Digital Transformation as a Means of Achieving SME Resilience During COVID-19 – A Systematic Review and Future Research Agenda

The Covid-19 pandemic had devastating effects on small and medium businesses (SME). The immediate shock, uncertainty, varying restrictions, and the risk to life disoriented the small and medium industries. In the last 4–5 years, we’ve seen small and medium businesses worldwide gradually return to their former state. Digital transformation is one of the tools used in this comeback effort. This topic has been the subject of several conceptual, empirical, and review studies. However, no systematic review has been conducted that examines digital transformation enablers and how digital transformation can lead to organizational resilience. This study aims to fill the gap. I conducted this systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines. On the basis of the 37 studies that met the inclusion criteria, I identified two clusters of enablers (strategic orientations, capabilities, and capacities) as well as six mediating strategies (frugal innovation, organizational agility, strategic agile process, dynamic strategic planning, social entrepreneurship and competitive intelligence, and sustainable business processes) of digital transformation on SME resilience. A consolidated conceptual model was developed based on the findings of this review. Scholars will be able to use these results to understand the knowledge boundary and develop effective strategies for promoting the resilience of SME’s.