Contingency-based analysis of the drivers and obstacles to a successful sustainable business model: Seeking the uncaptured value

Extensive social interest in sustainability has motivated companies to revise their business models, thus considering their evolution towards a sustainable business model (SBM). However, implementation of these SBMs remains challenging. Despite interest in sustainability, the picture of the drivers and obstacles for achieving successful SBM implementation remains fragmented and unsystematised. Consequently, we aimed to provide a Structured Literature Review (SLR) of the drivers and obstacles for the implementation of SBMs, and their role in that implementation. Adopting the contingency theory-based framework, we scrutinised studies published in journals from 2010 to 2020 to identify the main internal and external drivers and obstacles, including their role towards SBM implementation. Moreover, our findings highlight how these drivers and obstacles can be leveraged to gain a sustainable value that is now uncaptured. Capturing the lost value for the benefit of the company and its stakeholders would be a necessary step in achieving stable sustainability. Finally, our study provides a detailed assessment of the existing literature on the issue, and provides a framework for drivers and obstacles for SBM implementation, their role in that process, and a future research agenda and managerial takeaways.