APTISI Transactions on Technopreneurship (ATT) Vol.
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July 2025, pp.
638Oe649 E-ISSN: 2656-8888 | P-ISSN: 2655-8807.
DOI:10.
ye Integrating Strategic Management with SDG 10 for Sustainable Development and Equity Chandra Lukita1* .
Abdul Wahab Abdul Rahman2 .
Ihsan Nuril Hikam3 .
Untung Rahardja4 1 Faculty of Economics and Business.
Catur Insan Cendekia University.
Indonesia 2 Department of Computer Science.
International Islamic University Malaysia.
Malaysia 3 Faculty of Science and Technology.
University of Raharja.
Indonesia 4 Faculty of Economics and Business.
University of Raharja.
Indonesia 1 chandra.
lukita@cic.
id, 2 abdulwahab@iium.
my, 3 ihsan.
nuril@raharja.
info, 4 untung@raharja.
*Corresponding Author
Article Info
ABSTRACT
Article history:
Strategic Management (SM) has traditionally focused on competitive advantage and operational efficiency.
However, with the increasing global emphasis on inclusive development.
SM now includes addressing systemic issues such as inequality, as outlined in Sustainable Development Goal 10 (SDG .
This study aims to explore how SM research contributes to SDG 10, focusing on the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in advancing equity-driven strategies, specifically in the context of reducing inequalities.
A bibliometric analysis was conducted using VOSviewer on 43 Scopus-indexed articles published from 2015 to This analysis maps global contributions, themes, and AI conceptual integration into SM.
The findings show that Spain and the Netherlands are leading contributors in this field.
Core themes emphasize governance.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and innovation, while AI is recognized conceptually but lacks empirical integration in reducing inequalities.
This study identifies key trends in SM research related to SDG 10 and highlights the need for greater empirical integration of AI in SM.
It calls for further research on AI-driven decision-making frameworks that align with equity and sustainability goals.
Submission September 27, 2024 Revised August 8, 2025 Accepted August 15, 2025 Published August 27, 2025 Keywords:
Strategic Management SDG 10 Inequality Innovation Bibliometric Analysis This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.
0 license.
DOI: https://doi.
org/10.
34306/att.
This is an open-access article under the CC-BY license .
ttps://creativecommons.
org/licenses/by/4.
AAuthors retain all copyrights INTRODUCTION Strategic Management (SM) has long been centered on achieving competitive advantage and organizational performance.
However, the global shift towards sustainability has expanded the scope of SM to address pressing societal issues, including inequality.
Sustainable Development Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalitie.
calls for a concerted effort to reduce social, economic, and environmental disparities worldwide.
Within this context.
SM is increasingly seen as a tool not only for business growth but also for driving social transformation.
This study focuses on how SM literature has engaged with SDG 10 over the past decade, utilizing a bibliometric approach to analyze global contributions to this evolving discourse.
Despite the growing recognition of SDG 10, the integration of inequality reduction into SM remains insufficiently explored .
, .
Previous studies have primarily addressed macro-level themes, such as governance and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), but micro-level issues, including gender equality, diversity, and local community empowerment, have received less attention.
Moreover, the potential role of Artificial Journal homepage: https://att.
id/index.
php/att APTISI Transactions on Technopreneurship (ATT) ye Intelligence (AI) in promoting equitable decision-making within strategic frameworks has been largely conceptual, with limited empirical integration.
This study seeks to fill these gaps by mapping the key contributors, thematic patterns, and institutional influences shaping SM role in advancing SDG 10 .
However, this study is not without limitations.
First, the reliance on the Scopus database, while authoritative, may overlook relevant research from other sources like Web of Science or regional databases.
Second, the temporal scope of the study .
does not capture earlier foundational work that may have laid the groundwork for SDG 10-related strategic theories.
Furthermore, the bibliometric analysis prioritizes citation patterns, which might exclude valuable yet less-cited studies that offer nuanced perspectives on inequality .
