What does sustainability mean for small and medium enterprises: A systematic literature review

This paper conducts a systematic literature review (SLR) to explore what defines sustainability for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) and aims at presenting a future research agenda. After identifying 1057 articles related to sustainability, the SLR yielded a sample of 58 papers for in-depth content review, shedding light on the meaning of sustainability in SMEs. A synthesis of the extant literature over the past two-and-a-half decades demonstrates that the SME literature on sustainability is fragmented and lacks a holistic approach to defining and measuring the concept. An important contribution this study makes to the SME literature is that sustainability should not be explained solely in terms of performance outcomes, but rather by its interconnection between sustainability practices and performance. A further contribution the SLR provides to the broader extant literature on sustainability is the identification of six key themes that are intertwined with the concept of sustainability practices and performance. The paper also outlines important avenues for future research on sustainability frameworks for SMEs and how future research should focus on building SME business models with a multi-faceted or holistic approach that integrates SME thinking, practices, and strategy to create and sustain value over time. • Conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) to explore what defines sustainability for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). • Provided a map of SME sustainability through thematic analysis, enabling to group sustainability into key themes. • Proposed a ‘practice-performance’ linkage framework to provides a theoretical foundation for sustainability model development incorporating the key themes. • Promoted practical solutions to integrate sustainability effectively in SME businesses.