Importance of Sustainable Development of Handicrafts

A significant portion of craft workers in rural and semi-urban areas are employed by handicrafts, contributing significantly to the country's foreign exchange earnings while protecting its cultural legacy. Sustainable Development of handicrafts is important for handicraft producers for various reasons, including environmental responsibility, social welfare, cultural preservation, and commercial success. The handicraft industry is a sizable, burgeoning, and dynamic one that many emerging nations view as an exportable good. In many developing countries today, it is the primary source of income and productive work. Additionally, it makes a significant contribution to the GNP per capita. In many parts of the world, handicrafts have been acknowledged as providing the second-largest rural employment behind agriculture. The participation of women and members of underprivileged groups in society, low per capita investment, high-value addition, environmental friendliness, and the opportunity to foster artistic, innovative, and creative talents are just among the numerous benefits of handicrafts. Due to these qualities, this industry has been one of the most loved and chosen during economic Development (Khan & Amir, 2013). The significance of this study can be determined by the fact that artists' use of sustainable handicraft development is growing daily. Furthermore, there has yet to be a thorough evaluation of the literature on this subject.

Significance of Sustainable Development of Handicrafts

Production of handicrafts has been recognized as a crucial aspect of sustainable Development because it can create employment possibilities, particularly in rural areas, and promotes economic growth and environmental stewardship. Production of traditional handicrafts frequently benefits society, the economy, and the environment. However, many conventional handicrafts have vanished or are experiencing a significant decrease globally over the past 20 years. Many reliable sources have linked traditional handicrafts and Sustainable Development. Consequently, this study undertakes an in-depth review of the possibilities of sustainable Development of handicrafts for a bright future (Chudasri et al.; M., 2013).

LITERATURE REVIEW

Table No.1 Shows the usage of the keywords Sustainable Development and Handicraft academic writing

Researchers are very interested in the sustainable development of handicrafts, but there needs to be a literature review. Several literature reviews have been done on the subject of sustainable Development alone. Therefore, a literature review on the Sustainable Development of handicrafts is essential to closely examine the research on this subject, especially in light of the expanding global sustainability concerns.

For this review, the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus databases were used for research papers on the sustainable Development of handicrafts. A literature review and bibliometric Analysis were conducted using tables, graphs, VOSviewer, and Microsoft Excel images. Research gaps and publication trends were found. The following section provides more details on the methodology

A five-step literature review methodology was applied to select and evaluate articles, which has been employed by several eminent academicians (Seuring et al.; R., 2005).

Step – 1 Selection of the period

Reviews related to this topic started in 1993. Articles written over a three-decade period (1993–2022) were reviewed.

Step – 2 Selection of database

Data were collected from the Web of Science and Scopus database (Web of Science and Scopus Database 2022).

Step – 3 Search for documents

The terms "sustainable development" and "handicrafts" were searched for documents in the English language from 1993 to 2022. A total of 43 documents were analyzed for this study, which were extracted from the Web of Science and Scopus database, and the rest of the removed documents were irrelevant to the topic.

Step -4 Literature Review and Analysis

Using data from 18 documents from the Web of Science, a thorough citation analysis report was produced. Tables were created in Microsoft Excel based on an introductory study of categories such as publications per year, category of publications, top journals, countries, authors, covered, and type of research instruments utilized. Data was exported to VOSviewer Software for additional Analysis, and figures were created to visualize the data and draw conclusions about its interrelationships. The map that was created with VOSviewer was based on distance. The distance between two nodes in distance-based bibliometric networks roughly represents the degree of the link between the nodes.

Step – 5 Research gaps identified

Research gaps were found based on the literature review and Analysis. These gaps provide opportunities for future research in the  ​​Sustainable Development of handicrafts.

Bibliometric Analysis

The trend of publication and citation year-wise

Further Analysis in Figure 1 shows the year-by-year trend of publications and citations, the maximum number of publications, and the minimum number of publications in 2022 and 2007 of  29 documents. Figure 1 also shows year-wise citations and an increasing and decreasing trend in research on "Bibliometric Analysis and Literature Review on the Sustainable Development of Handicraft.”

Figure No.1 Number of publications and citations per year on Sustainable Development of handicrafts

Category of publication

Further Analysis of these academic papers reveals that Environmental Sciences had the highest number of publications, with a total of 19, followed by Environmental Studies, with 16. The subject areas of Business and Humanities Multidisciplinary are following with a result of 2 and 1, respectively, as shown in Table No. 2. Due to some of the results appearing in more than one discipline, the values of the subject area-specific outcomes will not add up to 29.

