IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/tefoso/v187y2023ics0040162522006679.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

How digitalization supports a sustainable business model: A literature review

Author

Listed:
  • Broccardo, Laura
  • Zicari, Adrián
  • Jabeen, Fauzia
  • Bhatti, Zeeshan A.

Abstract

New digital technologies are becoming widespread and have radically redefined business processes and practices. Simultaneously, numerous companies are implementing sustainable business models (SBMs), expecting to integrate sustainability considerations and increase competitive advantage. These two megatrends—digitalization and sustainability—are radically changing firms. However, the relationship between digitalization and the implementation of SBMs is yet to be investigated in detail. This is a key issue, as digital tools could assist companies in transforming their current business models toward sustainability. Through a literature review, we explore the link between digitalization and SBMs, illustrating the main potential impacts of digitalization for each block of SBM and propose a list of the potential benefits that digitalized SBMs can bring. We identify these potential benefits and elaborate on them considering their economic, social, and environmental impacts. Moreover, our study identifies a potential virtuous circle generated by digitalization, while highlighting the necessary alignment of digital tools and key business factors to attain economic, social, and environmental value.

Suggested Citation

  • Broccardo, Laura & Zicari, Adrián & Jabeen, Fauzia & Bhatti, Zeeshan A., 2023. "How digitalization supports a sustainable business model: A literature review," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:187:y:2023:i:c:s0040162522006679
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2022.122146
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040162522006679
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.122146?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David J. Teece & Greg Linden, 2017. "Business models, value capture, and the digital enterprise," Journal of Organization Design, Springer;Organizational Design Community, vol. 6(1), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Sara Saberi & Mahtab Kouhizadeh & Joseph Sarkis & Lejia Shen, 2019. "Blockchain technology and its relationships to sustainable supply chain management," International Journal of Production Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 57(7), pages 2117-2135, April.
    3. Di Vaio, Assunta & Palladino, Rosa & Hassan, Rohail & Escobar, Octavio, 2020. "Artificial intelligence and business models in the sustainable development goals perspective: A systematic literature review," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 283-314.
    4. Steve Evans & Doroteya Vladimirova & Maria Holgado & Kirsten Van Fossen & Miying Yang & Elisabete A. Silva & Claire Y. Barlow, 2017. "Business Model Innovation for Sustainability: Towards a Unified Perspective for Creation of Sustainable Business Models," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(5), pages 597-608, July.
    5. Bohnsack, René & Pinkse, Jonatan & Kolk, Ans, 2014. "Business models for sustainable technologies: Exploring business model evolution in the case of electric vehicles," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 284-300.
    6. De Giovanni, Pietro, 2021. "Smart Supply Chains with vendor managed inventory, coordination, and environmental performance," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 292(2), pages 515-531.
    7. Paul, Tripti & Mondal, Sandeep & Islam, Nazrul & Rakshit, Sandip, 2021. "The impact of blockchain technology on the tea supply chain and its sustainable performance," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    8. Hiteva, Ralitsa & Foxon, Timothy J., 2021. "Beware the value gap: Creating value for users and for the system through innovation in digital energy services business models," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    9. Kshetri, Nir, 2021. "Blockchain and sustainable supply chain management in developing countries," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    10. Sara Giovanna Mauro & Lino Cinquini & Giuseppe Grossi, 2017. "Insights into performance-based budgeting in the public sector: a literature review and a research agenda," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(7), pages 911-931, August.
    11. Jabbour, Charbel Jose Chiappetta & Jabbour, Ana Beatriz Lopes de Sousa & Sarkis, Joseph & Filho, Moacir Godinho, 2019. "Unlocking the circular economy through new business models based on large-scale data: An integrative framework and research agenda," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 546-552.
