Understanding SME Loan Repayment Dynamics: Integrating Thematic and Bibliometric Analyses of Government Interventions and Financial Resilience

Abstract

Economic crises push governments to intervene in corporate loan markets to stabilize financial systems and support recovery, especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This study examines SME loan repayment behavior and government interventions through a dual-phase approach combining thematic and bibliometric analyses. Applying the PRISMA protocol, 67 high-quality studies were selected from 203 articles, ensuring reliability and relevance. These were analyzed using the PSALSAR framework, with VOSviewer employed for network visualization and bibliometric mapping. Findings show government interventions strongly shape credit market dynamics: 45.21% of studies highlight improved access to financing, 31.51% address financial literacy and management, and 20.55% examine firm characteristics and performance. Bibliometric mapping identifies central themes such as macroprudential policy, financial security, and loan performance, highlighting the role of policies in fostering SME resilience and financial stability. Keyword co-occurrence heatmaps reveal strong links between pandemic impacts and government interventions, while predictive analytics point to short-term stabilization and sector-specific benefits as high-growth areas. Overall, the study identifies key determinants, research gaps, and dual impacts of interventions to inform context-specific strategies for credit market stability.

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