Annexing a Smart Sustainable Business Growth Model for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

PURPOSE: For SMEs, the rate of business failure is alarmingly high. At the same time, the digital revolution has substantially changed the present business environment and put pressure on SMEs to reflect on their current strategy to achieve sustainable business growth. This study therefore attempts to conceptualise an advanced technology -oriented Triple Bottom Line (TBL) layout to configure a smart sustainable business growth model for SME's long-term survival. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A systematic analysis of the literature has been executed to analyse the smart sustainable growth configuration triggered by recent technological advancements, in which over 355 publications have been read and reviewed by the authors. The study explores the concept of digital performance to fill the void of "technological advancement for a sustainable solution" as an element in TBL, which is seen as an obstacle that prevents SMEs from being smartly sustainable. Here, validity was aimed at through sampling articles based on established guidelines. FINDINGS: The outcomes of the study successfully established an adjusted paradigm, the SQBL (Smart Quadruple Bottom Line), with the inclusion of digital performance. The study showed that the strategic convergence of social, economic, environmental, and digital performances has the potential to enable SMEs to survive in the long term. In addition, the analysis detected probable measurements for digital performance. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Prior empirical attempts are subsequently required to inquire about the proposed conceptualisation from different perspectives. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: This study also indicates that decision -makers, with the efficient implementation of the SQBL, could use the understanding given for their required actions to retain SMEs' strategic edge or even competitive advantage in terms of economic, social, environmental, and digital (advance technology) concerns. This could prove to be beneficial for guiding SMEs to enhance business efficiency and use data -driven decision -making. SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS: It may encourage building a community of agility, innovation, and collaboration based on the concept of the SQBL, and guide the attainment of the objectives related to climate change. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This article is the first to analyse digital performance as a new dimension of the TBL layout to achieve smart sustainable growth for SMEs. The SQBL platform promises to contribute significantly to the success of more comprehensive and sustainable SMEs, as well as to extend the current literature on sustainability and digitalisation.