Business Models: A Research Overview

Understanding the mechanisms of business models is vital for creating sustained value regardless of industry and context, and therefore business models research driven by the right research questions is important for society as a whole. This book develops the field of business model research by offering a critique of the field as it has developed to date, and provide a guide for future research and theorization. Business model research has been developing rapidly in recent years. The research performed as a basis for this book improves and extends prior subjective and less-documented work by using a more scientific literature review approach.
Our point of departure is a scientific approach to identifying impactful research by using a structured literature review methodology. We argue that business model research is a mature field and that future research should focus on performative and ecosystem-based contributions. The contribution of this book is novel and timely because it identifies four distinct stages of business model research.
Our study here provokes a new set of research questions, based on the four identified stages of business model research, which are expected to add to the knowledge-base of this vibrant research field. These questions are addressed in the concluding passages of chapters 5 to 8 so that scholars and practitioners of business models can use them as points of departure for seeking out new knowledge and building new perspectives.