Direct causal mechanisms of profit: dominant paradigm of profit seeking

This paper develops the direct causal mechanisms of profit (DCMP) to meet the conditions/requirements normatively drawn from the conceptual, logical and methodological dimensions of profit seeking, direct causal mechanisms, holistic and non-egalitarian approach, and deductive inference, which holds the proximate causal mechanism between technological change and needs evolution at the macro-foundations, and the ultimate causal mechanism between needs-focused innovation and explicit needs at the micro-foundations. From DCMP it derives propositions about matching goodness of the proximate causal mechanism and adaptive goodness of the ultimate causal mechanism, verifies them with the experiences of the winners/losers, and finally concludes that DCMP can work as the dominant paradigm of profit seeking, the determinants of firm/business success, and a powerful theoretical and practical foundation/framework for business model design and innovation, asserting that DCMP explains profit as outcome/effect in a more robust/comprehensive/persuasive manner than the existing paradigms because DCMP always guarantees the genuine causality.     

Making sense of the sharing economy: a business model innovation perspective

ABSTRACT

The emergence of a sharing revolution is leading to a new societal system of collaboration enabled by digital technologies. Although sharing-based initiatives are re-shaping established organisational practices and innovating traditional business models (BMs), existing research fails in grasping the phenomenon's multiple facets. This study aims at making sense of the Sharing Economy (SE) by shedding light on how startups embed the social trend of sharing and leverage digital technologies to develop innovative BMs. We attempt to solve the current theory-practice misalignment by proposing an original framework, definition, and classification of SE startups. The study presents a cluster analysis on 196 SE startups. We argue that SE startups group into five clusters: (i) pseudo-sharing; (ii) gig economy; (iii) crowd-based economy; (iv) pooling economy; and (v) P2P rental. This study contributes to positioning the SE from both a conceptual and an empirical perspective, interpreting the SE phenomenon from the theoretical lenses of BM Innovation, and classifying it through the unit of analysis of startups, intended as empirical vehicles and manifestation of the phenomenon.     

Business model ambidexterity and technological innovation performance: evidence from China

By applying an ambidexterity perspective to the business model context, this study examines the effects of efficiency and novelty – two conflicting business model design themes – on technological innovation performance and the relationship between these themes as it relates to enhancing technological innovation performance. From an analysis of data on 173 Chinese manufacturing firms, it is found that both efficiency and novelty themes are positively related to technological innovation performance; the combined dimension (CD) of business model ambidexterity (the interaction between efficiency and novelty themes) is positively related to technological innovation performance; and the balance dimension (BD) of business model ambidexterity (the balance between efficiency and novelty themes) positively moderates the relationship between CD and technological innovation performance.     

商业模式创新途径探讨

如今商业环境变化迅速,持续地获得利润已经成为企业关注的焦点,商业模式给企业提供了参考的思维方法与实践框架。商业模式的组成要素包括:为谁,做什么,如何做,如何盈利四部分。其创新的途径主要有重新定义顾客,提供特别的产品/服务,改变提供产品/服务的路径,改变收入模式,改变对顾客的支持体系和发展独特的价值网络。企业有必要适时创新自身的商业模式,保证持续地盈利,获得竞争优势。     

Direct and configurational paths of open innovation and organisational agility to business model innovation in SMEs

ABSTRACT

Discussions on opportunities and enablers have remained lacking despite the continued growth of business model innovation (BMI) research. In order to investigate the formation mechanism of BMI in small-medium enterprises (SMEs), we proposed an integrated model, which included factors derived from organisational internal resources and capabilities via the resource-based view (RBV) and dynamic capabilities view (DCV). Structural equation model (SEM) and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) were utilised to test the survey data collected from 245 SMEs in China. SEM results support the hypotheses, except that on the impact of outbound open innovation on market capitalising agility and on BMI. The fsQCA analysis revealed that four configurations of open innovations and organisational agilities can sufficiently explain high levels of BMI, and two configurations of these factors lead to low BMI. The theoretical and practical implications of such findings were also provided.     

Measuring emerging categories of innovation: Modularity and business model

The oft-cited dichotomy between incremental and radical innovations is less important when we have to analyze how a new technology and its social institution coevolve. In this context, besides incremental and radical innovations, C. Freeman added two more categories of technical change: one is change in the technology system and the other is change in the technoeconomic paradigm.However, as the information technology (IT) revolution progresses further, we come to need more categories of innovations. In the computer industry, the concept of “module” is becoming a solution to growing complexity. In the new IT environment, we can be proactive in demand creation. It becomes crucial, therefore, whether the creation of new “business models” has followed technical innovations. In this article, we will try to demonstrate how these different categories of innovations, i.e., modularization and new business model creation, can be measured.     