RESEARCH METHOD
Data Collection Bibliographic data were collected from Scopus using the search query AySMAy AND AySDG 10Ay OR AyinequalityAy to cover publications from 2015 to 2025.
This search yielded 43 articles from Scopus-indexed VOSViewer was employed to analyze these articles, focusing on key metrics such as author collaborations, country contributions, and thematic trends.
The inclusion requirements specified that papers must focus on SM.
SDG 10, inequality reduction, or its linkage to SDG 10.
The timeline reflects ten years of notable progress in sustainability and digitalization.
Figure 1.
Steps to Conduct a Bibliographic Study of SM and SDG 10.
Figure 1 depicts the steps for conducting a bibliographic study, which begins with searching the Scopus database for keywords that return 58 publications on AySMAy AND Inequalities OR AySDG 10Ay.
The second stage entails narrowing the first search to only troublesome terms in the 2015Ae2025-time frame.
Only journal papers, scientific conference proceedings, and English were chosen, resulting in 45 articles .
In the third phase, all search results from the original search are manually picked and limited to English-only terms, yielding 43 articles as the final filtering result.
The fourth stage is to create an initial statistical figure grouping data as a description of the issue using a bibliometric analysis of VOSviewers of countries, organizations, sources .
, authors, document couples, and keyword co-occurrences.
The final step is data interpretation in analytical narrative explanation of study findings based on the selection outcomes, therefore the 43 papers require extensive examination .
, .
Figure 2.
Publication Trend in 2015Ae2025 of Articles of SM and SDG 10 or Inequalities.
E-ISSN: 2656-8888 | P-ISSN: 2655-8807
The Figure 2 illustrates the publication trend of articles related to AySMAy and AySDG 10Ay (Reduced Inequalitie.
over the period from 2015 to 2025.
Initial Growth .
6Ae2.
began with a small number of articles in 2016, indicating initial interest in the relationship between SM and SDG 10.
A significant spike occurred in 2019, with the number of publications peaking at 11 articles.
Decline and Stabilization .
0Ae2.
period with the count dropping to 3 articles .
The COVID19 pandemic may have contributed to the decline in research productivity, with output remaining low in 2021 In 2023, the number remains at 5, indicating a cautious engagement during the recovery phase.
External factors may limit productivity.
Resurgence and Recent Trends .
4Ae2.
started in 2024, with the publication count reaching 10 articles, nearly matching the 2019 peak .
This revival indicates renewed scholarly interest, possibly driven by post-pandemic recovery, increased funding for SDG related research, or the growing relevance of digital technologies in addressing inequalities .
, .
However, a slight decline to 4 articles in 2025 suggests a potential tapering off, which could reflect a saturation of certain research themes or a shift in focus to other SDGs or emerging topics.
Bibliometric Analysis This research used VOSviewer to conduct a multifaceted bibliometric analysis, encompassing countrycouple, organizational-couple, author-couple, source-couple, document-couple, and co-occurrence analysis of keywords and titles.
Clusters were generated that reflect thematic interconnections within SM and Sustainable Development Management Goals-10 objectives of fostering industry, businesses, and management .
, .
The VOSviewer powerful visualization capabilities allowed for the mapping of intellectual structures, exposing topic clusters and collaborative networks, while the temporal sweep .
captured both recent and emerging trends.
This methodological synergy guarantees a complete and methodical synthesis of the literature, in accordance with the highest academic inquiry standards .
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Country-couple Bibliometric Analysis This analysis, inspired by the structure of Figure 3, visualizes the collaborative dynamics among countries in the domain of SM and its alignment with SDG 10, which focuses on reducing inequalities.
The network is divided into color-coded clusters .
, .
Each cluster largest node represents the central hub of collaboration, indicating the intensity and breadth of scholarly contributions.
Figure 3.
The Network Visualization of Country-Coupled Bibliography of SM and SDG 10 The analysis highlights Spain as the largest contributor, with a total link strength of 278, emphasizing its central role in international collaboration on SM for inequality reduction.
