Collaboration beyond the supply network for green innovation: insight from 11 cases

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 509-523 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Melander ◽  
Ala Pazirandeh
Keyword(s):  
Resource Utilization ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Business Models ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Supply Network ◽  
Green Innovation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovation Activities ◽  
Network Collaboration ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the how, why, who and what of collaborations in green innovation.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on 11 case studies conducted at high-technological firms where 30 top management representatives were interviewed.FindingsThe study shows that firms share knowledge on green innovation across industries through horizontal collaborations and their extended network, such as their suppliers’ and customer’s networks in other industries. The results also show that digitalization, connectivity and big data are considered important vessels to improve environmental sustainability, as firms believe that these technologies will result in large gains related to resource utilization. Finally, the firms in this study engaged to a wide extent in green innovation activities, which resulted in a variety of improved resource utilization related to energy efficiency, new materials, new technologies, limiting emissions and recycle management.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper contributes to the literature by showing that firms share knowledge on green innovation not only within their network but also across industries through horizontal collaborations and their extended network.Practical implicationsThe study points to the complexity of collaborating on green innovation. The authors show the importance of digitalization to improving environmental sustainability, with managers needing to develop business models and finding collaboration partners that can facilitate the transformation towards more connected products and services.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the field of supply network collaboration by studying how firms collaborate to improve environmental sustainability.

Shapeholders: managing them as allies, partners and significant constituents

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 41-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oleksiy Osiyevskyy ◽  
Vladyslav Biloshapka
Keyword(s):  
Business Models ◽  
Social Activism ◽  
Business Success ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Building Relationships ◽  
The Public ◽  
Short Run ◽  
Common Interests ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The authors review the concept of building relationships with Shapeholders,: a broad group of players that have no financial stake in the company yet can substantively influence it. The process for doing this is the subject of a new book by Mark Kennedy, Shapeholders: Business success in the age of social activism. Design/methodology/approach The authors examine Mark Kennedy’s framework for managing the firm’s shapeholders, a model composed of seven basic steps (7A’s): Align with a purpose, Anticipate, Assess, Avert, Acquiesce, Advance common interests, and Assemble to win. Findings Managing corporate reputation in alliance with enlightened shapeholders is a potential defense against self-aggrandizing schemes to wantonly maximize shareholder value in the short run. Practical implications Managing shapeholders is part of the messy democratic process that works when power is apportioned fairly among those affected by a firm’s decisions, and this process underpins the winning business models of true market leaders. Social implications Stakeholders previously discredited as mere “mosquitos” have gained new power, particularly when their legitimate concerns and unfair treatment resonate with the interests of a significant segment of the public and influential shapeholders. Originality/value Shapeholders can create enormous opportunities for smart managers capable of effectively engaging with them.

scholarly journals Green business models in the construction sector: an analysis of outcomes and benefits

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amal Abuzeinab ◽  
Mohammed Arif ◽  
Mohd. Asim Qadri ◽  
Dennis Kulonda
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Green Business ◽  
The Uk

Purpose Green business models (GBMs) in the construction sector represent the logic of green value creation and capture. Hence, the call to examine GBMs is growing ever louder. The aim of this paper is to identify benefits of GBMs by adopting five essential elements of the GBM from the literature: green value proposition; target group; key activities; key resources (KR); and financial logic. Design/methodology/approach In all, 19 semi-structured interviews are conducted with construction sector practitioners and academics in the UK. Thematic analysis is used to obtain benefits of GBMs. Further, the interpretive ranking process (IRP) is used to examine which elements of the GBM have a dominant role in providing benefits to construction businesses. Findings The benefits are grouped into three themes: credibility/reputation benefits; financial benefits; and long-term viability benefits. The IRP model shows that the element of KR is the most important when evaluated against these three benefit themes. Practical implications Linking GBM elements and benefits will help companies in the construction sector to analyse the business case of embracing environmental sustainability. Originality/value This research is one of the few empirical academic works investigating the benefits of GBMs in the construction sector. The IRP method is a novel contribution to GBMs and construction research.