Table No. 2 Research area-wise publication on sustainable Development of handicraft

Top Journal

Valuable data was created and analyzed using the thorough citation analysis report produced by Web of Science. A citation is a reference in which the researcher acknowledges the contributions made by prior researchers. The more citations a piece of work acquires, the more significant it is. The 18 papers and reviews collectively got 160 citations in total. Table 3 shows the results for the journals with the most citations on this topic. A single journal has received the highest number of citations on this topic, i.e., Sustainability. Other highly cited journals are the Journal of Business Ethics and the International Journal of Emerging Markets.

Table No. 3 Top journal based on the number of citations for Sustainable Development of handicrafts

Top authors

“The authors who contributed to the study of sustainable Development of handicrafts are represented in Table 4. This table shows that Sanchez-Medina has received the most citations. The top 10 writers, according to citations, are listed here. A simple conclusion reveals that these top 10 authors have received the most citations. Thus, a small number of researchers need to make more effort. All top 10 authors have published only 1 document related to this topic.

Web of Science Analytics can also be used to research the h-index. The h index measures the influence of a paper or group of documents. The results of a study conducted by the physicist J.Hirsch, who invented the h-index in 2005, show that the h-index is a more accurate indicator of potential scientific breakthroughs than other metrics like the overall number of citations, citations per publication and the total number of articles (Hirsch, 2007). If a researcher has at least X publications and at least X citations for those publications, then that researcher has an h-index of X (Hirsch, 2005). The h-index, in this case, is 10, meaning that out of the 29 articles listed on the Web of Science, 10 papers have been referenced 10 times.”

Table No. 4 Top authors based on the number of citations for Sustainable Development of handicrafts

Top Countries/ Regions

“According to an analysis of the nations where most of the research was conducted, Peoples R China had the most published articles, totaling 10. Taiwan was the second-largest publisher, but its contribution of 5 publications was significantly less. The treemap in Figure No. 2 shows these results.”

Table No. 5 Top countries based on the number of publications for Sustainable Development of handicrafts

Figure No. 2 Top countries based on the number of publications for Sustainable Development of handicraft

Most cited articles

Table No. 6 lists the top ten articles on the Sustainable Development of handicrafts. The most cited article is "Sustainable Development of Handicrafts," written by Sanchez-Medina et al. and published in the Journal of Business Ethics in 2015 with 37 citations. “As a result, the research on sustainable Development of handicrafts is heavily concentrated among a few writers, countries, and universities, and there needs to be a higher rate of literature citation.

Table No. 6 Number of citations and most cited articles for Sustainable Development of Handicraft

Co-occurrence analysis based on author keywords

The data were exported into VOSviewer Software after the above data analysis, which included authors, citations, countries, sources, etc., for a higher level of Analysis. Tools, including citation maps, co-citation maps, and keyword maps, were developed to gain insights. The software made the data more accessible to visualize. The idea of visualizing bibliometric networks, often known as "science mapping," has drawn much attention since the early stages of bibliometric studies (Van Eck & Waltman, 2014). Figure 2 shows the outcome of the VOSviewer keyword analysis. A minimum of one occurrence was considered for counting, and the top 26 terms were chosen. The results show six clusters of words that frequently occur together, as indicated by color coding. The word's scale tells us how often it appears. The following terms appeared most frequently in each cluster:

• Cluster 1 - craftsman’s spirit, promotion and management, Taiwan crafts, tangible and intangible, weaving;

(2) Cluster 2 - cluster heritage, entrepreneurship, handicraft micro firms, innovation capability, Sustainable Development;

      (3) Cluster 3 - design thinking, entrepreneurial orientation, handicraft, passion-driven entrepreneurship, women entrepreneurs;

      (4) Cluster 4 – diamond model, industrial competitive advantages, Su-style furniture, traditional handicraft;

      (5) Cluster 5 – design intervention, skill development, sustainable livelihood, women;

      (6) Cluster 6 – intangible cultural heritage, Suzhou embroidery, traditional handicraft

Figure No. 2 Bibliographic data map of Co-occurrence analysis based on Author keywords

 (Network visualization map)

Co-citation analysis based on the Author

A co-citation analysis utilized cited authors from the 18 publications under review to analyze the data better. It showed three clusters of authors mentioned together, as shown in Figure 3. The data from both Figure 3 and Table 4 indicate the same significant contributors to the Sustainable Development of handicrafts.”

