Addressing sustainability during and post-COVID-19 pandemic crisis: a literature review and bibliometric analysis to explore the future avenues

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to identify the current research trends in sustainability through an extensive literature review and propose future research agenda under the ambit of the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Specifically, the present study aims to uncover the current state of the literature and thereby develop an understanding of how the pandemic has impacted the dimensions of sustainability.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve the objective, the authors adopted a five-step literature review process, combined with bibliometric and network analysis. The authors also considered news articles and reports of international organizations to comprehensively achieve the research objective.FindingsThe study results show how the pandemic has impacted the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability. The results also highlight the list of authors, countries and institutions that have proactively worked towards eliminating the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.Research limitations/implicationsThe study provides an in-depth understanding of the scholarly contributions to the field of sustainability since the COVID-19 outbreak. The study is useful for policymakers and businesses interested in understanding how the pandemic has impacted the dimensions of sustainability and possible mitigation strategies. Furthermore, the study also provides future research directions in the intersection of pandemic and sustainability dimensions. Specific research questions (RQs) are also proposed to help future research.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is a pioneer attempt to provide a comprehensive understanding of the existing and rapidly growing literature on COVID-19 and its relationship with the various dimensions of sustainability.

Digital approach toward environmental sustainability in supply chains: Evidence from Vietnamese firms

“…Organizations with robust GSCMP activities (such as GSCC, green design, and green manufacturing) can achieve superior environmental performance. This aligns with previous research that identified GSCMP activities as a factor in enhancing corporate performance (e.g., Devi & Srivastava, 2022; Habib et al, 2020; Rehman Khan & Yu, 2021). Additionally, this finding supports RBV in explaining the influence of organizational practices (e.g., GSCMP) on firm performance (e.g., environmental performance) and its role in the review of GSCMP in the context of pandemics.…”

“…In the post‐COVID‐19 era, as the global economy and the GSCMP continue to recover, it is essential to conduct more extensive empirical studies on this relationship for the following reasons. First, COVID‐19 has disrupted global supply chains by adversely affecting value chain hubs located in China, the United States, and Europe (Devi & Srivastava, 2022). Second, to manage supply chain disruptions and improve supply chain resilience, manufacturing companies are outsourcing production overseas to avoid future supply bottlenecks (Ivanov, 2020).…”

“…Managing the sustainability of the supply chain after a pandemic is challenging for businesses seeking to regain their pre‐pandemic standing. However, Industry 4.0, such as automation or data analytics, can provide supply chain managers with promising solutions to deal with the disastrous aftermath of COVID‐19 (Devi & Srivastava, 2022). In this context, it is crucial to evaluate the mechanism (e.g., GSCMP) by which GDLO influences environmental performance (Afum et al, 2023).…”

“…First, COVID-19 has disrupted global supply chains by adversely affecting value chain hubs located in China, the United States, and Europe (Devi & Srivastava, 2022). Second, to manage supply chain disruptions and improve supply chain resilience, manufacturing companies are outsourcing production overseas to avoid future supply bottlenecks (Ivanov, 2020).…”

A comparative analysis before and after pandemic on environmental accounting public hospital

“…They implemented environmental accounting principles in healthcare facilities before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, adhering to relevant regulatory requirements regarding cost disclosure and financial report preparation. Devi and Srivastava (2022) found that the pandemic profoundly affected the social, economic, and environmental aspects of sustainability. Nevertheless, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a substantial surge in the volume of patients seeking medical attention at hospitals (Priyan, Matahen, Priyanshu, & Mouqdadi, 2024).…”