Why management models are crucial to the success of business models

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Denning
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Digital Age ◽  
Management Model ◽  
Digital Innovation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Models ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The author posits that the management model of an organization determines what kind of business models can be pursued within that organization and that successful 21st century management models are very different from those that succeeded in the 20th century. Design/methodology/approach The author compares and contrasts successful 21st century management models with models that succeeded in the 20th century. Findings Success in the digital age requires a 21st century management model and mindset based on an obsession with delivering value to customers. Practical implications The management model incorporates the key ‘written and unwritten rules’ of the firm. The success of digital innovation can be threatened by 20th Century management assumptions that thwart Agile initiatives. Originality/value Article explains how Agile mindsets and practices are essential to the 21st century management model, and how they potentiate the firm’s focus on creating customers.

Thomas Stewart: what leaders need to know about the new design revolution in services

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 16-22
Author(s):  
Brian Leavy
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Service Design ◽  
Design Strategy ◽  
Harvard Business Review ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovation Activities ◽  
Customer Delight ◽  
Modern Manufacturing ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose With the growing importance of services in the overall economy, it is surprising that the notion of service firms investing in systematic and dedicated innovation activities has taken so long to materialize. This is now set to change as service firms undertake the kind of research, design and development disciplines which for more than a century have been mainstays of modern manufacturing. Design/methodology/approach S&L interviews the well-known former editor of Harvard Business Review Thomas A. Stewart and his co-author, former BloombergBusinessweek.com editor Patricia O’Connell, in their latest book, Woo, Wow and Win: Service Design, Strategy and the Art of Customer Delight (Harper Business, 2016). They believe we are on the cusp of a “design revolution” in services. Findings The central thesis of their book is that services “should be designed with as much care as products are” and they include service “delivery” in that premise. Practical implications Service design principles offer powerful new ways to address the three basic strategy questions: What do we sell? To whom? And how do we win? Originality/value Service design helps you understand how to configure a set of activities, behaviors and touchpoints–a journey–that allows you to serve that customer well.

Conceptualising innovative price models: the RITE framework

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 540-558 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathias Cöster ◽  
Einar Iveroth ◽  
Nils-Göran Olve ◽  
Carl-Johan Petri ◽  
Alf Westelius
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Final Outcome ◽  
Empirical Testing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Meta Model ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
A Current ◽  
Structured Literature Review

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to lay a current, research-based foundation for investigation of the concept of innovative price models and its connection to business models. Design/methodology/approach The design is composed of a structured literature review of articles on price models published in 22 journals during 42 years. This then serves as a base for a subsequent conceptual discussion about the foundation of innovative price models. Findings The literature review yields only very few results that are loosely scattered across various areas and mostly without any kind of deeper exploration of the concept of price models. The paper therefore goes on to conceptually explore some fundamental conditions that might influence or even determine price models. The final outcome of this exploration is the relation, intention, technology and environment (RITE) framework that is a meta-model for conceptualising innovative price models. Research limitations/implications The literature review could include additional journals and areas, and empirical testing of the RITE framework as yet has been limited. Practical implications The RITE framework can be used by practitioners as a tool for investigating the potential and usefulness of developing the capability to handle innovative price models. Originality/value The RITE framework provides fundamental conditions, which influence, or even determine, how innovative price models are developed and applied.

Campus sustainability tours: exploring an uncharted tool

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 908-922
Author(s):  
Ellen R. Trahan ◽  
Leslie A. North ◽  
Margaret M. Gripshover ◽  
Jeanine M. Huss
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Claim Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Campus Sustainability ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Western Kentucky ◽  
Western Kentucky University ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to explore the development narrative and usage of environmental sustainability tours available at universities and takes an in-depth look into the Western Kentucky University (WKU) Green Tour. Design/methodology/approach Questionnaires and interviews were conducted with sustainability leaders involved in tours at their university to discover how they were developed and used. An assessment of the WKU Green Tour used surveys and pre- and post-tests to determine the reach of the tour to the campus population, student learning and faculty use. Findings There is a lack of data on sustainability tours, making it difficult to design new tours and validate their status as an essential tool. In the case of WKU, the need for data was confirmed, as current practices that were assumed to be effective proved ineffective. Multiple suggestions for improved tours are provided. Research limitations/implications The case study used in this paper is not representative of all university sustainability tours as they can vary widely. Given the lack of research on the subject, especially quantitative research, it is a valuable study. Practical implications Though sustainability tours are touted as a valuable tool for all campuses, more data are needed to validate this claim. Data suggest the tours are effective tools for increasing knowledge, but there is need for further assessment of tours and how they can be used to create a sustainably literate campus. Originality/value This study is the first to assess sustainability tours using mixed-methods.