Figure No. 3 Bibliographic data map of Co-citation analysis based on Author (Network visualization map)

Co-citation Analysis Based on Sources

Based on the cited sources, another co-citation analysis was conducted. The outcomes are shown in Figure 4. It demonstrates the clustering of the sources, i.e., the journals in which these Co-citations have occurred. Six clusters of sources make up the total set. Cluster 1 is connected to Design, Cluster 2 is connected to Marketing, Cluster 3 is connected to Sustainability, Cluster 4 is connected to Policy, Cluster 5 is connected to Rural Studies, and Cluster 6 is connected to Tourism. As was also mentioned before in Table 3, the source with the most significant number of co-citations was discovered to be the Journal of Sustainability. The Journal of Business Ethics comes second, followed closely by the Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the International Journal of Emerging Markets. The cluster with the most cited sources was Cluster 3, related to Sustainability. The keyword analysis in Figure 4 showed a similar tendency.

Figure No. 4 Bibliographic data map of Co-citation analysis based on sources (Network visualization map)

Citation Analysis Based on Country

Figure no.5 shows the bibliographic data map of country-wise citation analysis on sustainable Development of handicrafts. The most cited country, "Sustainable Development of Handicrafts," is People R China, with 40 citations; the second most cited country is France, with 37 citations.

Figure No. 5 Bibliographic data map of citation analysis based on country (Network visualization map)

Citation analysis based on the Author

Figure 6 shows the bibliographic data map of citation analysis based on the Author on sustainable Development of handicrafts. The most cited Author of "Sustainable Development of Handicrafts" is Sanchez-Medina, Patricia S., with 37 citations.

Figure No. 6 Bibliographic data map of citation analysis based on Author (Network visualization map)

Thematic classification

The main subtopics of Sustainable. Development of handicrafts were determined through bibliometric Analysis and reading the papers. Table 9 shows the subtopics, accompanying authors, and publication year.

Table No. 7 Thematic classification of sustainable Development of handicrafts.

The following are short explanations of the subtopics:

Environmental Compliance and Economic and Environmental Performance

In a paper titled "Environmental Compliance and Economic and Environmental Performance: Evidence from Handicraft Small Businesses in Mexico," Sánchez-Medina et al. (2015) studied businesses in developing countries, specifically to better understand economic and environmental performance. Porter's hypothesis was supported by the authors' Analysis of the data gathered from the Mexican states of Oaxaca, Puebla, and Tlaxcala. They then recommended that small enterprises' economic and environmental performance in emerging economies can be improved by complying with environmental regulations.

Environmental Capital and Women's Entrepreneurship

“The authors observed that the Great Catalan Pyrenees in Catalonia is one of these isolated locations with high natural qualities that are facing significant sustainability issues today. Due to these problems, creating an integrated place-based approach to produce sustainable policies in mountainous and remote regions with substantial natural values is essential. The authors examined the scope of cutting-edge efforts in natural resources. They highlighted the significance of creating an integrated strategy to produce sustainable policies. They discovered that when new inhabitants decide to stay permanently, they will likely create new jobs related to the rising green economy path (Pallares-Blanch et al., 2015).”

Innovations

“In their research paper, Frocklin, S Jiddawi, NS de la Torre-Castro, M (2018) talk about promoting change toward Sustainability, reducing poverty, and boosting women's empowerment in Zanzibar, Tanzania, examining the possibilities of small-scale innovations like shell-handicraft. However, the main goal was to break poverty cycles by improving the management of coastal resources, reducing poverty, and empowering women. The findings demonstrate that women who work with shells have better access to various physical, human, and social resources over time.

Researchers have looked at how collaboration affects the performance of handicraft businesses through their capacity for Innovation, as well as how micro companies can overcome challenges and achieve sustainable growth by acquiring and utilizing external resources in addition to internal Development that supports innovative capabilities (Shafi, Mohsin, et al. 2021).

Sharma A., Bhowmick B., and Patnaik J. (2020) discussed Innovation through a hub and spoke model for India’s handicraft industry. This study aims to understand the difficulties the Indian handcraft business is experiencing and to highlight the existing solutions. He concluded that the hub and spoke model is a widespread industrial technique for dealing with issues similar to those the handcraft industry is currently facing.

