Despite the increasing interest in business model innovation (BMI) as a way to improve the performance of firms, and the predominance of family firms (FFs) in modern economy, these two topics have so far not been combined. Drawing on socioemotional wealth (SEW) theory and the corporate social responsibility (CSR) concept, and on insights from research into BMI, we conduct a qualitative analysis using data from fifteen European FFs, examining the strategic and BM focus, the nature of the BM renewal, and the process and outcomes of BMI on their business models (BMs). Our results identify several BM configurations, with a focus on (1) growth by internationalization in combination with attention to increased quality in value creation, and (2) profit orientation based on increased efficiency, enabled by digitalization, mainly in the value delivery components of a BM. The latter reflects distinctive, innovative capabilities found in FFs, that contribute to the preservation of family objectives, as suggested by SEW theory and business orientation on CSR. Furthermore, there is a link between family involvement and limited, but specific, knowledge-related resources, and the way the dynamic BMI process is governed and executed.

Business model experimentation is an essential step for developing new business models. While the benefits of business model experimentation are increasingly studied, it is still poorly understood why companies engage in business model experimentation. This paper examines, starting from environmental turbulence reasoning, which external and internal drivers serve as antecedents for business model experimentation by firms that already have established business models. We do so by making use of a unique, quantitative data set based on a survey study among 929 European SMEs actively engaged in business model innovation. Using Dual Scaling, a procedure to scale categorical inputs that yields the least-squares lower-rank approximation to the elements of our data set, we find that external drivers relating to technological turbulence are the most important antecedents for business model experimentation. External competitive intensity doesn't motivate business model experimentation. Regarding internal drivers, strategic change, related to product innovation, is a significant antecedent, while innovative activities are less outspoken. By examining why companies engage in business model experimentation, the paper contributes to understanding the antecedents of business model innovation.

Purpose: Prior research has reported the indirect implications of firm's dynamic capabilities on their competitive firm performance. Our attention now turns to open innovation since it has been confirmed to be an influential factor contributing to the superior performance of technological firms. So far there has been little research on assessing the relationship between a firm's dynamic capabilities as an antecedent of the competitive performance of the firm or investigations into the mediating role of open innovation in this relationship. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on the theory of dynamic capabilities, we developed a framework as a way to better understand the role of open innovation, which could then help to better explain the relationship between firms' dynamics capabilities and their competitive firm performance. Based on the empirical data of 465 firms operating in innovative and non-innovative industries, we employed structural equation modelling (SEM) to examine the research hypotheses and the path relationships in the proposed model. Findings: The SEM analysis revealed that a firm's dynamic capabilities significantly impact its open innovation performance and that open innovation, consequently, impacts the competitive performance of the firm. Moreover, the results show that the path between dynamic capabilities and competitive firm performance is partially mediated through open innovation. Practical implications: The findings provide practical implications and draw managerial attention to the importance of: (1) investing in innovation, (2) engaging customers in the innovation process and (3) maintaining innovation management excellence as significant antecedent factors in increasing competitive firm performance. Originality/value: Considering the lack of empirical research in the literature on the links between dynamic capabilities and open innovation, this paper contributes to the dynamic capabilities and open innovation literature by confirming that open innovation not only mediates the relationship between these two aspects but also strengthens the effect the dynamic capabilities have on competitive firm performance. Besides, due to the significant impact of dynamic capabilities on open innovation, dynamic capabilities might be regarded as an antecedent of open innovation.

