Sustainability in digital transformation: towards an integrated framework

Abstract This paper investigates how existing literature has approached the concept of sustainability in the context of digital transformation. It adopts a three-step procedure for a systematic literature review (SLR), including planning, conducting, and reporting the review to synthesise current knowledge, classify key thematic areas, and establish a foundation for further empirical research. The findings emphasise the need for a structured and sustainable approach to digital transformation to enhance business resilience and effectiveness. Although this is a relatively new and emerging topic, and there is a lack of a solid conceptualisation of the role of sustainability in digital transformation, several important theoretical implications can still be identified. By addressing the fragmented nature of the literature, this study contributes to the field by developing a structured framework for classifying key areas of sustainability in digital transformation. The systematic literature review revealed an absence of a unified conceptualisation and a lack of consistent understanding of sustainability in digital transformation across the analysed publications. Nevertheless, the study successfully identified 24 areas related to the sustainability of digital transformation, which were categorised into a framework comprising four fields: people, management, technology, and environment. The study plays a crucial role in enhancing the understanding of the sustainability of the digital transformation process by using a classified set of sustainability areas within it. The study results provide practical information for managers leading digital transformation processes in companies.