    12. Biswas, Debajyoti & Jalali, Hamed & Ansaripoor, Amir H. & De Giovanni, Pietro, 2023. "Traceability vs. sustainability in supply chains: The implications of blockchain," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 305(1), pages 128-147.
    13. Pier Giacomo Cardinali & Pietro De Giovanni, 2022. "Responsible digitalization through digital technologies and green practices," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(4), pages 984-995, July.
    14. Friedman, Nicola & Ormiston, Jarrod, 2022. "Blockchain as a sustainability-oriented innovation?: Opportunities for and resistance to Blockchain technology as a driver of sustainability in global food supply chains," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    15. Gustavo Cattelan Nobre & Elaine Tavares, 2017. "Scientific literature analysis on big data and internet of things applications on circular economy: a bibliometric study," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 111(1), pages 463-492, April.
    16. Schiavone, Francesco & Leone, Daniele & Caporuscio, Andrea & Lan, Sai, 2022. "Digital servitization and new sustainable configurations of manufacturing systems," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    17. Florence Cavélius & Christoph Endenich & Adrian Zicari, 2020. "Back to basics or ready for take-off? The tensions on the role of management controllers in the digital age," ACCRA, Association francophone de comptabilité, vol. 26(2), pages 89-123.
    18. Peter M. Bican & Alexander Brem, 2020. "Digital Business Model, Digital Transformation, Digital Entrepreneurship: Is There A Sustainable “Digital”?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(13), pages 1-15, June.
    19. Dubey, Rameshwar & Gunasekaran, Angappa & Childe, Stephen J. & Papadopoulos, Thanos & Luo, Zongwei & Wamba, Samuel Fosso & Roubaud, David, 2019. "Can big data and predictive analytics improve social and environmental sustainability?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 534-545.
    20. Boons, Frank & Bocken, Nancy, 2018. "Towards a sharing economy – Innovating ecologies of business models," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 40-52.
    21. Di Vaio, Assunta & Varriale, Luisa, 2020. "Blockchain technology in supply chain management for sustainable performance: Evidence from the airport industry," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    22. Barbara Brenner, 2018. "Transformative Sustainable Business Models in the Light of the Digital Imperative—A Global Business Economics Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-25, November.
    23. Nelson, Richard R. & Nelson, Katherine, 2002. "Technology, institutions, and innovation systems," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 265-272, February.
    24. Kaur, Puneet & Dhir, Amandeep & Tandon, Anushree & Alzeiby, Ebtesam A. & Abohassan, Abeer Ahmed, 2021. "A systematic literature review on cyberstalking. An analysis of past achievements and future promises," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    25. Drago? Tohãnean, , and & Alexandru Ilie Buzatu & Cristina-Andrada Baba & Bogdan Georgescu, 2020. "Business Model Innovation Through the Use of Digital Technologies: Managing Risks and Creating Sustainability," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 22(55), pages 758-758, August.
    26. Gianmarco Bressanelli & Federico Adrodegari & Marco Perona & Nicola Saccani, 2018. "Exploring How Usage-Focused Business Models Enable Circular Economy through Digital Technologies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-21, February.
    27. Khan, Anupriya & Krishnan, Satish & Dhir, Amandeep, 2021. "Electronic government and corruption: Systematic literature review, framework, and agenda for future research," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    28. Raphael Amit & Christoph Zott, 2001. "Value creation in E‐business," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(6‐7), pages 493-520, June.
    29. Alexandro Kleine & Michael Hauff, 2009. "Sustainability-Driven Implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility: Application of the Integrative Sustainability Triangle," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 85(3), pages 517-533, April.
    30. Vinit Parida & David Sjödin & Wiebke Reim, 2019. "Reviewing Literature on Digitalization, Business Model Innovation, and Sustainable Industry: Past Achievements and Future Promises," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-18, January.
    31. Chauhan, Chetna & Parida, Vinit & Dhir, Amandeep, 2022. "Linking circular economy and digitalisation technologies: A systematic literature review of past achievements and future promises," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    32. Florence Cavélius & Christoph Endenich & Adrian Zicari, 2020. "Back to basics or ready for take-off? The tensions on the role of management controllers in the digital age," Comptabilité - Contrôle - Audit, Association francophone de comptabilité, vol. 26(2), pages 89-123.