Spain prominence is likely driven by its focus on corporate entrepreneurship strategies in peripheral regions, as evidenced by .
, who explore how Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME.
in Andalusia leverage such strategies to enhance internationalization amidst regional disparities.
This aligns with SDG 10 emphasis on reducing economic inequalities through inclusive business practices.
Conversely, the cyan node, with the Netherlands as its centre .
documents, 215 citations, total link strength of .
, underscores a strong research focus on adaptive management strategies, as seen in .
, who highlight the Netherlands contributions to climate-resilient marine fisheries APTISI Transactions on Technopreneurship (ATT).
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These findings illustrate how SM research in these nations bridges local challenges with global sustainability goals.
Organizational-Couple Bibliometric Analysis Figure 4.
The Density Visualization of Organizational-Coupled Bibliography of SM and SDG 10.
Figure 4 presents a visualization of the organization pairwise bibliographic density, illustrating the concentration of research affiliations associated with the intersection of SM and SDG 10.
In this density map the yellow regions signify the highest density of publication activity, indicating organizations with the most frequent contributions, while the purple regions denote areas of lower density, reflecting less frequent contributions .
Ae.
Business Faculty.
Collective Leadership Institute.
Institute for Ecological Economics, represent the primary hubs of research activity, with varying degrees of density that reflect their influence and productivity in this domain.
The prominence of these organizations underscores their pivotal role in advancing knowledge on equitable SM practices, aligning with the interdisciplinary nature of SDG 10 .
, .
The density analysis reveals significant variations in the contribution levels among the identified organizations, as indicated by their intense yellow clusters, these organizations likely serve as leading contributors due to their substantial publication output and collaborative networks, which enhance their total link strength within the research ecosystem.
For instance, the Business Faculty high density may be attributed to its focus on SM and digital business, areas that intersect with SDG 10 through initiatives as supported by recent literature which emphasizing the role of academic institutions in sustainability research .
, .
Author-Couple Bibliometric Analysis In the VOS co-authorship network derived from the Scopus dataset (Figure .
three remarkable collaborative clusters emerge, each defined by a color-coded group of authors centred around a principal researcher.
Figure 5.
The density Visualization of Author-Coupled Bibliography of SM and SDG 10
E-ISSN: 2656-8888 | P-ISSN: 2655-8807
The purple cluster, anchored by .
, exhibits a tightly knit collaboration focused on strategic sustainability transitions, underscores an interdisciplinary approach, merging cybernetic systems theory with sustainability management.
The collaborative dynamics here are characterized by close co-authorship ties and a shared systems-thinking perspective, which collectively amplify the cluster visibility in the network .
Ae.
The red clusters show .
research on the impact of CSR on economic growth and inequality aligns with SDG 10 equity objectives.
The study is methodologically rigorous, examining how social responsibility initiatives impact macro-level outcomes like economic growth and income inequality.
The collaborative dynamics suggest a deliberate assembly of expertise.
This expansive bibliographic coupling implies that the .
teams research not only stands at the intersection of CSR and economic inequality, but also that it resonates across the network, potentially serving as a foundational reference point for subsequent studies in management and sustainable development.
The cyan cluster is defined by a more compact collaboration, with .
at its centre, research the circular economy social dimensions to implement for global SM, contributing the integration of circular economy principles with social considerations in management.
This cluster bibliographic footprint, therefore, is one of a niche yet connected segment for the authors operate within a specific sub-domain of sustainability .
ocial dimensions of the circular econom.
while engaging with the wider academic conversation, as evidenced by their identifiable cluster in the map .
Ae.
Source (Journa.
-Couple Bibliometric Analysis The overlay visualization of coupled sources in SM and SDG 10 research reveals a distinct temporal evolution, with recent contributions .
3Ae2.
demonstrating a marked focus on actionable strategies to address inequalities across diverse contexts.
Notably.
Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment emerges as a significant recent node, this study examines the global potash market implications for food security, highlighting how market dynamics exacerbate inequalities in lower-income nations a direct alignment with SDG 10 objective of reducing disparities.
Similarly.
Cogent Business and Management underscores the importance of age diversity strategies in workplaces, identifying key factors such as diversity, equality, and flexible employment to foster intergenerational cooperation.
This contributes to SDG 10 by promoting inclusive organizational practices, particularly in the Czech Republic diverse sectors (Show on Figure .
The limited collaborative ties suggest that recent research in this domain remains context-specific, potentially hindering broader cross-disciplinary integration .
Ae.
Figure 6.
The Network Visualization of Source-Coupled Bibliography of SM and SDG 10 Foundational contributions .
9Ae2.
provide the theoretical bedrock for later applied research, with sources like New Zealand Economic Papers and SM Journal showing significant impact.
New Zealand Economic Papers published seminal work on capability theory, which links firm-level resource allocation to broader economic development and inequality reduction, offering a framework for understanding how SM can address systemic disparities.
Similarly.
SM Journa.
study on TMT nationality diversity, and emphasizes how diverse leadership enhances corporate entrepreneurship and innovation in multinational firms, particularly in low-hierarchy contexts a critical insight for SDG 10 focus on inclusive governance .
Ae.
The higher link strengths of these foundational sources indicate stronger collaborative networks compared to recent works, underscoring their role as intellectual hubs that continue to shape the discourse on SM and inequality reduction.
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The VOSviewer density visualization in Figure 7 presents 43 document nodes from the Scopusindexed database between 2019 and 2025, using a colour spectrum, namely yellow .
igh-density and frequently cite.
, green .
oderately cite.
, blue .
ow-densit.
, and purple .
inimal or no co-citation strengt.
This bibliometric analysis captures the intellectual structure and citation intensity of key scholarly contributions on SM aligned with SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalit.
, revealing citation-based centrality and thematic maturity across document clusters .
Figure 7.
The Overlay Visualization of Document-Coupled Bibliography of SM and SDG 10.
The core influential phase .
ellow nodes, 2.
is dominated by .
reflecting its foundational role in shaping the dynamic capabilities framework within SM, and its direct relevance to institutional strategies aimed at reducing inequality.
Adjacent to it, .
forms a transitional bridge, focusing on corporate strategic positioning and inclusive governance, indicating integration into the broader academic discourse around SDG 10 equity and systemic transformation goals .
The transition cluster .
reen to blue nodes, 2019Ae2.
marks highly cited contributions engaging with the sustainable management paradigm and reflects ongoing discussions around stakeholder inclusivity and participatory governance in strategic frameworks.
These works mark the thematic transition zone between foundational strategic theory and emerging socially responsive frameworks aligned with SDG 10.
The transition cluster .
reen to blue nodes, 2019Ae2.
marks highly cited contributions engaging with the sustainable management paradigm and reflects ongoing discussions around stakeholder inclusivity and participatory governance in strategic frameworks.
These works mark the thematic transition zone between foundational strategic theory and emerging socially responsive frameworks aligned with SDG 10 .
, .
The emerging research phase .
lue to purple nodes, 2024Ae2.
shows nascent intellectual development.
Nodes like .
are currently with low link strengths, indicating early-stage research possibly focused on region-specific or context-sensitive approaches to inequality reduction.
Their peripheral positions suggest future potential for integration into the SM canon as they respond to contemporary global disparities, in line with SDG 10 evolving research trajectory.
Co-Occurrence Keyword Bibliometric Analysis Figure 8 delineates the co-occurrence network of keywords show, the first cluster, the green one, dominated by high-relevance terms such as Ausocial inequalityAy.
Aueconomic inequalityAy, and AugovernmentAy, underscores the centrality of policy and macroeconomic frameworks in addressing systemic disparities.
This cluster dense interconnectivity with AuSDGAy and AuregionAy reflects a scholarly emphasis on geographically nuanced governance models, as recent studies highlight the role of decentralized policymaking in mitigating inequities.
