Searching for Convergence: A Bibliometric Study on Business Model

Abstract

Objective - To identify the evolution of the knowledge produced on business models (BM) by identifying the most used approaches and the most relevant works by the academics, and also indicate ways for future research.

Method - Bibliometrics using citation and co-citation analysis, in 211 articles selected and published in 30 journals with impact factor higher than 1.4.

Originality / Relevance – In this article, we contribute to strengthen BM as a construct, since we mapped the intellectual structure underlying the concept. We also hope to contribute with possible theoretical advances and for the construction of research agendas, and seek to validate the inferences brought by previous qualitative work.

Results - We identify the most influential works in academic production on BM, intellectual structure, emerging research and issues not yet explored. These conceptual bases have been developed using the theoretical lens of strategy, such as innovation, change, contingency, dynamic capabilities, and Transaction Cost Theory. Additionally, we identified that there is still room to evolve the construction of this construct based in other disciplines.

Theoretical / methodological contributions - We sought to clarify some aspects of the subject, especially those referring to the idea of ​​using a diffused theoretical basis, complementing previous works.  Hopefully, we have contributed to the strengthening of BM as a construct, by mapping the intellectual structure that supports its theoretical basis.