    33. Sultan Çetin & Catherine De Wolf & Nancy Bocken, 2021. "Circular Digital Built Environment: An Emerging Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-34, June.
    34. Xiao Li & Jiarou Cao & Zhenggang Liu & Xinggang Luo, 2020. "Sustainable Business Model Based on Digital Twin Platform Network: The Inspiration from Haier’s Case Study in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-26, January.
    35. Watanabe, Chihiro & Naveed, Nasir & Neittaanmäki, Pekka, 2018. "Digital solutions transform the forest-based bioeconomy into a digital platform industry - A suggestion for a disruptive business model in the digital economy," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 168-188.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Elena Hlaciuc, 2023. "The Accounting Professional'S Perception Of Their Role In Collecting And Communicating Accounting Information In Designing The Sustainable Business Model," European Journal of Accounting, Finance & Business, "Stefan cel Mare" University of Suceava, Romania - Faculty of Economics and Public Administration, West University of Timisoara, Romania - Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 11(2), pages 166-175, June.
    2. Lihua Chen & Yilang Chen, 2023. "A Metaorganizations Perspective on Digital Innovation and Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-19, July.
    3. Thomas J. Lampoltshammer & Stefanie Wallinger & Johannes Scholz, 2023. "Bridging Disciplinary Divides through Computational Social Sciences and Transdisciplinarity in Tourism Education in Higher Educational Institutions: An Austrian Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-16, May.
    4. Broccardo, Laura & Truant, Elisa & Dana, Léo-Paul, 2023. "The interlink between digitalization, sustainability, and performance: An Italian context," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    5. Su, Chi Wei & Yue, Peiwen & Hou, Xinmeng & Dördüncü, Hazar, 2023. "Sustainable development through digital innovation: A new era for natural resource extraction and trade," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PB).
    6. Chiara Colombi & Erminia D’Itria, 2023. "Fashion Digital Transformation: Innovating Business Models toward Circular Economy and Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-24, March.
    7. Chen, Yu & Wang, Yuandi & Zhao, Changyi, 2024. "From riches to digitalization: The role of AMC in overcoming challenges of digital transformation in resource-rich regions," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    8. Rizzati, Massimiliano & Landoni, Matteo, 2024. "A systematic review of agent-based modelling in the circular economy: Insights towards a general model," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 617-631.
    9. Liu, Siqin & Cai, Hanquan & Cai, Xiaotong, 2023. "The paradox of digitalization, competitiveness, and sustainability: A firm-level study of natural resources exploitation in post Covid-19 for China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PA).
    10. Aurel, Donna, 2023. "Sustainable Business Model: Digitalisasi, Kolaborasi & Investasi," OSF Preprints jwvrp, Center for Open Science.
    11. Zaheer Abbas & Seunghwan Myeong, 2024. "A Comprehensive Study of Blockchain Technology and Its Role in Promoting Sustainability and Circularity across Large-Scale Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(10), pages 1-33, May.
    12. Jifei Xie & Lulu Ma & Jiamin Li, 2023. "Servitization, Digitalization or Hand in Hand: A Study on the Sustainable Development Path of Manufacturing Enterprises," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-17, July.
    13. Grosu, Veronica & Cosmulese, Cristina Gabriela & Socoliuc, Marian & Ciubotariu, Marius-Sorin & Mihaila, Svetlana, 2023. "Testing accountants' perceptions of the digitization of the profession and profiling the future professional," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    14. Zhujun Wang & Xuyuan Tao & Xianyi Zeng & Yingmei Xing & Zhenzhen Xu & Pascal Bruniaux, 2023. "A Machine Learning-Enhanced 3D Reverse Design Approach to Personalized Garments in Pursuit of Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-21, April.
    15. Senna, Pedro P. & Bonnin Roca, Jaime & Barros, Ana C., 2023. "Overcoming barriers to manufacturing digitalization: Policies across EU countries," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    16. Zhang, Ziqi & Su, Zhi & Tong, Fang, 2023. "Does digital transformation restrain corporate financialization? Evidence from China," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gianmarco Bressanelli & Federico Adrodegari & Daniela C. A. Pigosso & Vinit Parida, 2022. "Towards the Smart Circular Economy Paradigm: A Definition, Conceptualization, and Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-20, April.