Although research has shown that business model innovation (BMI) can create a firm's competitive advantage and enhance its performance, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) fail to obtain the expected outcomes when innovating their business model. Business Model Innovation (BMI) leads to irreversible fundamental changes in key components of a company's business model, which means it carries with it a high level of risk, ambiguity and uncertainty. Drawing on the data from a cross-industry sample of 563 European SMEs, we apply structural equation modelling to examine how a firm's performance is affected by innovating its business model. A conceptual model is developed to examine how organisational capabilities and implementation of a profit- or growth-oriented strategy, as materialised in BMI, affect a firm's overall performance. The results indicate that, while the direct link between BMI and firm performance is not significant, this path is fully mediated through efficiency growth, organisational capabilities and revenue growth. Furthermore, there are significant direct effects from efficiency growth, organisational capabilities and revenue growth on firm performance. These findings confirm the validity of the model and contribute to existing literature on BMI efforts in SMEs and provide guidelines to help company owners/managers implement informed decisions about the implementation of BMI based on their firm's strategies.

Purpose: By drawing on various theoretical approaches and a gender perspective, this paper aims to examine business model (BM) experimentation as a step towards BM experimentation capabilities as an outcome and, as such, a key antecedent to firm performance. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper, using a unique data set of 444 European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the authors draw on various theoretical perspectives to devise a structural equation model that examines BM experimentation as a step towards business model innovation (BMI) as an outcome and, as such, a key antecedent to firm performance. Potential differences are examined between female-owned and non-female-owned businesses with regard to hypothesized relations. Findings: Multi-group analysis results reveal that drivers of BM experimentation and the paths linking BM experimentation to overall firm performance are different for female owners in comparison to male owners. Research limitations/implications: Theoretical and practical implications are various. For SME entrepreneurs, experimenting with their BMs does lead to improved performance. Practical implications: Theoretical and practical implications are various. For SME entrepreneurs, experimenting with their BMs does lead to improved performance. Originality/value: Despite the increasing number of papers focussing on the relationship between BM and firm performance, the focus on female entrepreneurship, gender differences and BMI, more specifically the process of BMI as BM experimentation, is relatively rare.

This special issue bundles a series of papers on business model tooling. Business model tools are methods, frameworks or templates to facilitate communication and collaboration regarding Business Model analysis, (re-)design, adoption, implementation and exploitation. In this introduction to the special issue, we position business model tooling in the broader literature, going beyond the mere use of tooling to disseminate academic knowledge. We point out the unique contributions on business model tooling that information systems scholars can bring. After giving an overview of business model tools and ontologies, we sketch a brief research agenda comprising seven research directions: (1) design of tooling; (2) interfaces and usability; (3) evaluation and testing; (4) adoption, diffusion and commercialization of tooling; (5) privacy and security of tool users; (6) the use of tooling in business model education; and (7) future tooling enabled by big data and machine learning.

This study investigates if BMI helps business innovation to succeed. We analyzed 27 SME cases having differing combinations of Business Model Innovation (BMI), New Product Development (NPD) and effectuation methods. We also analyzed the drivers and market strategy of the SMEs. We found out that typical SME innovation success cases combine at least two methods of implementation, such as BMI and NPD, and focus on low-end market. Effectuation in combination with the aforementioned seems to play significant role as well.

Purpose: Due to the convergence of rapid business developments and digitization challenges, service orientation is back on the research agenda as a concept to improve firms’ business services. Yet, little is known about the type of determinants that are relevant and to what degree they affect a firm’s service-oriented strategy. Design/methodology/approach: Building on structural equation modeling (SEM) and a unique data set of 131 international firms from different continents, the authors identify and analyze the key determinants in the context of a firm’s service-oriented strategy. Findings: The findings show that in order to cater for changes, organizations have to manage and adapt the coherence of the determinants’ business services, business processes and knowledge sharing continuously. Moreover, the results show that a service-oriented strategy is not only influenced by business services as such, but business services mediate the relationships between business processes, governance and process-aware information systems to a service-oriented strategy. Research limitations/implications: A limitation is imposed by the limited sample size and the unbalanced response of participants (executive management). In future research, a more extensive survey among a broader group of participants will help the authors to develop their model further in order to generalize the results, as well as more finely grained research related to geography and size might be pursued. Future empirical research is necessary to identify and test the relationships between other constructs and study their effect on a firm’s service-oriented strategy. Practical implications: On a practical level, the authors postulate that an organization’s executive management should pay attention to invest in an organizational entity (department) that manages business services continuously. This organizational entity has to ensure that related processes and knowledge sharing are in place to establish and maintain a service-oriented strategy. Originality/value: This research contributes to service-oriented literature by operationalizing the implementation of an organization’s service-oriented strategy. The authors’ insights go beyond the findings of Aier et al. (2011). The authors found that a service-oriented strategy influences service-oriented project success positively. The authors extended these findings, based on a unique data set, by studying business services and influencing determinants (i.e. business processes, governance, PAIS and knowledge sharing) within the context of service orientation. The renewed attention to the concept of service orientation provides insights into critical determinants that influence the implementation of a service-oriented strategy.

