Institutional Specifics of Business Structures Compared to Enterprises: Issues and Approaches to Delineation

Abstract

This article examines the institutional distinctions between business structures and traditional enterprises, aiming to enhance the categorical apparatus of economic science and management. The purpose of the study is to develop theoretical and methodological principles for differentiating "enterprise" and "business structure" through institutional, functional, and organizational lenses. The urgency of this topic is driven by the absence of a unified interpretation of business structures’ status in the evolving economy, characterized by digital platforms, networks, and hybrid models beyond classical entrepreneurial formats. The methods applied include systems analysis, comparative and structural-functional approaches, the method of analogies, and classification techniques. The results reveal essential distinctions between enterprises and business structures based on legal form, purpose, integration level, management organization, and institutional affiliation. Business structures are found to be more adaptive and multifunctional, often integrating economic, technological, informational, and social functions. The study highlights the importance of the institutional approach by analyzing coordination mechanisms, contract types, and the role of informal institutions. A comprehensive typology is proposed based on sectoral focus, autonomy level, organizational-legal form, and institutional complexity. The conclusions emphasize the practical value of the findings for improving classification systems in public administration, corporate governance, statistical accounting, and education. The developed framework offers tools for identifying new forms of business organization within a consistent conceptual paradigm. Future research is recommended to incorporate resilience, digitalization, and transnationality as classification dimensions.