Metaverse and immersive technologies in supply chain management and operations: A systematic review of research trends, theories, and future directions

Abstract

The metaverse and related immersive technologies are increasingly discussed as enablers of digital transformation in supply chain management and operations (SCM&O), yet the research base has not been systematically mapped. This study reviews how the field has developed, which research approaches and theories it uses, and where future research is needed. A systematic literature review was conducted on Scopus for the period 1996 to 2025, following the protocols of Tranfield and colleagues and the PRISMA framework. Thirty eight peer reviewed articles in ABDC listed journals (ratings A*, A, and B) were selected using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and VOSviewer was used for complementary bibliometric analysis. Publication activity was sporadic before 2020 and peaked in 2023, with contributions concentrated in the United States, the United Kingdom, and India. Conceptual studies (10), systematic reviews (7), analytical and mathematical modelling (7), and mixed methods studies (6) dominate, while case based and quantitative studies are scarce. Thirty one of the 38 studies (81.6 percent) report no explicit theoretical foundation, and game theory and the technology organization environment framework are the only theories used more than once. The synthesis identifies seven research directions: theory development, empirical and methodological strengthening, geographic and sectoral expansion, technology integration, sustainability and resilience, governance, security and trust, and human and organizational dimensions. The findings should be read with caution because the search used a single database and a journal rating filter.