    2. Doroteja Vidmar & Marjeta Marolt & Andreja Pucihar, 2021. "Information Technology for Business Sustainability: A Literature Review with Automated Content Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-24, January.
    3. Su, Chi Wei & Yue, Peiwen & Hou, Xinmeng & Dördüncü, Hazar, 2023. "Sustainable development through digital innovation: A new era for natural resource extraction and trade," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 85(PB).
    4. Bencsik, Barbara & Palmié, Maximilian & Parida, Vinit & Wincent, Joakim & Gassmann, Oliver, 2023. "Business models for digital sustainability: Framework, microfoundations of value capture, and empirical evidence from 130 smart city services," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    5. Guandalini, Ilaria, 2022. "Sustainability through digital transformation: A systematic literature review for research guidance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 456-471.
    6. Chauhan, Chetna & Parida, Vinit & Dhir, Amandeep, 2022. "Linking circular economy and digitalisation technologies: A systematic literature review of past achievements and future promises," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    7. Rosangela de Fátima Pereira Marquesone & Tereza Cristina Melo de Brito Carvalho, 2022. "Examining the Nexus between the Vs of Big Data and the Sustainable Challenges in the Textile Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-17, April.
    8. Tim Gruchmann & Nadine Pratt & Jan Eiten & Ani Melkonyan, 2020. "4PL Digital Business Models in Sea Freight Logistics: The Case of FreightHub," Logistics, MDPI, vol. 4(2), pages 1-14, May.
    9. Broccardo, Laura & Vola, Paola & Zicari, Adrian & Alshibani, Safiya Mukhtar, 2023. "Contingency-based analysis of the drivers and obstacles to a successful sustainable business model: Seeking the uncaptured value," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    10. Coskun-Setirek, Abide & Tanrikulu, Zuhal, 2021. "Digital innovations-driven business model regeneration: A process model," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    11. Maria Rosa De Giacomo & Raimund Bleischwitz, 2020. "Business models for environmental sustainability: Contemporary shortcomings and some perspectives," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(8), pages 3352-3369, December.
    12. Ciampi, Francesco & Faraoni, Monica & Ballerini, Jacopo & Meli, Francesco, 2022. "The co-evolutionary relationship between digitalization and organizational agility: Ongoing debates, theoretical developments and future research perspectives," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    13. Anna Adamik & Michał Nowicki & Andrius Puksas, 2022. "Energy Oriented Concepts and Other SMART WORLD Trends as Game Changers of Co-Production—Reality or Future?," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-38, June.
    14. Dehkordi, Rashid & Ahokangas, Petri & Evers, Natasha & Sorvisto, Mika, 2024. "Business model design for Electric Commercial Vehicles (ECVs): An ecosystemic perspective," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    15. Biman Darshana Hettiarachchi & Stefan Seuring & Marcus Brandenburg, 2022. "Industry 4.0-driven operations and supply chains for the circular economy: a bibliometric analysis," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 858-878, December.
    16. Deon Montasser & Ruslan Prijadi & Tengku Ezni Balqiah, 2023. "The Mediating Effect of IT-Enabled Dynamic Capabilities and Organizational Readiness on the Relationship Between Transformational Leadership and Digital Business Model Innovation: Evidence From Indone," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(2), pages 21582440231, June.
    17. Sehrish Atif & Shehzad Ahmed & Muhammad Wasim & Bassam Zeb & Zeeshan Pervez & Lorraine Quinn, 2021. "Towards a Conceptual Development of Industry 4.0, Servitisation, and Circular Economy: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-27, June.
    18. Yan Chen & Zijin Wang & Jaime Ortiz, 2023. "A Sustainable Digital Ecosystem: Digital Servitization Transformation and Digital Infrastructure Support," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-16, January.
    19. Lena Ries & Markus Beckmann & Peter Wehnert, 2023. "Sustainable smart product-service systems: a causal logic framework for impact design," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 93(4), pages 667-706, May.
    20. Modgil, Sachin & Gupta, Shivam & Sivarajah, Uthayasankar & Bhushan, Bharat, 2021. "Big data-enabled large-scale group decision making for circular economy: An emerging market context," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:187:y:2023:i:c:s0040162522006679. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00401625 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.