Business Continuity in Network Organizations - A Literature Review

In today’s globalized markets, organizations have to work together in IT based inter-organizational networks embedded in business ecosystems. As every member relies on the ecosystem, the network and on other network members, the likelihood of disruptions and business discontinuity rises. Therefore, new methods and concepts of business continuity in network organizations have to be found. This paper addresses the research gap between network organizations and business continuity by integrating these two research streams. Based on a systematic literature review of 23 papers from journals and conferences, 30 challenges of network organizations are linked to business continuity concepts, if available. A business continuity coordinator as a new role in the network is introduced. Future research topics are highlighted.