TOP MANAGEMENT AS AN ENABLER OF FIRMS’ SUSTAINABLE AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION: A LITERATURE REVIEW AND RESEARCH AGENDA FOR TWIN TRANSFORMATION

Annina Ahrens & Tim Heubeck

International Journal of Innovation Management2025https://doi.org/10.1142/s1363919625400067review
AJG 2
Weight
0.46

What the paper says

In response to today’s complex challenges, firms are increasingly compelled to pursue sustainable and digital transformations in tandem. While the role of top management in these areas is recognised in isolation, there is a lack of comprehensive analysis on how they facilitate the intertwined process of twin transformation, where sustainable and digital initiatives are mutually dependent. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic literature review to synthesise current knowledge on top managers’ enabling role in twin transformation and propose a future research agenda through this analysis. Through our analysis of 48 articles, we identified three key enablers — human capital, leadership, and governance — that drive twin transformation across different levels of top management, including executive, board, and ownership tiers. This review highlights the crucial influence of top management in successfully navigating twin transformation and reveals significant research gaps, offering a solid foundation for future studies in this emerging field.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1142/s1363919625400067

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@article{annina2025,
  title        = {{TOP MANAGEMENT AS AN ENABLER OF FIRMS’ SUSTAINABLE AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION: A LITERATURE REVIEW AND RESEARCH AGENDA FOR TWIN TRANSFORMATION}},
  author       = {Annina Ahrens & Tim Heubeck},
  journal      = {International Journal of Innovation Management},
  year         = {2025},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1142/s1363919625400067},
}

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Evidence weight

0.46

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.37 × 0.4 = 0.15
M · momentum0.60 × 0.15 = 0.09
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.