In the paper titled "Issues in Innovation and development in the Handicrafts Industries of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa," Abisuga O.A., Mpofu K., and Nenzhelele T.G.( 2021) described the business operations of crafters in the Midlands and their experiences and insights, as well as the crucial success elements for the growth and Innovation of the sector. After that, they concluded in this research paper that there is an urgent need for handicraft entrepreneurs to get assistance in fostering Innovation and the long-term growth of the sector.

Hegazy S. and Elbana W. (2022), in their paper, discussed the Development of folk crafts with a fresh idea and vision to create works of art that are current and contemporary while still maintaining the distinctively Arab character, including aesthetic and creative elements and discovered the importance of folk crafts in promoting the objectives of Sustainable Development.

Strategies

Fan, K. K., & Feng, T. T. (2019) discussed strategies for sustainable Development .of the traditional handicraft. industry based on Su-Style Furniture in the Ming Dynasty. The authors first sorted out and summarized the historical experience of the industry's successful Development in their study. After that, they suggested sustainable development strategies for the contemporary traditional handicraft industry, and opinions on the inheritance .and Development of the traditional handicraft industry at the present stage have been put forward. Based on the diamond model, this study of Su-style furniture in the Ming Dynasty demonstrates that style, material, and skill were its competitive advantages during this period. The government's contributions and consumer demand also played a significant role in these competitive advantages. Therefore, the current Development of the traditional handicraft industry requires external heritage protection by the government, internal transformation, and Innovation. The study of the competitive advantages of Su-style furniture in the Ming Dynasty found that government functions were essential for industrial sustainable Development.

Wen-Tao Li, Ming-Chyuan Ho, and Chun Yang (2018) studied the titled "Design Strategy for Sustainable Development of Chinese Solar Term Culture," and 19 keywords of the design strategies for the long-term Sustainability of solar term culture were made clear by this study. Following that, a survey of the four aim tiers was created: humanistic aesthetic value, socially sustainable value, the value of practical Innovation, and the value of scientific advancement. To improve and create a sustainable nonmaterial solar term cultural design model, this study explored the design strategies, improvement basis, and characteristic developments of three design types of design items or commodities regarding their design and Development.

Cultural Heritage

In the paper titled "The Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage from the Perspective of Civic Participation: The Informal Education of Chinese Embroidery Handicrafts," the authors focused on the traditional embroidery craftsmanship of China's intangible cultural heritage, this study conducted exploratory research on the learning intention and value influence indicators of citizens participating in intangible cultural heritage (Yan, Wen-Jie; Chiou, Shang-Chia 2021).

This study by Zhang, Xiyue, Li, Yajuan, Lin, Jing, and Ye, Yanjun (2021) focused on traditional Suzhou embroidery. It examined the impact of its rebirth on place formation and sustainable Development in the context of its particular social setting. The finding shows that the revival of traditional handicrafts causes changes to local public spaces, the reshaping of local architecture, and the Development of a .cultural landscape. Regarding local activities, the revival of handicrafts is reflected in increased efficiency and creativity and the stable inheritance of skills. “

Design

In the paper titled “A Design Thinking-Based Study of the Prospect of the Sustainable Development of Traditional Handicrafts,” Li, W. T., Ho, M. C., & Yang, C. (2019), explored the prospects of the Sustainable Development of traditional handicrafts which is Based on Stanford Design Thinking.

In this research paper, Moubarak, Lobna Mahmoud, Qassem, and Eman Wajdy (2018 tried to explain the relationship between eco-friendly and traditional crafts and the creation of sustainable development interior environments. Additionally, this study presented a helpful strategy for creating school buildings' interior spaces that integrate eco-friendly and traditional crafts.

In the paper titled “Design for poverty alleviation and craft revitalization in rural China from an actor-network perspective: the case of bamboo-weaving in Shengzhou," Li, Wenjia; Li, Ziwei; Kou, Huaiyun (2022) studied the cooperative, sustainable design route for rural China's craft revival and poverty alleviation. Based on actor-network theory, the authors examined rural actor-network creation and participatory translation from the viewpoint of design integration to reduce poverty. However, the basic adjustment of the rights and interests of rural artisans is challenging to accomplish. The authors found that the “Design for poverty alleviation” is crucial in guiding the Development of industrial goals, bringing significant driving power and implementation effects to rural social Innovation. After that, they also found that by using actor-network theory attributes of “Design for poverty alleviation” among stakeholders, the authors have resolved the separation issue between the individual and network.

