Bibliometric portrait of the theory of community-based enterprise: evolution and future directions

Abstract

The focus of this study is to present an overview of the literature related to the Theory of Community-Based Enterprise (TCBE) using bibliometric analysis. We analysed 477 articles published in 201 journals in the Scopus database till 2021. Initially, prominent features based on key bibliometric indicators of 477 articles are presented under performance analysis, like prominent studies, journals, authors, and keywords. Then in network analysis, bibliographic coupling, and co-occurrence analysis were conducted on the articles. The bibliometric analysis enables mapping of the theory’s evolution, provides a comprehensive overview of TCBE literature, and leads to identifying the dynamics of the field and cluster-based themes and their relationships. The study resulted in three significant findings—the first is that limited studies have assessed the assumptions and features of the theory as valid in different cultural scenarios. Second, the theory is used in various concepts but prominently as a sub-topic under social entrepreneurship; there exists an opportunity to study community initiatives as a focus. The third is a spectrum of words used to represent the idea of community-based enterprises that hampers building uniformity of the concept.