Sustainable business models and organizational boundaries—A literature review

Abstract

Social and environmental challenges are forcing organizations to develop sustainable business models (SBMs). Literature on SBMs has identified the importance of stakeholders and collaboration. Collaboration and positions of stakeholders within the value-chain opens the discussion about organizational boundaries and their role in enhancing or hindering sustainable business model innovation. Through a literature review, this study analyzes 53 papers at the intersection of SBMs and boundaries to clarify how SBMs change organizational boundaries, and how these boundaries affect the sustainability values of organizations. We aim to identify key stakeholders, who hold negotiation power at organizational boundaries. The paper identifies important managerial questions that may assist organizations in the process of unpacking sustainable value and broaden their scope of key stakeholders. Finally, we formulate future research areas to advance research at the intersection of SBMs and organizational boundaries.