In their study, Oyekunle, O. A., and Sirayi, M. (2018) examined innovative design's contribution to sustainable handcraft enterprises' growth through a case study of the Western Cape province of South Africa. They focused on the possibility of craft design for the Sustainable Development of handicraft products to aid in the local community's economic growth. After that, they suggested using Innovation, reproduction, and modification in design techniques for the handicraft industry's Sustainable Development.

Chen H.-C., Tu J.-C., Guang S.-S. (2014) explained the perspective of green design, and this study's issues were examined through three stages: first, it explained the trend of global green design and sustainable environmental protection; second, it discussed sustainable conceptions of bamboo craft: green materials; third, it discussed relationships between bamboo craft and the 6R principles of environmental protection.

Livelihoods development

In the paper titled “Artisanal, shell-based handicraft in Papua New Guinea: Challenges and opportunities for livelihoods development," Simard, Nittya S., et al. (2019) used a quantitative study of artisans among the Tigak Islands of Papua New Guinea to examine potential challenges facing the shell-based handicraft sector and opportunities for overcoming these challenges. The livelihood sector's main challenges are perceptions of marine resource declines and a need for livelihood flexibility.

In the paper titled “Traditional Woolen Namda (Felted Fabrics) from Tonk, Rajasthan: A Livelihood Initiative for Rural Women," the goal was to support traditional crafts and empower women by increasing their level of independence, with prospects for future advancement for top trainees. According to the goal of this research paper, Kadam, Vinod. et al. (2022) examined how the Covid-19 pandemic has hampered cooperative efforts to create sustainable livelihoods centered around handicrafts.

This study investigates factors influencing the Development and survival of Pakistan's traditional handicraft entrepreneurial community and analyses its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It also developed tactical solutions to address the issues that aid the community's revival. It discovered that traditional handcraft manufacturers face numerous challenges that impede their survival and expansion and provided some crucial tactical advice to address these concerns. After the study, the Author concluded that notably, government involvement is required to resurgence the traditional handicraft sector Chifos C. (2006).

Emerging economy and Market-Driven economy

In their research paper, Tran, Thi Ha Uyen, Lau, Kwok Hung, Ong, and Chin Eang (2021) examined the adoption of social sustainability methods in a developing economy using the advice of Vietnamese handicraft associations. According to the findings, stakeholder pressure indirectly affects adopting “social sustainability practices," whereas organizational behavior and readiness have a direct impact. The study also found that it offered guidance and resources for policymakers and sustainability practitioners to encourage implementing social “sustainability practices” throughout the supply chain.

In their research paper, Wut, Tai-Ming, Chan, Wai-Tung, Lee, and Stephanie W. (2021) described a distinctive form of entrepreneurship practiced by women who run handcraft businesses. After the study, the authors discovered problems related to the city's high renting costs, drawn-out product development times, niche markets, and a need for more expertise in digital marketing. Additionally, it is found that while all responders are talented, creative, and enthusiastic in the arts, they are passive and reactive in business. In light of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, the authors have proposed measures to support these female entrepreneurs.

Intention to purchase

In this paper, Prados-Pena et al. (2022) empirically examined consumer behavior toward sustainable handcrafted goods and found that consumers' perceptions of sustainable craft products have an impact on their propensity to buy and also found that as consumer views toward and involvement with sustainable craft products rise, so does this influence. Finally, they concluded that the study could be helpful for the sustainable crafts industry by introducing more sustainable products and creating marketing and communication strategies to support consumers in learning about Sustainability.

Cultural Ecology Theory

In the paper "Inheritance Patterns under Cultural Ecology Theory for the Sustainable Development of Traditional Handicraft," Yang, Nan, Zang, Xiaoge, Chen, and Cong (2022) discussed the matter. This research paper uses the framework of cultural ecology theory to compare instances of inheritance and Development in two distinct handicrafts—Bai tie-dyeing and Beijing carved lacquer. After discussion, they discovered that the Beijing carved lacquer and Bai tie-dying family inheritance pattern's master-apprentice inheritance pattern had undergone fundamental changes in contemporary society. The authors differentiate between representative inheritance and group inheritance in this research and offer a protective mechanism in accordance and further recommendations made in this article include the promotion of a contemporary mentorship model as the inheritance pattern to aid in the growth of handicrafts and the appointment of a clear division of economic interests to apply to premiumization development and mass development.

