The purpose of this study is to systematically analyze the impact of Industry 4.0 technologies on workforce employability and skills in the South Asian region. The study investigates the driving success factors, challenges, and needed skills by analyzing 48 peer-reviewed articles. The authors searched keywords on the Web of Science database for articles published between 2013 and 2022. The review was conducted using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA 2020) and pareto principles. The analysis identifies nine critical success factors, such as artificial intelligence, digital skills, and big data analytics, that contribute to Industry 4.0’s productivity and efficiency. It also identifies six types of challenges, such as training and development, financial constraints, and regulatory issues that must be addressed to grab maximum potential. In addition, the research categorizes five different skills, including the technical, digital, and social skills that are essential for the evolving labor market. The proposed “Industry 4.0 SEI Framework” provides stakeholders with a comprehensive view of the dynamics of Industry 4.0, thereby facilitating policy and industry strategies.

The increasing social and environmental challenges, particularly poverty, have brought social entrepreneurship, a highly researched domain, to the attention of academicians. It has emerged as a critical issue in the context of economic development and societal well-being. The current study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis in the field of social entrepreneurship and poverty alleviation to explain the current state, geographical performance, and future research agenda. Utilizing VOS viewer (version 1.6.20) and R Studio software (version 4.3.2), 461 final articles were examined and extracted from the Web of Science database, covering the period from 1998 to 2022. The findings reveal a significant increase in research activity in this field since 2009, indicating a growing demand for it as a solution to social challenges. Notably, the years 2021–2022 witnessed a remarkable 55% surge in research output. The Sustainability Journal ranks first as the most productive source, followed by the Journal of Cleaner Production. The most prolific authors are Nina Kolleck from Germany, David Littlewood, and Diane Holt from the UK. Additionally, this study assesses the geographic distribution of research contributions, highlighting regions with relatively lower research performance, such as South Asian and African countries. Leading in this domain are the UK, Spain, the USA, and European institutions. Co-citation patterns reveal four thematic clusters: (1) dynamics of social entrepreneurship; (2) sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem; (3) social entrepreneurship for social innovation; and (4) integrated sustainable entrepreneurship, shedding light on critical aspects and the intellectual structure of this domain. Finally, keyword co-occurrence analysis identifies emerging research areas, e.g., entrepreneurial development, the role of higher education, enterprise collaboration, inclusive growth, and socio-economic empowerment. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners committed to achieving sustainable social change.

In the face of rising global challenges such as widespread poverty, income inequality, and climate change, a world of ‘Three Zeros’ offers an optimistic and forward-thinking visionary framework. The theory proposed by Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Muhammad Yunus which is based on three key goals: zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero net carbon emissions. The concept argues that modern capitalism is the root cause of growing economic and social inequality. The current study aims at assessing the role of ‘Three Zero framework’, and its connection with sustainable development goals (SDGs). By integrating bibliometric and text mining analysis, the study explores the current state of the knowledge, thematic structures and SDGs mapping. SciMAT, biblioshiny in R studio and SDGs mapper tool by European Commission was used to run the required analysis. 1580 peer reviewed articles were obtained from Scopus database, spanning the years from 2001 to 2024. Since the idea is emerging and in nascent stage, academic attention rises significantly. China is the leading contributor in scientific contributions specially in carbon neutrality, renewable energy and inclusive economic growth. The study finds a geographical imbalance in lower research outputs in South Asian and African countries. The analysis identifies the Journal of Cleaner Production and Sustainability as the most influential publication sources. Key research themes include environmental impacts, greenhouse gases, carbon neutrality, and renewable energy. SDGs mapping results also reveals strong links between the Three Zero Framework visions with SDGs goals. Moreover, the research provides a pathway for future researchers and other practitioners in formulating the policy in strategic level.

This study aimed to determine how research has highlighted greenwashing in supply chains by identifying emerging themes and pinpointing gaps that must be addressed in combating greenwashing in global supply chains. Using the PRISMA framework, 58 papers published up to 2024 were critically examined. Through this review, five key emerging themes are presented: standardization of regulatory policies, technological innovations for transparency, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria, the role of NGOs in monitoring greenwashing incidences, and industry-specific case studies. The study also identified a dearth of research on industry-specific cases, regional disparities, the implementation of technological innovations for supply chain transparency, and the role of supply chain stakeholders in reducing greenwashing, with only a few papers highlighting NGOs and government. We propose a conceptual framework for combating greenwashing and to promote sustainability in global supply chain operations, paving the way for further academic exploration. We also suggest solutions as well as a guide for future researchers to explore areas that are still underdeveloped and offer recommendations to supply chain policymakers on addressing greenwashing.

Blockchain technology has emerged as a potential disruptor in non‐financial reporting practices for firms to publicly report their social and environmental impact with its promise of immutability and decentralization. In this context, this study employs a bibliometric analysis to explore the scientific advancements of blockchain applications in CSR reporting from 2015 to 2025. VOSviewer and Biblioshiny in Rstudio applications were employed to perform the required analysis. Drawing data from Scopus and Web of Science (153 articles), the results reveal a significant shift in focus from traditional corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting mechanisms toward technology‐enabled sustainability reporting. The thematic analysis presents five significant areas for further exploration, including corporate governance and sustainability strategy, technology‐driven sustainable finance, CSR reporting and credibility, ESG performance and digital innovation, and blockchain for accountability and responsibility. The proposed conceptual framework suggests integration of technology‐organization‐environment (TOE) elements when introducing new technology within the organization. Future researchers can empirically test the framework's antecedents to assess the socio‐economic context of different types of non‐financial reporting.

This study aims to critically assess the effectiveness of banks' CSR in advancing the sustainable development goals in Bangladesh. We employed exploratory and descriptive methods, including content analysis of published reports. Additionally, the annual report of 32 scheduled banks over a 5‐year period (2018–2022) and the United Nations SDGs report 2022 were examined to evaluate the social and environmental impacts, uncovering the remaining challenges. The findings indicate that banks' CSR efforts primarily focus on socio‐economic development, with less emphasis on environmental concerns due to financial constraints. However, they have made significant contributions to sectors such as education and disaster management. More CSR funds from government and foreign banks are needed to support other SDGs, for example, climate change, health, decent work and economic growth, and sustainable consumption and production. Finally, the research highlights the essential role of robust public‐private partnerships, civil society involvement, and stakeholder engagement for the government to achieve the relevant SDGs. The paper also offers implications for policymakers, businesses, academics, and practitioners, emphasizing the moral responsibility of these stakeholders towards society.