This paper aims to systematically review the managerial literature on Industry 4.0 (I4.0) in emerging markets (EMs) through bibliometric analyses to identify incipient research streams and literature gaps and recommend avenues for future research.
This research uses bibliographic coupling analysis (BCA) to obtain a comprehensive view of the intellectual contours within the addressed literature. The primary source utilised is the Web of Science database. A total of 345 peer-reviewed journal articles were retrieved. Complementing BCA, we use social network analysis and the content analysis of articles to study the resulting literature clusters.
The results reveal four thematic clusters: (1) Adoption of I4.0 in EMs; (2) impact of I4.0 on organisational aspects and financial performance of companies and supply chains in EMs; (3) I4.0, lean management and operational performance in EMs and (4) I4.0 and the development of sustainable practices in EMs. We supplement these results with the proposal of different future avenues of research, both general and specific, for each identified cluster.
The current study has certain limitations arising from using the bibliometric method and techniques employed in the analyses.
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no comprehensive literature review article on this subject. This research is deemed valuable for future scholars as it facilitates the identification of research fronts that define the forefront of knowledge, reveals current trends and sets the stage for further exploration of key issues in the field. This, in turn, can offer valuable insights to academics, policymakers and practitioners.
