Review and Categorisation of Support Types for Business Model Innovation for Sustainability

Abstract

Sustainability is increasingly becoming a priority for business leaders as it challenges the very existence of the traditional way of conducting business. Businesses aim to reinvent themselves by engaging in business model innovation for sustainability (BMIfS). However, this journey is challenging, complex, and associated with a high risk of failure. It involves multiple development stages and changes in various business model components and may take different avenues. Researchers are increasingly addressing this challenge and have developed types of support to guide businesses on this journey. However, there is no overarching support type to address BMIfS. This article provides an overview and categorisation of 40 types of support available to business practitioners pursuing BMIfS efforts. Our work categorises the types of support based on five dimensions: BMIfS innovation stage, BMIfS type, BMIfS component, dynamic and iterative perspective, and validation status. This comprehensive overview can serve as a database for both scholars and business practitioners. Through the review and categorisation process, we uncovered BMIfS dimensions that are in need of further investigation and support. Notably, we found no available support type that addresses the acquisition of sustainable start-ups as a type of BMIfS—an increasingly prevalent BMIfS strategy employed by incumbents.