5G is not just Another G: A Review of the Managerial Literature

Due to the higher range of markets and applications opportunities it brings, the fifth generation of mobile communications (5G) cannot be considered just a technological transition, as it was for earlier generations of cellular technology, rather it represents a revolutionary phenomenon which could deeply change the competitive landscape for wireless services. According to the literature, it is “one of the most complex technologies seen over the past decade both in terms of technical development and business implications”. However, on one hand, the 5G is a hotly discussed topic from a technical perspective, on the other the managerial literature appears ambiguous and fragmented in the way it is presented. Such absence recalls for a paper whose purpose is to position the 5G search thread also in the managerial literature. For this reason, the work aims to systematize previous knowledge and identify potential research directions related to the strategic adoption of 5G technology. To answer the underlying research question regarding the state of the art of the 5G in the strategy domain, a systematic search has been done, then, on the selected papers, a conceptual review has been carried out to identify (i) the “business reconfigurations” of 5G technology, (ii) the boundary conditions, intended as the conditions of existence of a 5G business case, (iii) the barriers, which instead hinder the development of cases. The research provides useful implications to both the theory and practice: from a theoretical perspective, it represents one of the first studies concerning 5G which is not strictly related to a specific industry or scenario. Secondly, the challenges and gaps identified generate research questions which can be traceable also to a general and more theoretical context, such as the business model innovation literature, where the strategic adoption of new technological paradigms entails further investigations. From a practitioner’s perspective, it provides useful insights regarding 5G adoption for increasing actors’ awareness of such technological innovation, especially concerning their attitude change which is needed to seize the business opportunities it embraces.