Promotion

Sun, Yikang; Lin, His-Yen; Lin, Rungtai (2022), in the paper titled “A Pilot Study on Reproduction and Sustainable Development under the Promotion of Crafts: Taking Weaving in Taiwan as an Example” focused on the promotion of crafts in Taiwan through reproduction and sustainable Development. Based on the results, the authors identified three characteristics, including emphasizing the Development of craftsmanship education, keeping up with the times so that handicrafts continue to change, and letting the crafts reflect the genuine meaning of life more accurately.

Micro-enterprises and enterprising community

Abisuga-Oyekunle OA, Phyllis IR. (2017), in their study, focused on the urgent need to provide the youth of South Africa with the tools they need to realize their entrepreneurial potential and discussed the function of handicraft micro-enterprises as a catalyst for youth employment in South Africa. After that, they provided a thorough plan for developing the South African handicraft industry to better suit its demands as a microbusiness and raise the standard of life for the community.

The study aimed to assess the socioeconomic factors affecting small handcraft companies' viability in KwaZulu-Natal. In this study, Abisuga-Oyekunle O.A. and Muchie M. (2020) found that 84 enterprises (42.86%) were not viable, while 112 of the 196 handicraft enterprises (57.14%) were. Also, they found that two socioeconomic factors substantively affected the viability of handicraft enterprises.

In the paper titled "Analysis of the potential of small-scale enterprises of artisans and sawyers as instruments for sustainable forest management in Puerto Rico," Forero-Montana J., Zimmerman J.K., Santiago L.E. (2018) studied the Puerto Rican handcraft industry to pinpoint crucial factors for promoting small-scale forestry businesses and concluded that the artisan development program in Puerto Rico has biggest obstacle due to institutional ineffectiveness. After that, they recommended that To effectively provide technical help, marketing, and financial services to artisans, collaboration and links between all support groups, including government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and associations of artisans, must be strengthened.

Shafi M., Yin L., Yuan Y., and Zoya Y. (2020) looked at problems impacting Pakistan's traditional handicraft entrepreneurial community and studied their strengths, weaknesses, possibilities, and threats. After that, the Author developed tactical strategies to get around the issues cited for its rejuvenation. They discovered that traditional handcraft manufacturers face numerous challenges that impede their survival and expansion and recommended that government support is essential for the conventional handcraft industry to recover.

Tourism development

Zargham H. (2007) studied "Sustainable tourism development and handicrafts in the Developing World," they highlighted the complications of the tourism industry's promotion of cultural assets in this paper. After that, they looked into innovative ways to safeguard people's means of subsistence and the stability of their identities and learn more about advancing crafts and tourism. The authors of this paper identified the handicrafts that influence the sustainable Development of the corresponding tourism industries, assessed the handicrafts' sufficiency in achieving sustainable tourism development, and offered suggestions for handicraft improvement to ensure the continued sustainable Development of tourism.

In this study, Bogale D. and Tiruneh N. (2022) investigated the strategies and difficulties of connecting the handicraft industry to the growth of sustainable tourism in southern Ethiopia's Gamo and Konso Zones, which is based on the triple-bottom-line (TBL) theory. After that, they discovered that despite the regions being effective providers of various vibrant handicraft products, they need to be more effectively linked to sustainable tourism development due to the current urgent issues.

Bamboo weaving

Luo B., Ahmed S., and Long C. (2020) conducted an ethnobotanical study on Sansui bamboo weaving in the Guizhou province of Southwest China. After doing field research, they found that 17 bamboo species are used for weaving and pointed out that the best-known species in the region is Phyllostachys heteroclite. They also found that the collaboration between bamboo weavers, bamboo businesses, and household workshops has greatly aided the local bamboo industry, helped revive the local community's economy, and put out some recommendations for the long-term economic growth of traditional Chinese crafts like sansui bamboo weaving.

The authors conducted research on the rising value-added bamboo handicraft industry in Thailand's lower northern regions, and they observed that one of the biggest challenges in making bamboo handicrafts is that the majority of the artisans are aging female community members. Additionally, among the problems observed by the authors are issues of marketing, awareness, finance, and training. The authors then suggested innovative ideas, marketing, awareness, finance, and training to address the problems (Kulmala et al. P., Samdaengdecha K. 2009).

