Mapping the research landscape of digital transformation, ESG, and environmental uncertainty: a bibliometric analysis of corporate development research

Abstract

This study presents a bibliometric analysis of research on digital transformation, ESG performance, environmental uncertainty, and corporate development using a dataset of 288 Scopus-indexed articles and review papers published between 2015 and 2025. Employing bibliometric and science-mapping techniques, the study examines publication trends, thematic evolution, conceptual structures, and emerging research trajectories within the field. The findings reveal a sharp increase in scientific production after 2021, reflecting a broader transition from technology-centered perspectives toward sustainability-oriented and resilience-based approaches. The results indicate that digital transformation and sustainability have become dominant conceptual anchors, whereas governance-oriented ESG mechanisms and uncertainty-aware decision frameworks remain comparatively fragmented and weakly interconnected. This imbalance suggests that existing studies have not yet fully integrated digital capabilities, sustainability governance, resilience, and environmental uncertainty into a coherent framework. By identifying dominant intellectual patterns and persistent conceptual gaps, this study contributes to a more integrated understanding of how digital transformation and ESG-related pressures shape sustainable corporate development under uncertain environmental conditions.