Sustainable Business Models Innovation and Design Thinking: A Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Review of Literature

Juliana Kurek (), Luciana Londero Brandli, Marcos Antonio Leite Frandoloso, Amanda Lange Salvia and Janaina Mazutti
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Juliana Kurek: Graduate Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Passo Fundo, Campus I—BR 285, Passo Fundo 99052-900, RS, Brazil
Luciana Londero Brandli: Graduate Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Passo Fundo, Campus I—BR 285, Passo Fundo 99052-900, RS, Brazil
Marcos Antonio Leite Frandoloso: Graduate Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Passo Fundo, Campus I—BR 285, Passo Fundo 99052-900, RS, Brazil
Amanda Lange Salvia: Graduate Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Passo Fundo, Campus I—BR 285, Passo Fundo 99052-900, RS, Brazil
Janaina Mazutti: Graduate Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Passo Fundo, Campus I—BR 285, Passo Fundo 99052-900, RS, Brazil

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 2, 1-22

Abstract: The process of integrating sustainability into businesses and processes is still recent, both in startups, small and medium-sized companies and even multinationals. Sustainable business models became a phenomenon of global interest and Design Thinking has been increasingly used as a strategy to support this process. In this context, the aim of this article is to improve the understanding of how Design Thinking (DT) and its set of tools and methods contribute to the creation and innovation of sustainable business models (SBM). The analysis of frameworks indicates that the main methodologies linking Design Thinking and Sustainable Business Models are Workshops, Brainstorming, Co-creation and Prototyping. Also, approaches such as Circular Economy, Business Models and Product-Service System models are emerging as a means of enabling the collaborative consumption of products and services and with positive results for sustainable business. The analysis of the articles reveals that user-oriented innovation and analysis of stakeholder needs is present in practically all evaluated frames, but prototyping and experimentation represent a gap that should be better explored in the frameworks.

Keywords: sustainability; innovation; innovative sustainable business models; design thinking; framework (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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