Understanding and Utilizing Asset-Light Strategy through Bibliometric and Qualitative Analysis

Although asset-light strategy has received increasing scholarly attention, existing studies have largely focused on its financial and operational implications, while limited research has integrated bibliometric evidence with managerial perspectives from industry practitioners. To address this gap, this study aims to map the intellectual structure and thematic development of asset-light strategy research and to explore how experienced managers understand, interpret, and implement asset-light strategies in real business contexts. This study employed a mixed analytical approach by combining bibliometric analysis using VOS viewer and qualitative analysis using NVivo. Bibliometric data were obtained from Scopus-indexed publications related to asset-light strategy, while qualitative data were collected through interviews with experienced managers and directors in multinational service companies operating in Indonesia. While qualitative analysis reveals that managerial perceptions regarding the concept of asset light are already quite familiar with the term, bibliometric analysis found that research on asset light is still limited and can still be developed by connecting the influence of other variables. In the industrial world, however, the concept of asset light is the key to opening the gate for companies that wish to carry out expansion strategies. Although there has been research on asset light, there isn't much of it that has been supported by bibliometric results, and qualitative analysis shows that managers’ perceptions of asset-light strategy remain limited to preliminary strategic planning. This study is unique because it combines qualitative analysis on the subject of asset light with bibliometric analysis techniques.