Coopetition and international entrepreneurship: the influence of a competitor orientation

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
James M. Crick ◽  
Dave Crick

PurposeGuided by a relational, stakeholder perspective of resource-based theory, the purpose of the current investigation is to help unpack the complexity of the performance-enhancing nature of coopetition for international entrepreneurs, namely the interplay between collaboration and competition. The context features under-resourced wine producers owned and managed by entrepreneurs that have implemented an internationalised business model. The focus of the study involves the influence of a “competitor orientation”, namely when decision-makers understand the short-term strengths, weaknesses, long-term capabilities and strategies of key current and potential rivals.Design/methodology/approachData collection primarily featured semi-structured interviews with owner-managers of wine-producing firms in New Zealand that reflected heterogeneity amongst international entrepreneurs' strategies targeting different product markets within their respective business models. Secondary data were also collected where possible. Specifically, interviewees' firms exhibited different portfolios involving wine sales (with varying export intensities) together with augmented sales of tourism-related products/services focussed on the domestic market.FindingsCoopetition activities amongst international entrepreneurs varied; i.e. influenced by respective owner-managers' competitor orientations. Illustrations of different decision-makers' business models within a 2 × 2 matrix feature those with a low- or high-export intensity, together with a narrow or augmented product portfolio. Internationalising entrepreneurs' perceptions varied regarding the extent to which their respective business model was oriented towards local cluster-based domestic tourism with limited export sales, as opposed to those with national and more importantly international wine sales. Possessing and acting upon relevant knowledge manifested in which competitors international entrepreneurs collaborated with and the extent to which this took place across product-market strategies. In turn, this enabled particular decision-makers to exhibit flexibility; hence, entrepreneurs enter and exit certain markets together with changing export intensities, as varying opportunities were identified and exploited.Originality/valueAlthough the performance-enhancing nature of coopetition is largely established in prior literature, the complexity of that relationship remains relatively under-researched, not least, amongst international entrepreneurs. More specifically, the extent to which decision-makers that are engaged in coopetition exhibit a competitor orientation remains under-researched. Unique insights feature a 2 × 2 matrix in order to provide originality regarding international entrepreneurs' respective product-market strategies within their business models that are underpinned by varying coopetition relationships and competitor orientations.

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Ricardo Costa Climent ◽  
Gültekin Cakir

We focus on the analysis of current research in Business Models in the context of e-business, resulting in relevant research gaps and a set of propositions. A bibliographic review has been conducted from which a theoretical framework has been developed. Once the gaps in the literature have been pointed out, a series of research proposals are presented. These should be tested based on data collected from real cases through analysis and interpretation. The applied lens of the theory is Amit and Zotts Business Model framework (2001) and Business Model Themes (BMT) “NICE” (novelty, lock-in, complementarity and efficiency) (2001). Analysis evolves around the explanation and feasibility of Business Model Themes for value creation and value capture in digital business models (current general research gap in the e-business domain). The results show that future directions should investigate different combinations of BMTs which represent research gaps (propositions 1 to 3). Other contexts which were not considered so far in this regard (non-digital business), also represent a research gap (proposition 4). Moreover, further synthesis of the literature resulted in a potential consideration of “product market strategies” (Amit and Zott, 2008) as a new theory to apply and test value creation and capturing in digital business (proposition 5 and 6), also from an evolutionary perspective. We ask how this combination affects the performance of firms who want to move on digital transformation with an omnichannel environment. It is essential in this study how these firms can create new value and how they can keep it. We try to explain how these value drivers could be work across time, even under varying environmental regimes. It would mean an advance in the existing academic framework around the reference literature on the business model. To be able to determine which combinations of BMT and Product Market Strategy (PMS) have not yet been tested would be advantageous for the firms. It could offer the appropriate information to the retail company with traditional BM towards digital BM. Moreover, it will be able to work successfully and to maintain constant along the time.


