Trends in Global Research on Supply Chain Finance from 1970 to 2021: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

This work aims to identify and analyze trends in the study of supply chain finance (SCF), principally for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), many of which are family run. Both bibliometrics and content analysis comprise the chosen methodology. By means of scientific mapping, the analysis highlights the production and performance of SCF and the key aspects that characterize it. The results confirm that SCF is located at the core of supply chain management (SCM) as a field of knowledge of greater breadth, and they reveal the great fragmentation and specialization that exists in this topic area. In particular, it is particularly associated with emerging topics such as innovation, collaboration, and resilience as factors for the development of SCF and the adoption of Blockchain to promote the sustainable performance of supply chains. On a theoretical level, this research reveals the advantages for growth and development that belonging to these chains represents for SMEs and, through the trends identified, it also contributes to better decision making by commercial partners involved in SCF.