Handicraft consumers

Dasgupta A. and Chandra B. (2016), in their paper, examined how consumer attitudes and motivations for buying handicrafts have changed in modern society, and they found that Young consumers have grown more individualistic and global in their outlook as a result of globalization, while old customers have remained sound and culturally focused.

Social

Sustainable Development, the research paper had a broader objective, inspired by the development philosophy of achieving "gross national happiness" and to gain a more in-depth understanding of Bhutan's specific sustainable development strategy. After the study, the Author found that "Sustainable development policy enjoys good support on the local level and in various stakeholder groups” and that in Bhutan, the Sustainable Development Plan was widely accepted and offered numerous chances for capacity development. Rinzin C. (2006).

Tran T., Deng H., and Ong C.E. (2019) proposed a conceptual framework for adopting social sustainability practices (SSP) in Vietnamese handicraft enterprises using the institutional theory and the diffusion of innovations theory. By identifying the essential elements that will improve the adoption of social sustainability practices in organizations involved in the Vietnamese handicraft industry, the authors have contributed to social sustainability research.

Social Entrepreneurship

In their research paper, Kumari G. and Eguruze E.S. (2022) investigated social entrepreneurs' contributions to India's rural community development and empowerment of women. To address social concerns, including women's empowerment and rural community development, they defined five roles of social entrepreneurs' self-efficacy, and the various aspects of social entrepreneurs in rural community development through socioeconomic growth and sustainable living were then discovered. Finally, it was revealed that although these roles are interconnected, they can each also function, mean, and have an impact on their own.

Socioeconomic conditions, welfare schemes, and occupational structure

In their study, Kanungo P., Sethi N., and Biswal P. (2021) looked at the socioeconomic status, social welfare programs, and occupational structure among pattachitra artisans in Puri district, Odisha (Eastern India). They also looked into several contemporary problems that limit artisans' livelihood and undermine the craft's viability. After completing their research, they concluded that the Development of this ancient craft in the modern day is hindered by a lack of capital, the lack of decision-making authority held by women artisans, the intrusion of machine products, and the issue of intermediaries. Finally, the authors recommended establishing fair-price wholesale shops, funding the construction of showrooms, starting hassle-free promotional efforts, and other methods to create a stable and sustainable income for the artists.

Education for trainers and teachers

In the paper titled “Further education for trainers and teachers - findings of the project "Eurocrats 21 - making handicraft Sustainable" Bliesner A., Manstein C., and Rohn H. (2011) discussed a "train-the-trainer design," which was developed, tested, and evaluated about the specific qualification needs and the existing qualification concepts of five European countries. The authors pointed out that this refers to widely accepted ideas of education for sustainable Development and that the approach and didactical processing are helpful to partner countries and helpful on a didactic level.

Geographical indications

The Author examined the advantages of geographical indications (G.I.s) for the long-term Sustainability of handicraft communities in emerging nations, discussed the difficulties developing nations experience in enacting G.I. legislation, and recommended appropriate solutions to resolve the issues for the long-term Sustainability of the handicraft communities. Based on the results, the Author discovered that protected G.I.s may have advantages beyond social and economic ones, including cultural and environmental ones, which have received less attention in other studies (Shafi M., 2022).

Residents’ perceptions of Sustainability

Ozgit H., Yucelen C., Guden N., and Ilkhanizadeh S. (2022) evaluated local inhabitants' perceptions of cultural tourism as an alternative tourism product for the Development of sustainable tourism and also assessed the contribution of domestic handcraft goods to the promotion of a destination. After the study, the authors concluded that although domestic handicrafts are a part of cultural heritage, policymakers and planners needed to value them more. After that, they concluded that the challenges encountered in preserving cultural heritage resources are the most significant variables that oppose sustainable Development and that political and economic instability negatively impact destination development. After the study, they also discovered a need for coordination among the stakeholders in bringing about this growth and that the local community has a favorable attitude toward the Sustainability of cultural tourism.

GST (Goods and Services Tax)

To determine the significance of Goods and Services Tax as a tax reform in the sustainable growth of India's handicrafts industry, in the paper titled “GST: A tax reform for the sustainability of Indian handicrafts” Tekwani K., Raghuvanshi R (2019), investigated the Goods and Services Tax and its implications for that sector. After Analysis of data, they found that Goods and Services Tax would increase Indian handicrafts' competitiveness on both home and international markets and hence pointed out that Goods and Services Tax will support the long-term growth of Indian handicrafts. Finally, they revealed that implementing the Goods and Services Tax increased India's handicraft industry's organization, centralization, and regulation.

