Used to compare sustainability performance against standards
Safety Engineering	0.5440	0.010989	0.01253	Deals with designing systems that ensure safety and sustainability
Risk Management	0.5352	0.010869	0.01242	Concerns the management of sustainability risks
Social Aspects	0.5171	0.011235	0.01570	Highlights the social dimensions of sustainable development
Supply Chain Management	0.4270	0.010989	0.01427	Pertains to the management of resources in a sustainable manner
Environmental Performance	0.3786	0.011235	0.01877	Relates to how actions and policies perform from an environmental perspective
Investments	0.1773	0.010989	0.01085	Connects financial investments with sustainable outcomes
Societies and Institutions	0.1239	0.010752	0.00962	Reflects the societal and institutional frameworks of sustainability
Decision Making	0.0359	0.010638	0.00939	Reflects the importance of informed decisions in sustainability
Project Management	0.0333	0.010526	0.00741	Involves organizing and managing projects with sustainability objectives
Construction Industry	-	0.010526	0.00674	Less central, focused on sustainability in construction
Product Design	-	0.010638	0.00933	Focuses on creating sustainable products

Cluster 5: Commerce and empirical research (in orange)

Node	Betweenness	Closeness	Page rank	Network map interaction
Commerce	64.196	0.01219	0.02450	Central node, likely indicating commerce's role in sustainability
Surveys	0.9277	0.01123	0.01533	Important for empirical research within the field
Marketing	0.1655	0.01075	0.01012	Relates to the dissemination and promotion of sustainable practices
Efficiency	0	0.01052	0.00601	Less central, possibly focuses on efficiency in sustainable operations

Cluster 6: Sustainability integration and reporting (in brown)

Node	Betweenness	Closeness	Page rank	Network map interaction
Performance	0.4683	0.01086	0.01355	Strongly influential in linking sustainability with performance metrics
Sustainability Performance	0.1393	0.01063	0.00950	Important for measuring and assessing sustainability efforts
Sustainability Reporting	0.0895	0.01075	0.01030	Critical for transparency and accountability in sustainability
Management Systems	0	0.01041	0.00654	Peripheral, suggesting a supportive role in sustainability integration

Works on topics of interest

Thematic	Centrality	Density	Centrality level	Density level	Theme frequency
Sustainability	13.17	71.63	1	2	139
Sustainable development	31.27	90.91	13	9	569
Commerce	15.12	75.34	12	6	175
Forestry	1.42	75.00	5.5	4	8
Human	1.44	85.42	7	8	9
Reputation	1.42	129.34	5.5	13	20
Supply chains	10.05	106.00	10	8	92
Economics	5.51	80.49	9	7	50
Performance assessment	1.68	104.23	8	10	24
Empirical studies	0.78	127.78	4	12	15
Civil engineering	0.25	62.50	3	1	4
Mathematical models	-	75.00	15	4	4
Distributed computer systems	-	75.00	15	4	4

Bibliometric analysis: overall conclusions

Aspect	Synthesis of existing knowledge	Identified research gaps	Areas for further investigation
Foundational Theories	Integration of sustainability within economic, social, and environmental dimensions, and their evolving interplay, particularly noted in the positive primary trend for “economic and social effects”.	Theories may not yet fully encompass the dynamism identified in shifts towards commerce and manufacture sectors, or account for the negative secondary trend in “sustainability”.	Develop dynamic frameworks that address how foundational sustainability concepts are applied uniquely within Romania’s transitional economy, with particular attention to sectors showing primary growth.
Innovation and Technology	Acknowledges innovation’s role, evidenced by its shift in thematic evolution, and the increased focus on technology’s role in driving sustainability.	Lack of depth in research exploring how technological innovation is integrated within sustainability efforts, specifically within different sectors in Romania.	Dive into the forces driving innovation within Romanian sectors showing primary growth and investigate how technology adoption influences sustainability.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)	Reiterates CSR and finance as central themes, as shown by their positive primary trend, in sustaining ethical, social, and environmental business practices.	Requires deeper investigation into the specific impact of CSR initiatives in the Romanian context, where the negative secondary trend might indicate evolving CSR approaches.	Examine the balance between financial performance and CSR's evolving nature in Romania, and how this impacts the overall corporate strategy for sustainability.
Market Dynamics and Consumer Behavior	The importance of understanding market dynamics and consumer behavior towards sustainability, which may be inferred from the thematic shift towards sectors like commerce and the changing discourse on sustainability.	A noted absence of detailed consumer response analysis, particularly within sectors showing a positive primary trend.	Explore how Romanian consumer behaviors are adapting to the sustainability paradigm shift and the influence on corporate sustainability strategies.
Sustainability Reporting and Communication	The growing importance of transparency and communication in sustainability efforts, suggested by the positive secondary trend in “information management”.	Sparse research on the effectiveness of Romanian companies’ communication strategies concerning their sustainability efforts.	Investigate how Romanian companies are adapting their sustainability communication to align with the emerging importance of information management.
Empirical and Applied Research	Highlights empirical research’s role in practical sustainability applications, as seen in the positive primary trends of sectors like commerce and finance.	There are gaps in empirical studies on the application of global sustainability standards in the Romanian business landscape.	Conduct sector-specific empirical research that probes into the practicalities of applying global sustainability standards in Romania, considering the primary growth sectors.

