Beyond the Hype: A Bibliometric Analysis Deconstructing Research on Digitalization

Abstract

The accelerating emergent field of research addressing digitalization and related topics is complex, unstructured and hyped. Consequently, both research and practice lack a rigorous foundation of prior published research to underpin and direct future exploration into the opportunities and challenges provided by these exciting new digital technologies. This study employed a bibliometric analysis to explore extant published research within the digitalization field. We identified key articles that have enabled us to distinguish between interrelated digitalization concepts. Subsequently, we propose a taxonomy with characteristics for different levels of digitalization. The taxonomy contributes dimensions that create different commercial and organizational opportunities and challenges at various levels. The taxonomy offers a vantage point for subsequent empirical and conceptual research to extend insights on related digitalization themes, and especially those related to innovation and strategy decisions on scalability, automation, channel selection and connectivity.