Access to Finance, Financial Constraints and Financial Inclusion in The Context of Globalization: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Directions for FinTech Innovations

This paper conducts a bibliometric and content analysis and offers a comprehensive overview of the research landscape on access to finance, revealing critical insights into the determinants of financial access, the role of financial intermediaries, and the impact of regulatory frameworks and providing potential future directions for FinTech innovations in the context of globalization. This study conducts a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis spanning from 1950 to 2024, examining 2,657 relevant documents. The findings reveal three main clusters: access to finance, financial inclusion, and financial constraints. Financial access is essential for reducing poverty, fostering financial inclusion, and influencing environmental outcomes and digital integration. Financial constraints significantly impact investment behavior, innovation, and economic development, highlighting the importance of government policies and FinTech solutions. This review suggests several future research directions, including exploring FinTech innovations, sustainability criteria in financial inclusion, Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) applications in evaluating financial constraints, and understanding regional disparities in financial access and inclusion. These insights provide valuable guidance for policymakers and researchers to inform policy design, developing financial inclusion programs, and foster global economic growth and opportunities in globalization scope. This study contributes to the relevant literature by providing deeper insights into the themes and findings identified within each strand of this research field. The study highlights the importance of tangible assets and strong financial performance in improving access to finance. This study explores the important role of financial intermediaries in facilitating access to finance and the role of alternative financing options in enhancing financial inclusion and FinTech innovations. The study provides a deeper understanding of the impact of regulatory frameworks on access to finance by ensuring financial stability, enhancing transparency, and encouraging FinTech innovations in the globalization context.