Identified themes from clustered data

Theme type	Cluster label	Occurrences	Centrality measures	Page rank centrality
Driving Themes	Sustainable Development	142	Betweenness: 428.933; Closeness: 0.001818	0.094
	Economic and Social Effects	26	Betweenness: 2425.616; Closeness: 0.002358	0.024
	Environmental Management	18	Betweenness: 1991.702; Closeness: 0.002309	0.016
Emerging Themes	Corporate Social Responsibility	12	Betweenness: 578.046; Closeness: 0.002100	0.007
	Commerce	12	Betweenness: 1060.348; Closeness: 0.002207	0.011
	Supply Chain Management	12	Betweenness: 643.648; Closeness: 0.002100	0.009

General information about the extracted records

Description	Results
Timespan	2000:2023
Sources	160
Documents	221
Annual Growth Rate%	14,38
Average age of the document	5,98
Average citation per doc	19,91
References	10.225

Factorial analysis: A synthesis

Concept	Primary trend (Growth & Importance)	Secondary trend (Interconnectedness)
Economic and Social Effects	High positive value	Neutral value
	(Central to discussions)	(Interactions may be stabilizing)
Commerce	High positive value	High positive value
	(Substantial link with sustainability)	(Growing interconnectedness)
Manufacture	High positive value	Neutral value
	(Integral in sustainable adaptation)	(Interactions may be stabilizing)
Environmental Regulations	High positive value	Negative value
	(Prominent in research)	(Focused specialization)
Corporate Social Responsibility	High positive value	High positive value
	(Essential in business practices)	(Broadening scope)
Risk Assessment	High positive value	Negative value
	(Prominent in research)	(Less emphasis on connections)
Information Management	Neutral value	High positive value
	(Consistent focus)	(Emerging importance)
Environmental Impact	High positive value	Near-neutral value
	(Continuing central theme)	(Stable growth)
Sustainability	Negative value	Negative value
	(Integrating into broader frameworks)	(Shifting focus)
Environmental Technology	Negative value	Negative value
	(Evolving association with sustainability)	(Holistic environmental management)
Benchmarking	Neutral value	Negative value
	(Steady importance)	(Changing methodologies)
Sustainability Reporting	Neutral value	Negative value
	(Consistent relevance)	(Evolving practices)
Environmental Economics	Negative value	Negative value
	(Pivoting to specific themes)	(Paradigmatic change)
Innovation	Negative value	Negative value
	(Moving towards advanced themes)	(Shifting scholarly focus)

Quantitative bibliometric indicators: synthesis

Quantitative bibliometric indicator	Main takeaways
Lotka's Law	The concentration of single-paper authors suggests diverse perspectives, enriching the study of managerial sustainability.
Bradford's Law	Core journals identified guide the literature review, ensuring focus on the most impactful sources within the sustainability discourse.
Most Relevant Authors	Frequent contributions by key authors inform the study with relevant work on sustainability practices in management.
Core Sources	Journals identified as core sources provide authoritative insights and appropriate methodologies.
Most Cited Articles	Highly cited articles shape the theoretical framework and best practices in sustainable development, directly applicable to the business context.
Annual Scientific Output	Increasing research output reflects a heightened academic and practical interest in integrating sustainability across all business levels.

Calculations for Lotka’s law

No. articles	No. authors	Freq
1	542	0.9426087
2	27	0.04695652
3	3	0.00521739
4	3	0.00521739

Clustered data: Synthesis

Cluster	Focus	Main takeaways
1	Integrative Foundation of Sustainability	Highlights the holistic lens through which sustainability integrates economic, social, and environmental dimensions, emphasizing foundational importance.
2	Economic and Environmental Interplay	Underscores the critical balance between economic development and environmental management, stressing the synergy between economic policies and environmental conservation.
3	Innovation as a Catalyst	Points to the transformative potential of innovation in driving sustainable outcomes, emphasizing the role of technology and innovative strategies.
4	Corporate Responsibility and Strategic Finance	Illustrates the evolving role of businesses in sustainability, integrating social and environmental considerations into financial strategies.
5	Market Dynamics and Empirical Insights	Emphasizes the importance of market-oriented strategies and transparency in sustainability efforts, underlining the role of empirical research.
6	Strategic Application and Communication	Focuses on the operationalization and communication of sustainability within organizations, highlighting the need for actionable strategies and effective reporting.