新零售商业模式场景化创新的理论框架与实现路径研究

随着场景化要素在新零售嵌入程度的逐渐深入,一方面凸显出新零售商业模式未能紧跟时代发展的事实;另一方面也为新零售商业模式的加速创新提供了条件.从商业模式的场景化视角出发,首先对现有新零售商业模式进行解构,其次将场景化要素融入解构的商业模式要素之中,使商业模式要素具有场景化功能,进而形成新零售商业模式创新的理论框架,再次以新零售商业模式的场景化价值重构为触点,以新零售商业模式的场景化创新为痛点,设计了新零售商业模式场景化创新的实现路径.最后运用多案例的研究方法对新零售商业模式的场景化创新进行实证,研究结果表明场景化是新零售商业模式创新的方向,价值主张是新零售商业模式创新的遗传物质,而场景化商业情境配置则是新零售商业模式创新的核心能力.     

The role of top management team diversity in shaping the performance of business model innovation: a threshold effect

Business model innovation is one of the firm’s most important strategic decisions. Top management team (TMT), as the critical decision-makers, has essential influence upon such decisions. However, the role of TMT diversity in shaping the performance of business model innovation is less explored in the literature. Based on a sample dataset of 906 observations of small and medium enterprises from China Startups Stock Market during the period of 2009–2011, we find that TMT diversity exhibits a significant threshold effect on the relationship between business model innovation (in terms of novelty-centred and efficiency-centred business model) and firm performance. More specifically, when TMT functional diversity arrives at a certain level, the positive relationship between novelty-centred business model and firm performance becomes more pronounced. On the other hand, the positive relationship between efficiency-centred business model innovation and firm performance will be more significant when TMT tenure diversity increases to a certain level.     

大数据驱动制造企业数字商业模式创新实现机理

基于数据驱动的理论视角,选取海尔食联网作为案例研究对象,采用“数据驱动-动态能力提升-数字商业模式创新”的动态逻辑框架,运用扎根理论系统阐释数字商业模式创新过程机理。研究发现：数字商业模式创新实现有赖于组织数据资源的充分利用,数据驱动作为数字商业模式创新实现的重要动因,其中包含“需求源点建立-场景链条联动-网络共享交互”的三个关键环节;数据驱动作用于组织动态能力的发挥与提升,同时动态能力补充了企业数据驱动为前因的中间作用机制,以实现企业数字商业模式组件的优化;从整体生成式视角进行剖析,数字商业模式创新是基于“价值主张校准-场景体验优化-价值网络拓展”三维度的动态过程而实现,研究为数字经济时代商业模式的创新提供理论与实践指导。     

Disruptive technologies: a business model perspective on cloud computing

A viable business model is crucial for the successful commercialisation of disruptive technologies. The cloud computing industry provides an ideal example for exploring how various elements of a business model contribute to a product's success (or failure). We examine how Amazon.com, Salesforce.com and Siebel responded to the disruptive power of the cloud computing technology. Our findings suggest disruptive technology per se is not the reason for the collapse of large corporations, but rather the failure to adapt or create new business models to incorporate novel technology. Our findings have direct implications for strategic managers and entrepreneurs seeking to leverage disruptive technologies through the right business model.     

有限资源的创造性利用——基于冗余资源的商业模式创新:以麦乐送为例

独特的商业模式有助于形成企业竞争优势。面对非理性和不确定的商业环境,是否存在一种更低成本、更低风险的商业模式创新途径?本文以麦当劳最近开展的麦乐送集中式送餐服务为研究案例,发现针对冗余资源进行创造性利用是一种很好的选择。     

Re-evaluation of global innovation index based on a structural equation model

The Global Innovation Index (GII) was proposed to observe the innovation capability and efficiency levels of individual countries using input and output factors. However, it does not consider potential structural relationships among factors affecting the innovation performance of a country. In this study, we proposed a structural equation model (SEM) based on the hypothesised national innovation structure among seven factors representing inputs (institution, human capital and research, infrastructure, market sophistication, and business sophistication) and outputs (knowledge and technology outputs, and creative outputs). Using GII data from 2013, we discovered that business sophistication and infrastructure have the strongest direct and indirect effects on creative output, respectively. In addition, a new ranking is obtained based on the fitted SEM. We provide feedback information to improve innovation capabilities.     

The effect of interfirm codevelopment competency on the innovation of the e-service process and product: the perspective of internal/external technology integration mechanisms

Service innovations are central to today's rapidly changing business environment. Because of heterogeneous customer demands, rapid product life cycles, and advances in information technology (IT) for services management, an expanded conceptualisation of e-service innovation is required. This study examines the mediating effects of internal and external technology integration mechanisms among interfirm codevelopment competency and the innovation of the e-service process and product. A field survey was conducted of IT departments in information service firms to test the theoretical model. IT managers were the key informants. Partial least squares (PLS) analyses supported the main premises of the proposed research model. The data suggest that firms in the information service industry emphasise interfirm codevelopment competency in developing e-service innovations but use different sets of technology integration mechanisms to enhance e-service product and process innovation.     