2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (5) ◽  
pp. 927-947 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morten Rask ◽  
Franziska Günzel-Jensen

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the nascent market settings from a business model innovation perspective with the research questions: How do incumbents and start-ups make sense of an emerging technology through business model design in a nascent market setting, and how does business model choice influence firm performance? Design/methodology/approach The authors have tracked the development of four case companies in the nascent electric vehicle market from 2009 to 2018 and have conducted interviews and analyzed the archival data. Findings The authors propose a typology of business model choices and performance where the four types of business models distinguish themselves by how the companies innovate or imitate the value proposition of the current industry as well as how they innovate or imitate the business model archetype. In accordance with these different business model choices, the actors express different logics behind their new to the product market space business model choice. These logics represent different understandings of technology potential, customer needs as well as potential for value capture and contribute to and limit the translation of emerging technologies into dominant designs in diverse ways. Originality/value The business model is conceived as a focusing device that can be used to identify market applications for emerging technologies. As new disruptive technologies often require a new to the product market space business model, literature has in recent years put a premium on business model innovation. However, the linkages between emergent technologies and the choice of a novel business model are under investigated especially in relation to how business model choice affects business performance in nascent market settings. This paper aims at filling this gap.


2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Selberherr

Purpose – Sustainable buildings bear enormous potential benefits for clients, service providers, and our society. To release this potential a change in business models is required. The purpose of this paper is to develop a new business model with the objective of proactively contributing to sustainable development on the societal level and thereby improving the economic position of the service providers in the construction sector. Design/methodology/approach – The modeling process comprises two steps, the formal structuring and the contextual configuration. In the formal structuring systems theory is used and two levels are analytically separated. The outside view concerns the business model’s interaction with the environment and its impact on sustainability. The inside view focusses on efficient value creation for securing sustainability. The logically deductively developed business model is subsequently theory-led substantiated with Giddens’ structuration theory. Findings – The relevant mechanisms for the development of a new service offer, which creates a perceivable surplus value to the client and contributes to sustainable development on the societal level, are identified. The requirements for an efficient value creation process with the objective of optimizing the service providers’ competitive position are outlined. Research limitations/implications – The model is developed logically deductively based on literature and embedded in a theoretical framework. It has not yet been empirically tested. Practical implications – Guidelines for the practical implementation of more sustainable business models for the provision of life cycle service offers are developed. Social implications – The construction industry’s impact requires it to contribute proactively to a more sustainable development of the society. Originality/value – This paper analyzes the role for the players in the construction sector in proactively contributing to sustainable development on the societal level. One feasible strategy is proposed with a new business model, which aims at cooperatively optimizing buildings and infrastructures and taking the responsibility for the operating phase via guarantees.


2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anton Joha ◽  
Marijn Janssen

Purpose – Shared services are often viewed as a single type of business model but in reality, shared services can be organized in different ways. The goal of this research is to understand the factors influencing the shaping of shared services business models. Design/methodology/approach – Inductive case oriented research is conducted by investigating three different types of shared services arrangements using Al-Debei and Avison's unified framework for business models. Findings – A total of 12 different factors were identified that influence the shape of shared services business models including the path dependency, legal/regulatory driver, customer orientation, target segment, strategic importance, ICT/business orientation, IT governance structure, change strategy, degree of outsourcing, integration potential, economic rationale and the business value. Research limitations/implications – The level of customization and standardization can influence the potential benefits that can be gained from bundling services and it is important to understand the factors that influence this dimension. Practical implications – The appropriate configuration of these factors can be helpful to design shared services arrangements with a balanced degree of standardization and customization. The choices regarding the configuration of these factors could result in a more or less effective functioning business model and could influence the governance processes and mechanisms that need to be put in place. Originality/value – There is no prior research that addresses the shared services business model from a holistic perspective and this research provides a first conceptual model for shared services business models.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Phuc Hong Huynh

