Inter-organizational relationships involving SMEs: A bibliographic investigation into the state of the art

The theme of inter-organizational relationships involving SMEs (SME IORs) has generated a relevant body of knowledge that has not been systematized yet. This article carries out a systematic literature review on SME IORs using bibliometric techniques, aiming to provide an overview of the main subfields of research and to identify promising paths for future research that can contribute to develop a more comprehensive body of knowledge around SME IORs. Four factors of thematically connected research emerge, which represents the main subfields of inquiry within the field of SME IORs. Insights regarding the content of these topics, the different theoretical foundations of the literature on SME IORs, and potential paths for future research are discussed.