Speaker
Description
In a rapidly evolving economic and technological landscape, professional social networks (PSNs) have emerged as strategic infrastructures that reshape managerial practices and redefine organizational competitiveness. This study offers a comprehensive, literature-based analysis of the influence exerted by PSNs on managerial competitiveness and organizational development, with particular emphasis on the ongoing processes of digital transformation and sustainability integration.
Through dynamic knowledge exchange, real-time benchmarking, and collaborative innovation, PSNs enable managers to develop strategic agility, enhance decision-making quality, and co-create value across organizational boundaries. Far beyond their initial function as communication tools, PSNs have evolved into strategic assets that foster problem-solving, resource mobilization, and network-based advantage. Their integration into digital ecosystems amplifies the diffusion of best practices, supports responsiveness in volatile environments, and facilitates the transition toward more transparent, interconnected, and sustainable business models.
The research employs a mixed-method approach, combining a systematic literature review using the PRISMA protocol with a bibliometric analysis conducted through the Bibliometrix R-tool. This methodological integration provides both depth and breadth: it identifies thematic patterns, influential contributions, and conceptual linkages between PSNs, competitiveness, digitalization, and sustainability.
Findings indicate that PSNs significantly strengthen managerial competitiveness by offering access to expert networks, strategic intelligence, and global innovation flows. The social capital embedded in these networks contributes to organizational resilience, while also fostering ethical behavior and alignment with sustainability goals. Although transformational leadership remains a relevant theme in the literature, this study shifts the analytical focus toward structural and systemic mechanisms through which PSNs create value at managerial and organizational levels.
The originality of this research resides in its interdisciplinary conceptual framework, which bridges gaps between digital strategy, network theory, and sustainability studies. The integration of bibliometric insights with systematic review criteria adds methodological novelty and enhances the scientific robustness of the conclusions.
Practically, the study provides actionable insights for managers, policymakers, and educators by demonstrating how PSNs can be strategically leveraged to support sustainable digitalization, innovation diffusion, and competitive renewal. The paper contributes to the existing literature by articulating a network-centric view of managerial competitiveness—one that is adaptive, knowledge-driven, and anchored in collaborative value creation.
