Typology of business network models: a proposal based on a systematic literature review

Purpose: to develop a proprietary typology of a business network based on a systematic literature review. Design/methodology/approach: the typology method facilitates the analysis and understanding of the essence of business networks by identifying and characterizing their different types. The systematic literature review (SLR) methodology was used to develop the typology, enriched with the snowball method. Findings: analysis of the content of publications selected during the SLR procedure made it possible to indicate various criteria for the division and types of business networks from widely quoted literature. On this basis, a typology of business networks was proposed, divided into four main types: networks originating from industrial districts, strategic networks, cooperation networks, and global business networks. Practical implications: the possibility of using the proposed concept in assessing various business network models will enable the formulation of diagnostic findings and comparative and dynamic research. Originality/value: at the current stage of scientific reflection, the developed typology enriches the theory of organizational networks by systematizing and comprehensively addressing business network models, which may lead to identifying trends in their development. It is addressed to both researchers dealing with network issues and practitioners. Keywords: business networks, typology, systematic literature review (SRL), typology method. Category of the paper: literature review, viewpoint.