Paradoxes and management approaches of competing for work in creative professional service firms

Despite their business relevance, creative professional service firms are under-researched, in particular with regard to how they compete for work. Competing for work is key to survival, but also extremely challenging due to the complexity of the services offered. In this paper we use a paradox framework to investigate the opposing demands...

Unraveling Supply-Driven Business Models of Architectural Firms

Architectural firms deliver services for various, unique projects that are all characterized by a high level of uncertainty. To successfully propose, create and capture value, they need business models that are able to deal with this variety and uncertainty. So far, little is known about the different business models that are used in...

Trade-offs in the value capture of architectural firms: the significance of professional value

Architectural firms often have difficulty generating profit from their services as they pursue not only commercial but also professional goals. These goals frequently conflict and have to be balanced during the process of value creation and value capture. So far, literature has focused on the interaction between the perceived use value for...

Exploring innovation in a professional services firm: Design dialogues for better innovation

Deloitte Innovation is the innovation entity of Deloitte NL, they aim to improve the innovation capability of the company. One of their main activities is managing the incubator in which employees are able to develop new professional services for Deloitte. This project focusses on improving and increasing the input of this development process. A...

Business Model Design of Architectural Service Firms

Due to significant changes in the architecture, engineering and construction industry, architectural firms have to adapt quickly to stay competitive. They need to innovate not only their products and services, but also make more fundamental changes in the way they create and appropriate value, thereby replacing or innovating their business model...

Exploring business model innovation in professional service firms: Insights from architecture

Business model innovation may be a significant source of competitive advantage and firm performance. New ways of doing business have become increasingly important in the professional service sector. This research specifically focuses on business model innovation by architecture firms, which are suffering from the current financial crisis and...

Working through paradoxes in professional creative service firms: Lessons learned from design competitions

With the recent focus on austerity and efficiency, dealing with competing tensions has become increasingly critical within the creative industry. Also project-based industries and construction are suffering from a severe downfall in commissions. Architecture is at the intersection of these industries. As such it is a fertile ground for...