Title: Critical success factors to promote enterprise management and business performance in pharmaceutical companies: a systematic review

Authors: Xing Su; Siew Chin Ong

Addresses: School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia ' Discipline of Social and Administrative Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia

Abstract: This study identifies the critical success factors (CSFs) influencing enterprise risk management (ERM), and business performance in the pharmaceutical industry. Expectedly, all identified CSFs were designed to have a positive impact on the implementation of ERM. Consequently, we developed a comprehensive research framework to guide future research. Given the scale of the systematic review, we identified via a thorough screening process a carefully selected compendium of research articles. After extracting and analysing the relevant information from these papers, we rightly identified and highlighted that the survey was the most recognised and predominant research method, emphasised five commonly used CSFs and several business performance indicators. Besides, this study recognised effective tools for evaluating ERM systems. By integrating these insights, this research established a fundamental framework that addressed gaps in the fragmented literature, which previously lacked an integrated analysis of interrelationships, and proposed several specific opportunities for future research.

Keywords: critical success factor; CSF; enterprise risk management; ERM; Tobin's Q; enterprise risk management index; pharmaceutical company.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBCRM.2026.154516

International Journal of Business Continuity and Risk Management, 2026 Vol.16 No.2, pp.117 - 142

Received: 21 Jul 2025
Accepted: 11 Feb 2026
Published online: 02 Jul 2026 *

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