Sustainable digital transformation and the SDGs: a graph theoretic mapping of core IS theories and societal impact

Abstract

Digital transformation (DT) increasingly shapes how organizations create value and how societies pursue inclusive development, yet the field still lacks a transparent map that links DT theorizing to social sustainability aims, specifically Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) four (Quality Education) and 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Methodologically, the study integrates a theory agnostic, layered (core, periphery, and environment) organizational scaffold with a twin transition lens, a PRISMA guided review of 184 peer reviewed articles, semantic similarity scoring, and graph theoretic co-occurrence analysis to reveal how named DT theories travel together. We then coupled semantic similarity with network structure to map those theory configurations explicitly onto SDG 4 and SDG 10. The network is cohesive but asymmetrically weighted: technology, organization, and environment perspectives, capability-based views, and digital competence and justice frameworks act as integrative anchors, while communities align with technical, organizational, and integrative strands of DT. An environmental, social, and governance (ESG) oriented subnetwork highlights equity and inclusion lenses that connect most directly to education and reduced inequalities. The study makes two contributions: an evidence-based conceptual map that connects DT theorizing to education and equity, and a replicable synthesis pipeline that helps scholars, policy makers, and managers align digital investments and research agendas with theory clusters most germane to SDG 4 and SDG 10.