Social Sustainability in SMEs: Bridging Measurement Gaps and Sustainability Transitions

Objectives: Although sustainability has become a central topic in management and entrepreneurship research, the social dimension remains significantly less explored than the environmental dimension, particularly in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Existing studies frequently address social sustainability as a secondary component of broader CSR, ESG, or sustainability frameworks, limiting the development of a dedicated body of knowledge. This study aims to systematically review the literature on social sustainability in SMEs, identify its main dimensions and research streams, examine its relationship with environmental sustainability, and highlight the principal theoretical and methodological gaps that characterize the field. Data and Methods: The study adopts a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) methodology based on the PRISMA framework. Data were collected from the Scopus database using keywords related to corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainability, ESG, social sustainability, and SMEs. Following the application of predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, a substantial corpus of peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2025 was retained for analysis. The selected contributions were examined through descriptive and thematic coding procedures guided by the Triple Bottom Line and Stakeholder Theory perspectives. This approach enabled the identification of recurring themes, dominant methodological approaches, and emerging research trends. Results: The review reveals a growing academic interest in social sustainability within SMEs and highlights its multidimensional nature. Among the key themes emerging from the literature are employee-related issues, stakeholder engagement, sustainability integration, and business performance. The findings also suggest that social sustainability may support environmental sustainability through employee training, organizational culture, stakeholder relationships, governance practices, and capability development. However, the literature remains fragmented and largely dominated by quantitative approaches, while qualitative and longitudinal investigations remain limited. A major gap concerns the lack of measurement frameworks specifically designed to capture the informal, relational, and context-dependent characteristics of social sustainability practices in SMEs. Conclusions: The findings indicate that social sustainability should be considered a strategic organizational capability rather than a secondary component of CSR initiatives. Despite its relevance for competitiveness, resilience, stakeholder value creation, and sustainable transitions, it remains one of the least developed areas of sustainability research in SMEs. Future studies should prioritize the development of SME-oriented measurement frameworks and further investigate the mechanisms linking social and environmental sustainability.