The automotive industry is experiencing a phase of rapid innovation, with emergent technologies underpinning the realisation of self-driving cars, increased use of data and data analytics, sensors to enable car components to connect to the Internet-of-Things and the use of alternative energy sources, such as electric vehicles. Such innovations enable novel services, which in turn require actors within the automotive industry to change their business models. In this paper, we aim to identify novel automotive services that impact business models within the automotive industry. We use Q-methodology to explore and analyse the opinions of researchers and experts from the automotive industry. We find that four groups of services are expected to impact the business models in the automotive industry most: (1) personalised services, (2) generic mobility services; (3) shared mobility, and (4) connected cars. These are services at the level of the end-user, while more fundamental technology-based innovations, such as electrical driving, autonomous driving and Internet-of-Things applications, are scattered over different groups of end-user services. From these results, current business models can be analysed, and possible roadmaps for business model innovation can be developed.

The efficient delivery of government services to the poor, or Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP), faces many challenges. While a core problem is the lack of scalability, that could be solved by the rapid proliferation of platforms and associated ecosystems. Existing research involving platforms focus on modularity, openness, ecosystem leadership and governance, as well as on their impact on innovation, scale and agility. However, existing studies fail to explore the role of platform in scalable e-government services delivery on an empirical level. Based on an in-depth case study of the world's largest biometric identity platform, used by millions of the poor in India, we develop a set of propositions connecting the attributes of a digital platform ecosystem to different indicators for the scalability of government service delivery. We found that modular architecture, combined with limited functionality in core modules, and open standards combined with controlled access and ecosystem governance enabled by keystone behaviour, have a positive impact on scalability. The research provides insights to policy-makers and government officials alike, particularly those in nations struggling to provide basic services to poor and marginalised. This is also one of the few studies to apply platform theory empirically to the e-government domain.

Purpose: Because of the attention increasingly being focused on digital transformation, interest in business models of platform-enabled ecosystems is rising rapidly. Although there are different theoretical views on the role of ecosystems, a synthesis of research, with a focus on governance and orchestration in dynamic, multi-industry eco-systems, is lacking. Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review was conducted by following a rigorous search protocol in the scholarly databases covering both journal articles and conference papers These papers were subsequently filtered, and finally, 48 relevant papers were selected for analysis. Findings: The review identifies five key aspects of platform governance design that need close consideration: the meta-organisation or ecosystem design, coordination mechanisms, mechanisms for value co-creation, value appropriation mechanisms and architectural principles. To achieve balance among a set of competing demands, platform leaders need to devote adequate attention to these aspects. Practical implications: Based on a literature review, the authors provide an overview of underlying theoretical views, research methods and key trends to develop a sound theoretical grounding for research on platform governance design. The paper also suggests research gaps in the existing literature and sets directions for researchers to strengthen the understanding of effective platform governance design. The paper also provides valuable information to managers in developing or leading a successful platform ecosystem. Originality/value: The paper uses existing literature published in this topic and original in nature.

