This research aims to study the pre-pandemic and pandemic-period Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0 characteristics in SME research using scientometrics and systematic review using the PRISMA 2020 approach. A total of 691 articles were found in SCOPUS database using keywords ((“Industry 4.0” OR “Industry 5.0”) AND “SME”). However, 398 documents, which were either conference proceedings, reviews, book chapters or published in languages other than English, were excluded, and the remaining 221 articles that were published in SCOPUS indexed Journals were included in the study. This research adopted a novel mix of scientometrics and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 recommendations for identifying the thematic evolution of pre-pandemic and pandemic-period Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0 SME Research. The major findings of this systematic review are, (1) There is a conceptual shift among researchers in studying the Industry 4.0 adoption of SMEs during the pandemic period; (2) The pandemic period research focused on (a) human-centric approaches, (b) adoption/acceptance models, (c) cost-effective solutions, (d) COVID-19 impact and resilience, (e) artificial intelligence and predictive maintenance, and (f) the emerging role of open innovation in Industry 4.0 adoption of SMEs; (3) Though the concept of Industry 5.0 clearly emerged and supplemented industry 4.0, the keyword “Industry 5.0” is not widely adopted by researchers. From the systematic literature review, a conceptual model for assessing the Industry 4.0 adoption and digital transformation of SMEs, digital integration of value chains and participation in a global value chain for trade expansion and sustainable growth of SMEs is proposed.

Inbound digital marketing strategies play a vital role in the tourism industry, significantly influencing visitors’ decision-making processes, enhancing tourist experiences, and ensuring post-consumption satisfaction. This study explores the effectiveness of digital marketing strategies in shaping tourists’ perceptions of service quality and sustainability and their subsequent impact on overall satisfaction and behavioural intentions. This paper developed a conceptual framework and hypotheses through a comprehensive literature review to assess the causal relationships between digital marketing effectiveness, perceived destination service quality, perceived destination sustainability quality, tourist satisfaction, and behavioural intention. The empirical analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) on data collected from 195 international tourists in Thailand’s coastal regions. The results reveal that while digital marketing effectiveness directly influences tourists’ perceptions of service and sustainability quality, it indirectly influences tourist satisfaction and behavioural intentions through these perceptions. The findings highlight the critical role of aligning digital marketing strategies with service quality and sustainability initiatives. Moreover, the developed construct serves as a valuable tool for assessing and maintaining the destination image, helping tourism providers to improve their offerings and continuously foster long-term customer relationships.

SMEs across the globe have witnessed increasing internal and external pressure to adopt the recent industrial revolution (4.0 & 5.0). There has been pressure for SMEs to adopt Industry 4.0 technologies, but this did not transpire in traditional industries such as agricultural and seafood processing. Also, there is no published evidence of Industry 4.0 technologies’ support for food processing industries to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). Hence, Industry 5.0 is conceptualized to be (a) human-centric, (b) sustainable, and (c) resilient. However, most of the earlier studies conducted to assess the “Industry 4.0 adoption level” failed to address the respondents’ current level of industrial practices. Therefore, to overcome the research gap, this research aims to measure the current level of industrial practices and I5.0 readiness level of seafood processing SMEs in Thailand. Thus, this research developed a seven-factor framework including “production line”; “major energy source”; “seafood processing”; “packaging”; “labelling”; “anti-bacterial testing methods sensory, texture analyzing and quality control”; and “business process, documentation, and communication”, with forty-two questions related to Industry 1.0–5.0 practices in the context of seafood processing SMEs. The findings reveal that the SMEs are still in I1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 practices. There is minimal adoption of I4.0. However, there is a comparatively higher level of Industry 5.0 readiness among SMEs in terms of business processes, documentation, and communication. Thus, SMEs can adopt Industry 5.0 partially, and escalate step-by-step from Industry 1.0–Industry 4.0 according to changing trends and demand.

This study aims to develop four conceptual higher order models for assessing the causal relationship between the environmental turbulence (ET), sustainable competitive advantage (SCA), business model innovation (BMI), and sustainable performance (SP) of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The conceptual models were developed through literature review and tested with 91 entrepreneurs and managers from processed marine food product SMEs in Thailand. The higher order models were tested with partial least square structural equation modeling using seminr package in R. The results reveal that SCA mediates the relationship between BMI and SP. Further, the study found a serial mediation effect of BMI and SCA in the relationship between ET and SP. Thus, this study is novel in its approach of using ET as an antecedent and moderator and SCA as a mediator in assessing the relationship between BMI and SP. The study also found that the effects of ET are balanced when the SMEs incorporate BMI, which further leads to the achievement of SCA and SP. Thus, the findings extend an increasingly complex literature in the assessment of SCA’s role in SMEs’ SP. Further, the scale and the models can be used to assess how the SMEs respond to ET and modify their BMI to attain SCA and SP.

This research aims to develop a conceptual framework and propositions to establish and test the causal relationships between Industry 5.0 readiness (I5.0R), global value chain (GVC) participation, business competitiveness (BC), and sustainable business growth (SBG) of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study focuses on Industry 5.0 readiness, evaluated through human-centricity, fairtrade practices, lean management, sustainability practices, and business competitiveness, measured by marketing, resources, production, and finance. Both constructs were developed and tested as higher-order constructs, while GVC participation and sustainable business growth were assessed as lower-order constructs. Data were collected from marine food processing SMEs in Thailand using a purposive sampling technique. This study tested and confirmed the content validity, construct validity, and reliability of both lower and higher-order models. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with bootstrapping (n = 1000), the results indicated significant positive impacts of Industry 5.0 readiness on GVC participation, Industry 5.0 readiness on business competitiveness, GVC participation on business competitiveness, and business competitiveness on the sustainable business growth of SMEs. Additionally, business competitiveness was found to mediate the relationship between Industry 5.0 readiness and sustainable business growth. These findings contribute to the literature on Industry 5.0, GVCs, and SME business competitiveness, offering practical insights for SMEs and policymakers aiming to enhance sustainable growth through strategic readiness and competitiveness in Industry 5.0 practices. The implications and directions for further research in Industry 5.0 readiness of SMEs are presented.

This study adopts a novel mix of scientometrics, theme-based, citation-based systematic review and interpretative aggregation approach (STCSR-IA) with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method. It presents a macro-level scientometric analysis of tourism research in coastal, marine and maritime (blue tourism) environments by using 986 research articles published in 130 Scopus-indexed journals from 2000 to 2019. The thematic evolution of research in five time periods of four years each (2000–2003, 2004–2007, 2008–2011, 2012–2015, 2016–2019) was analysed using the authors’ keywords and classified as (a) preliminary (b) transversal stage I (c) transversal stage II and (d) growth stage. The massive evolution of research areas in the growth stage and their themes along with the growing nexus of conceptual relationship within blue tourism is systematically reviewed and presented as a thematic research framework.