Purpose This paper aims to undertake a systematic inquiry into sustainable strategies for entrepreneurship among beneficiaries by synthesizing existing studies to identify research trends and gaps related to social, economic, digital and environmental performance. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative systematic literature review was conducted using descriptive and thematic analyses guided by the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) framework. Journal articles indexed in Scopus and MyJurnal, published between 2019 and 2024, were reviewed based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Findings Thirty-four articles met the eligibility criteria, comprising 20 qualitative studies, 12 quantitative studies and 2 mixed-method studies. Social strategies dominated (n = 32), followed by economic (n = 28) and digital strategies (n = 12), while environmental strategies were the least examined (n = 4). This uneven distribution highlights a critical research gap. Social strategies emphasized empowerment, motivation, emotional intelligence, character development and psychosocial transformation. Economic strategies commonly involved capital assistance, Islamic social finance-based agropreneurship, financial literacy and structured mentoring. Digital strategies included digital marketing, e-commerce training and inclusion initiatives such as Asnaf Go Digital. Environmental strategies focused primarily on sustainable agriculture and eco-responsible entrepreneurship. Originality/value This review advances the literature by systematically categorizing sustainable strategies into four integrated domains – economic, social, environmental and digital – thereby offering a more holistic framework than prior fragmented studies.
Mohd et al. (Wed,) studied this question.