Protection

This paper's objective is to assess the state of Lithuania's traditional handicraft protection within the context of the program's implementation and to make recommendations for improved execution. After the Analysis, the authors revealed that not all of the program's objectives had been met; however, municipalities did a better job of carrying them out than governmental organizations. After the study, the authors hypothesized that the top-down strategy is only partially appropriate for program execution. (Pareigiene L., Ribasauskiene E. 2018).

Paitker painting

In their study, Kumari G. and Shrivastava A.R. (2021) examined the background of Paitker paintings in Jharkhand, India, and the state's role in their preservation. After the study, the authors concluded that developing Petkar paintings required government policy support and more clarity in the conservation approach. Additionally, they found that to save the Petkar paintings, there is a need to improve infrastructure and better marketing nationally and internationally. After that, they suggested that the Development of the Petkar painting requires improvement in infrastructure, better marketing facilities, and implementation of government policy.

DISCUSSION

This work uses a two-pronged approach to bibliometrics in addition to a systematic evaluation of the literature, using tabular presentation and Analysis as well as scientific mapping with VOSviewer visualization maps. Both groups of results point to the same conclusions. A small group of authors is the key contributor. (134) X percent of the citations on the topic have gone to the top 10 authors. Sánchez-Medina received the most citations for his research paper "Environmental Compliance and Economic and Environmental Performance: Evidence from Handicraft Small Businesses in Mexico." The three authors who wrote the most papers were Li, Wen-Tao; Ho, Ming-Chyuan; and Yang, Chun.

The findings also show that the Journal of Sustainability published the most articles. Of the total citations, 158 were given to the top five journals and 157 to the top ten articles. Forty citations were for works published in the People's Republic of China. As a result, the research on the subject has been heavily centered on a small number of nations, publications, and writers.

Twenty-four subthemes were found based on the literature review. The classification of research papers into these 24 themes leads us to conclude that innovations, design, and micro-enterprise are the most widely researched.

Theoretical implications

This study is the first to review research on the sustainable Development of handicrafts. It includes a statistical analysis based on the number of publications, citations, and h-index and a thematic division of the themes addressed. The fact that the People's Republic of China has been the source of many of the research papers in this field shows how much room there is for international research on this subject. More research on this subject may be done as more people become aware of the Sustainable Development of handicrafts. The preceding would follow, and more universities would start encouraging research on this subject. A few colleges with sustainable development programs should consider including a course on the Sustainable Development of handicrafts as an option. Given the factors mentioned above and the figures shown in this work, it is anticipated that in the days to come, sustainable Development of handicrafts will continue to draw researchers’ attention globally. In turn, further research on the subject would make it possible to develop public policy related to it.

Managerial implications

The work completed suggests that it is now necessary for handicrafts to flourish sustainably. Also, the research indicates that sustainable Development of handicrafts is a niche in nature. Most studies on the sustainable Development of handicrafts have come from innovations, design, micro-enterprises, and entrepreneurial communities, demonstrating the significance of this subject from a managerial perspective. Per the keyword analysis undertaken in this study, every cluster reveals a keyword with managerial implications. Cluster 1 indicates artisan's spirit, promotion and management, Taiwan crafts, tangible and intangible, weaving; Cluster 2 indicates cultural heritage, entrepreneurship, handicraft micro firms, innovation capability, Sustainable Development; Cluster 3 indicates design thinking, entrepreneurial orientation, handicraft, passion-driven entrepreneurship, women entrepreneurs; Cluster 4 indicates diamond model, industrial competitive advantages, Su-style furniture, traditional handicraft; Cluster 5 indicates design intervention, skill development, sustainable livelihood, women;  Cluster 6 indicates intangible cultural heritage, Suzhou embroidery, traditional handicraft as keywords which occur frequently. This amplifies that the research on the sustainable Development of handicrafts had significant managerial ramifications. The handicrafts may be impacted by sustainable Development, given their expanding significance. Therefore, in the future, greater focus should be placed on the sustainable Development of handicrafts.

Future research directions and conclusion

This paper offers a comprehensive overview, bibliometric Analysis, and recommendations for future research on the sustainable Development of handicrafts over the past three decades in universities. In this study, Web of Science and Scopus data were evaluated. Data analysis from another source may yield different findings. The tables and graphs are generated from the database except for the thematic classification. Thus, the thematic classification is subjective and based on past literature.

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