Non-deceptive counterfeit products: a morphological analysis of literature and future research agenda

Abstract

ABSTRACT The objectives of this study are to review the literature on counterfeiting, to develop a morphological analysis (MA) framework and to identify the major research gaps that offer potential for future research. The MA framework is based on 120 research papers published in 50 research journals over 25 years (1994 to 2019). This systematic literature review followed a 3-step process. Step 1 identified the relevant research papers, step 2 classified them based on their fundamental, methodological and chronological features and step 3 developed the MA framework and identified research gaps. Five dimensions, involving 41 focused themes, emerged from the analysis. It uncovers 338 distinct research gaps. Of these, those topics offering the most potential for future research are presented here. The findings intend to help marketers and researchers look at non-deceptive counterfeiting holistically.