The goal of this paper is to advance the understanding of emerging developments in business model design within the field of entrepreneurship. It is widely known that during the start-up process, entrepreneurs need to set up the boundaries of the business and define the product/service to offer. This is a very complex task, especially for new technology-based companies which usually require large investments and have a limited time span (avoiding product obsolescence) to turn the idea into a full-time venture. Although business model design within the entrepreneurship field is a recent topic, it is gaining a growing attention in the literature. The usefulness and predictable power of business models are expected to help entrepreneurs make more informed decisions, thus increasing the chances of success. This article first tackles the specific problems faced by new technology-based firms, linking their needs with the advantages of having a flexible and well-designed business model. Second, different innovative practices aimed at improving business model design are discussed. The paper ends with some recommendations, stressing the need for future empirical work.

A mission statement is a widely used strategic tool that emphasises an organisation’s uniqueness and identity. It was in the early 1980s that academics, managers, and consultants recognised the need for explicitly formulating a mission statement in organisations. Since then, mission statements have remained as a popular strategic tool in organisations. This article conducts a systematic literature review to synthesise research on mission statements. The analysis of the 53 articles selected includes a bibliometric and content analysis. According to their perspective, the works selected were grouped into four thematic areas: (1) mission statement development, (2) mission statement components, (3) mission impact on employees, and (4) mission impact on performance. The overreaching conclusion is that mission statements are widely used in practice but poorly researched in theory. Most articles adopt a managerial phenomenon-based strand, lacking a deep theoretical foundation. The article ends with suggestions for further research in terms of theory, practice, and methodology.