Rising Like a Phoenix: A Bibliometric and Content Analysis of the Regeneration Concept in Business Studies

In recent years, a significant shift has occurred regarding the role of businesses in achieving sustainable development. This evolving perspective emphasizes a systems thinking approach to business operations, advocating for the transformation of business models to support the restoration and regeneration of natural resources and social systems. This study aims to explore and analyze the scholarly contributions that investigate the role of businesses as an agent of positive impact and growth. Adopting bibliometric systematic literature review (B-SLR) protocols and tools, a solid theoretical framework for regenerative business models (RBMs) is established, contributing to the ongoing discourse on the definition and operationalization of regeneration in business contexts. Using specific inclusion and exclusion criteria in PRISMA flow diagram for SLR, 151 research articles from the Scopus database were deemed eligible for analysis. Co-occurrence analysis with VOSviewer 1.6.8 identified only 10 scholarly papers with conceptual linkages and thematic convergence related to RBMs, providing insights in the field and offering a strong exploratory tool for visualizing and examining the intellectual structure of this scientific area. Subsequently, a content analysis was conducted, to reveal thematic patterns and research trends within the identified clusters. The findings provide valuable insights for both practitioners—by informing strategic decision-making—and academics—by highlighting research progress and outlining future avenues for inquiry to address existing gaps in the literature.