A review of scientific papers on business model innovation, multi-level business model hypothesis

Abstract

The author presents a detailed analysis of current views on the issue of business model innovation in foreign and Russian scientific sources. The main ideas and theses in this area are reflected, and an attempt is made to find general trends. Current scientific works of authors from different countries have been studied — mainly over the past 10 years. Most of the publications analyzed in the article were made in Scopus, Web Of Science (English-language) and VAK (Russian-language) journals. Both well-known popular sources with a high citation rate, as well as completely new publications, which, however, presented original ideas, were analyzed. An attempt was made not only to reflect the points of view of different authors, but also to show how scientific thought in the field of business model innovation is developing in different regions of the world. Based on the results of the study, the author put forward a hypothesis about the multi-level nature of the business model. It is proposed to consider at least 3 levels of the business model: the holding (parent) company level (level 1), the level of an individual organization/business unit (level 2), and the product-market level (level 3). The directions for future research arising from this hypothesis are outlined: defining the levels in the business model, clarifying the content of this concept at each level, establishing clear boundaries between the business model and the organization's strategy. The study was carried out as part of the work on the development of the Russian scientific school of business modeling and strategic management, which is carried out at the scientific institute «Eurasian Management and Administration School» (EMAS Business School).