Agentic Commerce and SME Competitiveness: An Integrative Review and Theory-Informed Research Framework
Volume 4, Issue 2
Authors
Sarkawt Ali Ahmed Al-Dawoodii • Veronika Večeřová • • •
Keywords
agentic commerce, artificial intelligence, SMEs, dynamic capabilities, resource dependence, integrative review
Citation in APA style
Al-Dawoodii, S. A. A. & Večeřová, V. (2026). Agentic Commerce and SME Competitiveness: An Integrative Review and Theory-Informed Research Framework. Journal of Business Sectors, 4(2), 52–70. https://doi.org/10.62222/KRVA3141
DOI
Abstract
Research background:
Artificial intelligence is shifting online shopping from recommendation-based assistance towards delegated search, comparison, configuration, and, in emerging cases, transaction execution. For SMEs, this transition may expand market access while simultaneously creating new forms of algorithmic gatekeeping and platform dependence.
Purpose of the article:
This integrative review develops a theory-informed explanation of how agentic commerce may affect SME competitiveness. Competitiveness is conceptualised as the joint ability to capture agent-mediated demand while preserving strategic option value, customer access, and bargaining autonomy over time.
Methods:
Seventeen documented OpenAlex title-and-abstract queries were used to identify English-language journal articles published between 2015 and July 2026. Following deduplication and eligibility screening, 117 Scopus- and/or Web of Science-indexed articles were reviewed in full, comprising 82 consumer-agent studies and 35 SME-platform studies. A concept-centric synthesis was conducted using dynamic capabilities and resource dependence as the principal theoretical lenses. The review does not claim exhaustive coverage or pooled causal effects, as the discovery process relied on a single source and only one record was identified through direct merchant-bridge queries. Claims were therefore calibrated according to evidential directness, convergence across research designs, and proximity to the outcome of interest.
Findings & Value added:
The synthesis identifies five core themes: assistance-to-delegation, machine legibility, trust transfer, empowerment–dependence, and offering/governance contingency. The proposed framework distinguishes foundational capabilities—product-data legibility, interface and transaction readiness, and verifiable trust evidence—from higher-order sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring capabilities. These mechanisms operate through eligibility and visibility, trust transfer, delegation depth, and dependency exposure. The evidence is moderate for consumer trust mechanisms and established forms of platform dependence, but remains limited for execution-capable agents, direct SME outcomes, and comparative boundary effects. Six propositions are developed to provide a testable rather than validated causal framework. The findings are relevant to SME managers, platform and AI-agent designers, policymakers, and researchers seeking to understand how firms can capture agent-mediated demand without surrendering strategic option value.