A Systematic Literature Review of Digital Business Transformation Effect on Sustainable Development at Universities

Abstract

Digital business transformation is currently considered a key component of sustainable development in higher education, yet the strategies and measurable impact used remain sparse in the academic literature. This paper conducts a comprehensive review of 53 peer-reviewed papers, employing the PRISMA method to ensure consistency in the identification, selection, and summarization steps. The timeframe was limited to peer-reviewed journal articles between 2020 and 20225. A systematic search was performed in Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar with a manual search for other papers that were relevant. The initial database search yielded 1,842 records. After applying criteria to exclude some records and include others, a final analysis was conducted on 53 articles. Nineteen DBT-related sustainable development indicators are identified and categorized into three main themes: technological transformation and infrastructure (21.1%); governance, policy, and culture (26.3%); and competencies, collaboration, and ecosystems (52.6%). These reflections highlight the diversity and imbalance of previous studies and point to a lack of knowledge on how to link governance and infrastructure aspects in sustainable transformation models. This review work provides evidence-based information ensuring the impact of digital transformation in business on sustainability in higher education, providing valuable data for researchers and practitioners seeking to link digital strategies to the sustainable development goals.