This study suggests that the most recent developments in the content, forms and targets of benchmarking represent a challenge to revise its concept and classification for both theoretical and practical purposes. This problem is approached through the interpretative, heuristic‐descriptive...

This study participates in the debate on advancing theoretical developments in the field of benchmarking processes. It suggests that approaching benchmarking as a research method helps to explicate the basis of benchmarking processes and at the same time offers tools for scientific research in...

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to participate in the current debate on developing the theoretical basis for the concept and process of benchmarking. The paper aims to explore the prospects for a new form of benchmarking – networking benchmarking – and adopts, as the scientific...