Notably.
Aulocal communityAy, though less frequent, anchors this cluster as a critical node, suggesting emergent attention to grassroots agency in SDG aligned strategies a theme increasingly prioritized in participatory development literature .
Ae.
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Figure 8.
The Network Visualization of Co-Occurrence Keywords Bibliography of SM and SDG 10 A second cluster, characterized by terms such as AuemployeeAy.
AuhealthAy, and AuCSRAy, signifies the integration of organizational ethics and human welfare into sustainability discourse.
The robust linkage between AuleadershipAy and AustakeholderAy within this cluster aligns with theoretical frameworks positing that inclusive governance structures enhance SDG compliance .
, .
Conversely, a third cluster featuring AuinnovationAy.
AutransparencyAy, and AuframeworkAy exhibits lower density, indicative of fragmented conceptual exploration.
Despite high occurrences, such as AuinnovationAy eight times, their diminished relevance scores signal underdeveloped theoretical cohesion, a gap exacerbated by the weak ties to Aueconomic growthAy.
This dissonance mirrors critiques in SM literature, where technocentric approaches often overshadow socio-structural equity imperatives .
Ae.
A fourth, peripheral cluster comprising Augender equalityAy and AudiversityAy highlights underprioritized intersections of identity and creativity in SDG 10 research.
The sparse co-occurrence of these terms with core SDG nodes underscores a critical lacuna.
While institutional and macroeconomic themes dominate, micro-level sociocultural dynamics remain marginal.
This asymmetry is highlighted by .
, who explores the feasibility of implementing board gender diversity rules in Sri Lanka.
The study demonstrates the potential of such rules to promote gender equality and enhance boards as a legal strategy for economic and equality benefits.
Discussion Interpretation of Results The bibliometric analysis revealed a distinct stratification of research contributions into three intellectual phases, namely foundational, transitional, and emerging.
Foundational works such as .
are central to the yellow-density node cluster, reflecting their profound influence on shaping SM frameworks grounded in dynamic capabilities.
These works underpin strategies to dismantle structural inequities core to SDG 10.
Transitional contributions, such as .
, connect foundational strategy with inclusive governance, forming a bridge through moderate citation density.
Meanwhile, authors like .
represent mid-tier density levels, exploring participatory governance and stakeholder inclusivity.
In contrast, the blue and purple nodes identify nascent or niche scholarship, such as .
, whose focus on circular economy social implications reflects early efforts to reframe strategic discourse around distributive justice.
Although these works currently possess low citation density, their emergence signals a growing attention to contextual equity strategies within digital business models .
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The Linkage AuEconomic InequalityAy with Other Keywords of SM and SDG 10.
This can be seen in more detail with the keyword Aueconomic equalityAy as in Figure 9, as a central theme in the SM literature discussing SDG 10.
It is related to macro-level concepts such as SDG, economic growth, and good health.
It also maintains links to education, access, and territory .
Ae.
The green cluster is connected to innovation, entrepreneurship, and CSR.
It emphasizes the role of universities in fostering inclusive development towards sustainability in higher education institutions, using a cybernetic model with seven stages, including pre-awareness, awareness, focusing, implementation, outreach, transparency, and sustainable development .
Ae.
Novelty and Contribution This study pioneers the integration of AI-driven decision-making into the bibliometric exploration of SM for equitable outcomes.
Unlike previous bibliometric reviews focused narrowly on sustainability or innovation, this research specifically foregrounds inequality an underrepresented dimension in strategic discourse.
By incorporating density visualizations, document-couple networks, and keyword mapping, this work not only synthesizes the intellectual evolution of SM research aligned with SDG 10 but also uncovers latent gaps in the scholarly terrain.
Its main novelty lies in positioning AI-enabled business strategy as a mediating mechanism for systemic equity, thereby reframing digital business not only as a vehicle for growth but also as a channel for This reconceptualization challenges traditional strategic paradigms, contributing to both theory and Its contribution is twofold.