Your winning business model agenda: four questions to shape growth

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 21-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladyslav Biloshapka ◽  
Oleksiy Osiyevskyy
Keyword(s):  
Business Model ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
The Other ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Current State ◽  
Growth Planning ◽  
Practical Implications

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.

Using blockchain technology in credit rating industry to promote an innovative bond-pays model

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishna Vishwanath Iyer ◽  
V.V. Ravi Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Business Models ◽  
Credit Rating ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Concept System ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Business Functions ◽  
Market Distortion ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Inflation Alternative

Purpose This paper aims to propose an innovative blockchain-based system enabling implementation of a bond-pays model in credit rating industry. Issuer-pays model has led to conflict of interest resulting in rating shopping and inflation. Alternative business models have their own problems, e.g. investor-pays model suffers from “free rider” and public dissemination challenges, whereas government-controlled business models can lead to market distortion. Bond-pays model has been difficult to implement owing to operational difficulties in managing co-ordination amongst multiple entities involved, often with conflicting goals. Blockchain technology enables inter-organizational systems that foster trust amongst non-trusting entities, facilitating business functions such as credit rating to be carried out. Design/methodology/approach This paper outlines current processes in credit rating business that has led to repeated rating failures and proposes a new set of processes, leveraging capabilities of blockchain technology to enable implementation of an arms-length bond-pays model. Findings A proof-of-concept system, namely, rating chain has been designed to implement a small part of the proposed model to establish technical feasibility in a blockchain environment. Practical implications A fully functional blockchain-based system on bond-pays business model, if built and adopted, could impact how credit rating market functions currently and could contribute to a reduction in rating-related challenges. Originality/value The proposal to adopt blockchain technologies in implementing a bond-pays model in credit rating industry is a novel contribution.

Polish perceptions on changing the world with sustainable entrepreneurship

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 19-21
Keyword(s):  
Value Creation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Design Stage ◽  
Model Design ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Coffee Waste ◽  
The World ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings This research paper highlights how circular economy business models focus on the regenerative value creation inherent in reusing resources and waste. Circular startup transformations see founders moving out of sustainability-focused mindsets and into taking specific action to construct innovative circular business models. The purpose-led founders combined environmental and economic goals to produce scalable engines capable of inspiring and educating customers and larger companies on the beauty of reusing waste. Solving universal problems at their business model design stage allowed the Polish startups – for example, EcoBean who make renewable energy coffee briquettes from coffee waste – to offer value to international customers. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Innovations and eco-sustainability: exploring the role of organizational environment

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richa Chaudhary ◽  
Chandan Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Diffusion Of Innovation ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Organizational Environment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Analysis Technique ◽  
Innovation Characteristics ◽  
Environmental Sustainability Index ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the contribution of the diffusion of innovation framework to eco-sustainability. It examines the interplay of organizational environment, innovation and innovation adopters’ characteristics on the diffusion of environmental sustainability. Design/methodology/approach The data for empirical validation were obtained through an offline survey from the hospitals. The proposed conceptual framework was tested using the hierarchical regression analysis technique. Findings The results show that diffusion of innovation characteristics and organizational environment significantly influence the environmental sustainability index. The adopters’ characteristics do not have any direct effect on the environmental sustainability but this effect becomes significant in the presence of a favorable organizational environment. Practical implications Focusing on innovations that offer an advantage over the existing processes, are compatible with the existing system, are uncomplicated and simple to implement and can be experimented before full implementation may greatly accelerate the adoption of eco-innovations in hospitals. Fostering an organizational environment where employees are encouraged and rewarded for contributing to sustainable innovations can play a substantial role in the implementation of environmental sustainability innovations. Originality/value This study is an original contribution as it advances the limited understanding of the predictors and moderators of environmental sustainability in hospitals.

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