PurposeDigital innovation and circular business model innovation are two critical enablers of a circular economy. A wide variety of digital technologies such as blockchain, 3D printing, cyber-physical systems, or big data also diverges the applications of digital technologies in circular business models. Given heterogeneous attributes of circular business models and digital technologies, the selections of digital technologies and circular business models might be highly distinctive within and between sectorial contexts. This paper examines digital circular business models in the context of the fashion industry and its multiple actors. This industry as the world’s second polluting industry requires an urgent circular economy (CE) transition with less resource consumption, lower waste emissions and a more stable economy.Design/methodology/approachAn inductive, exploratory multiple-case study method is employed to investigate the ten cases of different sized fashion companies (i.e. large, small medium-sized firm (SME) and startup firms). The comparison across cases is conducted to understand fashion firms' distinct behaviours in adopting various digital circular economy strategies.FindingsThe paper presents three archetypes of digital-based circular business models in the fashion industry: the blockchain-based supply chain model, the service-based model and the pull demand-driven model. Besides incremental innovations, the radical business model and digital innovations as presented in the pull demand-driven model may be crucial to the fashion circular economy transition. The pull demand–driven model may shift the economy from scales to scopes, change the whole process of how the fashion items are forecasted, produced, and used, and reform consumer behaviours. The paths of adopting digital fashion circular business models are also different among large, SMEs and startup fashion firms.Practical implicationsThe study provides business managers with empirical insights on how circular business models (CBMs) should be chosen according to intrinsic business capacities, technological competences and CE strategies. The emerging trends of new fashion markets (e.g. rental, subscription) and consumers' sustainable awareness should be not be neglected. Moreover, besides adopting recycling and reuse strategies, large fashion incumbents consider collaborating with other technology suppliers and startup companies to incubate more radical innovations.Social implicationsAppropriate policies and regulations should be enacted to enable the digital CE transition. Market patterns and consumer acceptances are considered highly challenging to these digital fashion models. A balanced policy on both the demand and supply sides are suggested. The one-side policy may fail CBMs that entail an upside-down collaboration of both producers and consumers. Moreover, it is perhaps time to rethink how to reduce unnecessary new demand rather than repeatedly producing and recycling.Originality/valueThe pace of CE research is lagging far behind the accelerating environmental contamination by the fashion industry. The study aims to narrow the gap between theory and practice to harmonise fashion firms' orchestration and accelerate the transition of the fashion industry towards the CE. This study examines diverse types of digital technologies in different circular business models in a homogeneous context of the fashion industry with heterogeneous firm types.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olu Oludele Akinloye Akinboade ◽  
Trevor Taft ◽  
Johann Friedrich Weber ◽  
Obareng Baldwin Manoko ◽  
Victor Sannyboy Molobi

Purpose This paper aims to understand social entrepreneurship (SE) business model design to create values whilst undertaking public service delivery within the complex environments of local governments in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach Face-to-face semi-structured interview was conducted with 15 purposively selected social entrepreneurs in Gauteng and Western Cape provinces. The interview guide consisted of main themes and follow-up questions. Themes included SEs’ general history, the social business model; challenges faced and how these were overcome; scaling and growth/survival strategies. These enabled the evaluation of SEs in terms of identifying key criteria of affordability, availability, awareness and acceptability, which SEs must achieve to operate successfully in low-income markets. Social enterprise owners/managers within the electricity distribution, water reticulation and waste management services sectors were surveyed. Findings Most respondents focus on building a network of trust with stakeholders, through communication mechanisms that emphasize high-frequency engagements. There is also a strong focus on design-thinking and customer-centric approaches that strengthen value creation. The value creation process used both product value and service value mechanisms and emphasized quality and excellence to provide stakeholder, as well as societal value, within their specific contexts. Practical implications This study builds upon other research that emphasizes SEs’ customer-centric approaches to strengthen value creation and on building a network of trust with multiple stakeholders. It contributes to emphasizing the business paradigm shift towards bringing social values to the business practice. Social implications Social good, but resource providers are demanding more concrete evidence to help them understand their impact (Struthers, 2013). This is because it is intrinsically difficult for many social organizations to document and communicate their impact in more than an anecdotal way. The research has contributed to the understanding of how SEs can provide evidence of value creation. Originality/value This study contributes to the understanding of how business models are designed to create value within the context of the overwhelming complexity of local government services in South Africa.


2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 749-767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seppo Leminen ◽  
Mervi Rajahonka ◽  
Mika Westerlund ◽  
Robert Wendelin

Purpose This study aims to understand their emergence and types of business models in the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems. Design/methodology/approach The paper builds upon a systematic literature review of IoT ecosystems and business models to construct a conceptual framework on IoT business models, and uses qualitative research methods to analyze seven industry cases. Findings The study identifies four types of IoT business models: value chain efficiency, industry collaboration, horizontal market and platform. Moreover, it discusses three evolutionary paths of new business model emergence: opening up the ecosystem for industry collaboration, replicating the solution in multiple services and return to closed ecosystem as technology matures. Research limitations/implications Identifying business models in rapidly evolving fields such as the IoT based on a small number of case studies may result in biased findings compared to large-scale surveys and globally distributed samples. However, it provides more thorough interpretations. Practical implications The study provides a framework for analyzing the types and emergence of IoT business models, and forwards the concept of “value design” as an ecosystem business model. Originality/value This paper identifies four archetypical IoT business models based on a novel framework that is independent of any specific industry, and argues that IoT business models follow an evolutionary path from closed to open, and reversely to closed ecosystems, and the value created in the networks of organizations and things will be shareable value rather than exchange value.