社交电商平台颠覆性创新的触发机制研究——基于拼多多的案例研究

以社交电商平台拼多多为研究对象,开展探索性单案例研究,将其颠覆性创新分为切入下沉市场、侵蚀主流市场两阶段,分析其通过技术创新和商业模式创新匹配共演实现颠覆性创新的路径,在已有研究基础上,构建颠覆性创新触发机制模型。结果表明：第一,在颠覆性创新过程中,技术创新和商业模式创新是匹配共演的,二者在匹配共演下形成螺旋上升的循环链。第二,颠覆性创新要分阶段实现,其触发机制包括前置条件、突破口及驱动因素;在不同阶段,技术创新和商业模式创新分别作为前置条件和突破口,内外部环境作为驱动因素。第三,在颠覆性创新过程中,企业必须充分考虑内外部环境的驱动作用,注重内部技术创新能力、企业战略及外部市场竞争、市场需要。     

Developing a model to evaluate the impacts of science,technology and innovation foresight on policy-making

Technology foresight as a policy intelligence tool can offer vital inputs for policy-making in various domains. The relationship between foresight and policy-making has been presented in the literature by the policy-related functions of foresight, but the literature reflects a theoretical gap with the systematic evaluation model for the impact of foresight on policy-making. This research seeks to bridge the existing gap and uses the mixed method for this purpose. The mixed method approach used in this paper is the sequential exploratory design. First, the conceptual model is developed in the qualitative part of this research by using meta-synthesis and constant comparative method (CCM) of analysis. Second, in the quantitative part, quantitative tests are used to evaluate the dimensions and components of the developed theoretical model. The data collection tool is a questionnaire. The results confirm the proposed dimensions of the evaluation model.     

Dynamic management view: logic of profit seeking based on adaptation to technological change and needs evolution through needs-focused innovation

Scrutinising well-known models/theories in strategic management, this paper proposes dynamic management view (DMV) on the premise profit comes from adaptation to technological change and needs evolution through needs-focused innovation in a dynamic world. It firstly sets up the theoretical framework of DMV by taking business model to embrace explicit needs (the ultimate source of profit) and needs-focused innovation (the ultimate driver of profit seeking) as the very causal mechanism at the micro-foundations level, and technological change and needs evolution as the direct causal mechanisms of profit at the macro-foundations level from which it draws the universal and contingency rules of needs-focused innovation, derives the propositions about the adaptive goodness between explicit needs and needs-focused innovation, shows it works as the determinant of profit with the industrial experiences, and concludes DMV provides the rationale for a firm’s sustainability, the strategic decision rules for business model innovation and the theoretical foundation to build dynamic theory of profit seeking.     

The legacy and promise of Vannevar Bush: rethinking the model of innovation and the role of public policy

The linear model of innovation argues that innovation takes place in a unidirectional sequence, with basic research directly diffusing in marketable product or process innovations. This perspective has served society well in past decades. However, recent productivity slowdowns in developed economies and the failure of innovation policies to continue to deliver desired results have called this perspective into question. Scholars explain these slowdowns by the oversimplification of the linear model which fails to consider the complexities associated with innovation processes. Although it is generally believed that Vannevar Bush’s report Science – The Endless Frontier – was based on his belief in a linear model of innovation and the notion that basic research is the ultimate source of all innovation, an examination of Bush’s writings and his life reveals that he believed in a more sophisticated model in which basic and applied research cross-fertilize each other and in which government’s job is not so much to stimulate basic research as it is to facilitate interactions between basic and applied research for the benefit of both and the prosperity of society. This paper explicates Bush’s model of the research and innovation process, explores the implications of that model, and derives policy recommendations.     

异质性资产获取、商业模式创新与并购绩效：基于AT&T收购时代华纳的案例研究

本文通过AT&T收购时代华纳的纵向案例研究,试图揭示数字经济时代异质性资产获取型并购如何通过商业模式创新实现绩效提高.研究发现:异质性资产获取型并购在特定条件下可以提高并购方企业绩效,企业可以从新颖、互补、锁定和效率4个主题创新商业模式;而企业的动态能力有助于其识别、获取合适的异质性资产,推动并购后的商业模式创新和新的资源能力基础构筑,从而提高并购绩效.本文的研究对于数字经济时代企业异质性资产获取型并购如何通过商业模式创新提高绩效,以及运营商企业如何整合异质性资产推动商业模式创新和数字化转型提供了参考和借鉴.     

“钻石模型”视角下战略性新兴产业创新绩效影响因素的实证研究——以新一代信息产业为例

基于对现实和理论的考察,在现有文献与"钻石模型"的基础上,对战略性新兴产业创新绩效的影响因素进行了综合分析。以新一代信息产业为例,利用2010—2014年的相关数据,采用多元回归模型对各因素的具体影响进行实证分析。结果表明:当众多因素共同影响时,新一代信息产业的生产要素、需求多样性、相关产业以及政府等因素对创新绩效具有更为显著的影响,而市场规模、支持产业以及竞争等因素的影响没有通过显著性检验;中国战略性新兴产业具有较高的技术水平与产业相关性,存在巨大的市场发展空间,但也存在创新型人才不足、垄断以及与政府支持脱节等问题。