The evolution of Internet of Things (IoT) research in business management: a systematic review of the literature

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PurposeThis paper systematically reviews the evolution of Internet of Things (IoT) research in business and management over the past decade and a half. It synthesizes current knowledge, identifies major themes, gaps, and future opportunities to guide scholars on potential research directions within this exponentially growing domain.Design/methodology/approachA structured systematic literature review methodology filtered IoT publications across business/management journals using Scopus database. Detailed thematic and bibliometric analyses chronologically mapped the progress of peer-reviewed articles from 2005–2023. Both quantitative metrics and qualitative coding inductively revealed historical trends, topics, applications and research implications.FindingsAnalysis uncovered six primary IoT research themes - business models, technology, data, customers, organizations, and sustainability. Dominant focuses were found on technological enablers, business model innovation and customer experience transformations. While technical aspects are well-documented, strategic technology integrations and organizational change management require greater emphasis.Research limitations/implicationsFocus restricted to academic articles published in management journals risks missing relevant papers published in other fields. Screening process involved some subjectivity. Lacks geographic analysis of research contexts. The rapidly evolving nature of technology domain risks findings’ generalizability.Practical implicationsKey enablers and success factors that we identified may support managerial decision making when it comes to IoT adoption.Social implicationsWe discuss advancing IoT innovation through ethics and sustainability lenses and these may help ensure responsible adoption.Originality/valueThis analysis weaves together the extant literature and offers an evidence-based research agenda for management scholars by chronicling the state, evolution, influential factors, and future opportunities within IoT literature. It highlights major thematic shifts and priority gaps to address.