2006 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 34-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Pohle ◽  
Marc Chapman

PurposeTo ascertain whether the choices CEOs were making about particular types of innovation and key enablers had any correlation with financial performance, IBM looked at a subset of our sample where publicly reported financial information was available.Design/methodology/approachThe findings in this report are based on in‐depth, consultative interviews on the topic of innovation with 765 CEOs, business executives and public sector leaders from around the world.FindingsFor a subset, the authors compared their financial performance to that of an industry‐accepted list of their nearest competitors (up to ten companies with similar revenue and publicly available information). Some of their competitors were CEO study participants, but most were not. By taking a five‐year view, the researchers were able to identify which companies outperformed and under‐performed the average revenue growth, operating margin growth and historical operating margins of their closest competitors.Research limitations/implicationsThroughout the analysis, IBM used these top‐half and bottom‐half groupings to look for notable financial correlations. In this report, the term outperformers refers to the study participants that are in the top 50 percent based on this competitive comparison, and under‐performers are those that fall in the bottom 50 percent.Practical implicationsThe authors report on how business leaders are seeking and finding new ways to adapt their business models to remain competitive in their current industry – or to seek growth by entering new industries.Originality/valueCompanies focusing on business model innovation have enjoyed significant operating margin growth, while those using products/services/markets and operational innovation have sustained their margins over time.


Info ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 53-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torsten J Gerpott ◽  
Sebastian May

Purpose – This paper aims to provide a foundation for firms trying to evaluate the suitability of Internet of Things (IoT)-enhanced offerings against the background of their current portfolio. Currently, quite a number of companies consider revising or extending their portfolio of products and services by incorporating IoT components to achieve competitive advantages. However, an unsystematic and autotelic addition of connected sensors and actuators to present offerings does not necessarily lead to substantial market success. Design/methodology/approach – The approach of this paper is to identify different roles which IoT components can play in offering portfolios; clarify business development objectives, which can be achieved by the combination of products and services with IoT components; and report case examples which help to highlight how business development objectives can be reached with the help of IoT components fulfilling specific roles. Findings – IoT components may play three different roles when integrated into product or service offerings. This role differentiation is crucial in understanding how IoT amendments can be instrumental in supporting the achievement of specific business development objectives pursued by a firm. Research limitations/implications – The framework is based on conceptual considerations. To overcome this limitation, empirical research on technology-, cost- and customer-related impacts of IoT-enhanced offerings is desirable. Practical/implications – Firms need to evaluate three roles which IoT components can play against the background of their present product portfolio when developing new business strategies. Originality/value – This paper combines literature on the principles of operation of IoT applications and business models with current use-cases to provide implications for IoT-related business development issues.


2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 21-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladyslav Biloshapka ◽  
Oleksiy Osiyevskyy

Purpose Defines clear steps for growth planning that support answers to the crucial question: How and where are you planning to scale up the business and what talent do you need to implement this? Design/methodology/approach As the “Business model value matrix” shows, having ‘happy customers’ is only one determinant of a business model’s success. The other essential block of diagnostic questions deals with the current state and prospects of the firm’s growth. Findings We found that companies that have found ways to keep their business models in a winner’s state can provide clear, evidence-based answers to questions about growth opportunities and risks, while their less successful peers have difficulty addressing the issues. Continuous collecting and analyzing of this information allows successful companies to embrace the strategy-as-learning model of development, built around active learning and proactive adjustment to evolving environment. Practical implications To develop a strategy for moving to and sustaining the Winner state, managers must clearly articulate and test a set of hypotheses about the mechanisms of their company’s growth. The first step on this path is related to obtaining a clear view on the factors that underpin the current financial performance. Originality/value High-performance cultures make sure that each manager has the clear answers to the questions of value, growth and digitization in order to learn, experiment and implement the company business model agenda. The unproductive cultures, on the other hand, are sustained by managerial teams that usually do not have the answers to these crucial questions, but are very good at political games.


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