Corporate governance and digitalisation: A bibliometric-systematic literature review

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Abstract

Digitalisation transforms corporate governance by enhancing transparency, compliance, and decision-making processes. This study profiles the research landscape of digitalisation as a corporate governance mechanism through a bibliometric-systematic literature review (B-SLR) of 93 articles published between 2019 and 2024 from the Scopus database. Bibliometric techniques, including co-citation analysis and bibliographic coupling, were combined with systematic content analysis using Atlas.ti to identify thematic clusters and emerging trends. The findings reveal an upward trend in publications, particularly after 2019, with four major themes emerging: risk management, corporate governance, digitalisation, and sustainable development. Key technologies, including blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), and Industry 4.0, appear as pivotal elements in digital governance frameworks. Sustainability has emerged as a growing concern, indicating the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals into digital transformation strategies. However, gaps persist regarding sector-specific applications and empirical insights on practical implementations. While digitalisation demonstrates transformative potential for strengthening accountability, operational efficiency, and stakeholder engagement, limited exploration of contextual factors highlights the need for deeper investigations into industry-specific dynamics. This study advances theoretical understanding while providing actionable insights for practitioners and policymakers navigating digital governance transformation.

Keywords: Digitalisation, Corporate Governance, Bibliometric-Systematic Literature Review, Sustainability, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Risk Management

Authors’ individual contribution: Conceptualization — B.T.; Methodology — B.T.; Investigation — B.T. and D.P.; Resources — D.P. and B.T.; Writing — Original Draft — B.T. and D.P.; Writing — Review & Editing — B.T. and D.P.; Visualization — B.T. and D.P.; Supervision — D.P.

Declaration of conflicting interests: The Authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

JEL Classification: G23, G32, G34

Received: 24.04.2025
Revised: 08.08.2025; 01.09.2025; 07.11.2025
Accepted: 17.11.2025
Published online: 18.11.2025

How to cite this paper: Takawira, B., & Pooe, D. (2025). Corporate governance and digitalisation: A bibliometric-systematic literature review [Special issue]. Corporate Law & Governance Review, 7(3), 271–284. https://doi.org/10.22495/clgrv7i3sip12