Cluster 4: Corporate strategies and finance (in purple)

Node	Betweenness	Closeness	Page rank	Network map interaction
Competition	66.297	0.01234	0.03211	A pivotal concept linking sustainable development with market dynamics
Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR)	18.088	0.01176	0.02090	Reflects the growing importance of CSR in corporate strategy
Social Responsibilities	17.925	0.01176	0.01906	Indicates the role of social responsibility in sustainability discourse
Finance	16.353	0.01149	0.01801	Central to discussions on funding sustainable initiatives
Competitive Advantage	0.1494	0.01098	0.01494	Represents the strategic benefit of sustainability in business
Financial Performance	0.1407	0.01086	0.01062	Ties financial outcomes to sustainable practices
Corporate Reputations	0.1257	0.01075	0.00972	Relates the impact of sustainability on corporate image

Cluster 2: Environmental and organizational sustainability (in blue)

Node	Betweenness	Closeness	Page rank	Network map interaction
Environmental Protection	26.121	0.011494	0.01928	Strong influence in environmental sustainability discussions
Sustainability	17.357	0.011363	0.02228	Key node with extensive connections to various sustainability aspects
Environmental Economics	0.3376	0.010989	0.01426	Central to discussions on the economic impact of environmental policies
Performance Assessment	0.2339	0.010869	0.01200	Related to assessing the performance of sustainability measures
Stakeholder	0.1793	0.010869	0.01237	Important for stakeholder theory in sustainability
China	0	0.010526	0.00786	Represents the geographical focus on sustainability practices in China
Strategic Planning	0	0.010416	0.00611	Involves long-term planning for sustainable development

Cluster 3: Innovation and regional development (in green)

Node	Betweenness	Closeness	Page rank	Network map interaction
Innovation	13.436	0.011235	0.01614	Drives forward-thinking approaches in sustainable development
Economics	0.5509	0.010989	0.01613	Connects economic theory with practical sustainability efforts
Information management	0.1060	0.010869	0.01512	Key in managing data and information for sustainability
Regional planning	0.1060	0.010869	0.01467	Important for sustainable urban and regional development planning

Streamlined version of themes transition

Concept	Primary trend (Major theme)	Secondary trend (Supporting theme)
Environmental Regulations	46.447	-0.16
CSR - Corporate Social Responsibility	45.658	43.466
Risk Assessment	45.597	-0.57
Economic and Social Effects	45.323	0.00
Environmental Impact	42.736	-0.01
Social Responsibilities	41.640	0.76
Investments	33.970	-0.44
Social Aspects	32.509	-0.18
Benchmarking	29.587	-1.43
Costs	21.610	0.56
Petroleum Prospecting	21.217	-1.20
Health	20.880	-0.30
Supply Chains	16.438	0.26
Safety Engineering	13.181	-1.05
Financial Performance	1.00	13.516
Sustainability Reporting	0.95	-1.02
Societies and Institutions	0.83	1.00
Competition	0.81	0.15
Sales	0.75	0.88
Finance	0.74	47.119
Risk Management	0.61	-0.48
Product Design	0.58	0.60
Manufacture	0.49	14.246
Competitive Advantage	0.39	0.50
Commerce	0.38	43.466
Decision Making	0.33	0.01
Environmental Management	0.29	-0.68
Planning	0.29	0.55
Marketing	0.25	0.76
Profitability	0.22	0.34
Knowledge Management	0.18	0.20
Sustainability Performance	0.17	-0.59
Environmental Protection	0.13	-0.58
Corporate Reputations	0.12	13.881
Sustainable Performance	0.11	-0.78
Project Management	0.09	-0.18
Structural Equation Modeling	0.00	11.324
Regional Planning	-1.08	12.816
Innovation	-1.06	0.54
Performance Assessment	-0.96	-1.46
Information Management	-0.91	45.628
Environmental Economics	-0.86	-1.83
Economics	-0.75	33.970
Sustainability	-0.68	-1.44
China	-0.55	-0.24
Corporate Social Responsibility	-0.49	-0.78
Strategic Planning	-0.42	-0.52
Stakeholder	-0.41	-1.25
Environmental Sustainability	-0.25	18.994
Environmental Technology	-0.20	-0.59