Conceptually, it builds a framework that integrates strategic planning with equity outcomes.
Methodologically, it demonstrates how bibliometric techniques can uncover hidden thematic clusters and unexplored scientific frontiers.
MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS
The findings of this study provide several important implications for strategic managers, policy makers, and institutional leaders aiming to align their practices with SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalitie.
First, the dominance of macro-level themes such as governance and CSR suggests that many organizations are focusing on structural and policy-oriented approaches.
However, the underrepresentation of micro-level equity themes such as gender diversity, stakeholder inclusion, and local community empowerment signals an urgent need for managers to embed identity-based and socially inclusive indicators into their strategic frameworks.
Second, the emergence of innovation and the role of higher education institutions in fostering equitable practices highlight the potential of universities as incubators for inclusive business models.
Managers in academic and research institutions should leverage their influence to promote interdisciplinary curricula, sustainability-focused entrepreneurship, and partnerships that target inequality reduction beyond economic Third, although AI appears conceptually as a fairness enabler, it is not yet operationalized in the Overall, reducing inequality through SM requires a shift from symbolic commitments to structurally embedded, data-informed, and stakeholder-driven practices that align with the inclusive vision of SDG 10.
E-ISSN: 2656-8888 | P-ISSN: 2655-8807
CONCLUSION
This bibliometric study offers a comprehensive exploration of the intersection between SM and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalitie.
By analyzing 43 Scopus-indexed articles published between 2015 and 2025, the study highlights the contributions of key countries, institutions, and authors, with Spain and the Netherlands emerging as the dominant contributors.
The thematic analysis reveals that while macro-level issues such as governance.
CSR, and economic inequality dominate the discourse, micro-level dimensions, such as gender equality and diversity, remain underexplored.
Additionally.
AI, although recognized as a potential enabler of fairness, has yet to be fully integrated into SM models for reducing inequality.
Future research should address the existing gaps identified in this study.
Expanding the scope to include additional databases, such as Web of Science and regional repositories, will provide a more holistic view of the global research landscape.
Furthermore, extending the temporal range to include pre-2015 literature could reveal early foundations of equity-focused SM theories.
Researchers are also encouraged to delve deeper into underrepresented micro-level themes, particularly gender diversity, stakeholder inclusion, and local community empowerment.
Lastly, there is a need for empirical studies that integrate AI-driven decision-making into SM models, assessing its actual impact on reducing inequalities.
The findings of this study have significant implications for strategic managers, policymakers, and academic institutions.
The focus on macro-level themes such as CSR and governance points to the need for structural reforms, yet the lack of attention to micro-level equity issues calls for a more inclusive approach in strategic frameworks.
Higher education institutions are uniquely positioned to foster interdisciplinary curricula and entrepreneurship programs that emphasize inclusivity.
Additionally.
AI holds great potential to support equitable decision-making in SM.
However, its conceptualization must be translated into practical applications.
Adopting these insights will help organizations align their practices with SDG 10, driving meaningful progress toward reducing inequalities.
DECLARATIONS
About Authors Chandra Lukita (CL) https://orcid.
org/0009-0006-6035-8241 Abdul Wahab Abdul Rahman (AW) https://orcid.
org/0000-0001-9255-4104 Ihsan Nuril Hikam (IN) https://orcid.
org/0009-0000-0345-9763 Untung Rahardja (UR) https://orcid.
org/0000-0002-2166-2412 Author Contributions Conceptualization: CL.
Methodology: CL.
Software: CL.
Validation: CL and AW.
Formal Analysis:
CL and UR.
Investigation: AW.
Resources: CL.
Data Curation: UR.
Writing Original Draft Preparation: CL and UR.
Writing Review and Editing: CL and IN.
Visualization: CL.
All authors.
CL.
AW.
IN, and UR, have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Data Availability Statement The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author.
Funding The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Declaration of Conflicting Interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest, known competing financial interests, or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper.
REFERENCES