Visualizing knowledge in strategic management and firm performance for sustainability: a bibliometric review

Purpose This study addresses a literature gap by quantitatively mapping and visually synthesizing the research in the intersection of strategic management, firm performance and sustainability. It aims to investigate the intellectual structure and thematic evolution of this interdisciplinary domain. Design/methodology/approach This study uses data from the Web of Science Core Collection and has applied VOSviewer to analyze co-authorship, co-citation, bibliographic coupling and keyword co-occurrence networks. Findings The results show an upward trend in scientific output since 2010, particularly after 2018, aligning with the global agenda on sustainable development. Strategic governance, sustainable innovation, ESG indicators and digital transformation are the main topics. The findings also highlight mainstream theoretical frameworks, such as the resource-based view, stakeholder theory and dynamic capabilities, but with limited integration. Originality/value This study contributes to the rapidly growing literature by providing a systematic, visual account of the field's dynamics, identifying leading authors, journals, research institutions and emerging themes. Therefore, it offers core areas of interest for researchers willing to further develop this area, and for practitioners and policymakers to use strategically to support or align with the sustainable development goals.