Scrutinizing Business Development Research: Dynamic Retrospective Analysis and Conceptual Evolution

Abstract

While prevalent in enterprise practice, business development (BD) activities have garnered limited attention within academic circles, leading to a noticeable dearth of discussions regarding their comprehensive understanding and the contemporary research landscape. Previous research has underscored the pivotal role and importance of business development activities in generating new growth opportunities and enhancing dynamic capabilities for enterprises. This article seeks to bridge this academic gap by synthesizing six decades of research literature on enterprise business development activities and tracing the progression of its research trajectory to uncover its complete narrative. Its contributions are manifold: firstly, we intensified the foundational elements of business development research by conducting a meticulous examination of various perspectives and providing insights into former ambiguities surrounding crucial aspects; secondly, it elucidates how contextual factors influence the emergence and evolution of enterprises’ business development activities, highlighting its research significance across different eras; thirdly, it conducts a comprehensive exploration of various research streams within business development and their nuanced interactions across key dimensions. Through these endeavors, this study aims to enrich academic discourse in the domain of business development, establishing a robust academic foundation for subsequent research.

Keywords

• business development (BD)
• business environment
• corporate entrepreneurship
• social network
• absorptive capacity (ACAP)