Digital transformation is requiring companies to rethink and innovate their business models (BMs). However, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)have scarce time and resources for experimenting with their BMs and implementing new strategies. This paper examines whether SMEs that undergo digital transformation perform better if they allocate more resources for BM experimentation and engage more in strategy implementation. An empirical study was conducted on 321 European SMEs that actively use social media, big data, and information technology to innovate their BMs. Furthermore, structural equation modelling showed positive overall firm performance effects of more resource allocation to BM experimentation and more engagement in practices of strategy implementation. These effects were mediated by BM experimentation practices and company innovativeness. Moreover, fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA)revealed the presence of equifinality by identifying different configurations in which these antecedent conditions affect overall firm overall performance. The results of two methodological approaches showed that SMEs may take different routes to improve their performance when digital transformation is changing their BM. This paper is one of the first to analyse how SMEs can handle the impact of digitalization by spending more time and effort on innovating their BMs. Practical and policy implications are discussed.

Purpose: This paper aims to explore how digital technologies have forced small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to reconsider and experiment with their business models (BMs) and how this contributes to their innovativeness and performance. Design/methodology/approach: An empirical study has been conducted on 338 European SMEs actively using social media and big data to innovate their BMs. Four in-depth case studies of companies involved in BM innovation have also been carried out. Findings: Findings show that the use of social media and big data in BMI is mainly driven by strategic and innovation-related internal motives. External technology turbulence plays a role too. BMI driven by social media and big data has a positive impact on business performance. Analysis of the case studies shows that BM is driven by big data rather than by social media. Research limitations/implications: Research into big data- and social media-driven BMs needs more insight into how components are affected and how SMEs are experimenting with adjusting their BMs, specifically in terms of human and organizational factors. Practical implications: Findings of this study can be used by managers and top-level executives to better understand how firms experiment with BMI, what affects business model components and how implementation might affect BMI performance. Originality/value: This paper is one of the first research contributions to analyse the impact of digitalization, specifically the impact of social media and big data on a large number of European SMEs.

The rapid-pace development in mobile technology offers tremendous opportunities for both the public and private sector in healthcare domain. Unlike other forms of communications, e.g., the Internet, increasingly ubiquitous use of mobile technology and devices allow mobile health and wellness applications to have a greater impact on how care is delivered. Although, technology is an essential tool for healthcare provision, to fully leverage these opportunities other major issues on the emergence of more patientcentric healthcare solutions need to be addressed. A sustainable business model plays a significant role in exploration and exploitation of mobile health and wellness applications. Therefore, this paper presents a systematic literature review based on a business model ontology, in order to lay the basis for exploitation of these applications. The review shows that the extant literature mainly focuses on the service platforms components of business models and their underlying technological challenges, and that non-technological business model components such as value proposition, organizing and revenue models have not attracted the attention that is deemed necessary for exploitation of mobile health care solutions. This paper cautions that in a highly regulated yet often monopolistic industry such as healthcare, the regulatory and the legal issues must be considered as an external business factors.

The flexibility offered by the combination of platform and enabling ecosystems allows multiple competing and collaborating organizations from different industries to achieve rapid innovations. This article highlights key technical and business model attributes of the platform and how these can be exploited by the platform leader for achieving improved performance with limited coordination overhead. Research shows that only a few platforms are managed effectively; as it involves balancing conflicting demands related to the platform owner’s interest and overall health of the ecosystems. We discuss the key governance challenges for a sustainable platform leadership strategy that leads to benefits for the platform leader as well as for the ecosystem partners. Research shows that an effective platform governance i.e. decision rights and accountability to encourage desirable behavior in the use of the platform, addresses the above challenges effectively. This article goes on to identify different types of control mechanisms used in the context of platform ecosystem. While doing so, we highlight the important contextual differences related to the application of control mechanism in platform-centric ecosystems. Unlike other inter-organizational partnership (i.e. outsourced software development); ecosystem leaders do not have formal authority over a large number of application developers and other partners (Mukhopadhyay et al., 2016a). We conclude by proposing several complementary research questions for better understanding of the control–governance dimensions of platform ecosystem business models.