The thesis focuses on the integration of sustainability in the early stages of startups by developing a new framework. Given the resource constraints and focus on viability, it might be difficult for startups to consider sustainability at these early stages. A literature review revealed a lack of information on this subject. The research investigates the sustainability-related challenges startups face, identifies factors for sustainable business models using expert interviews and literature review. Due to the lack of information related to sustainable early stages start-ups, the author analyses basic principles related to start-ups and sustainability. The author looks into holistic approach to sustainability since a fragmental approach to sustainability risks harming the ecosystem while improving some metrics without systemic overview. Life-centred design is an emerging design approach that focuses on the well-being of all life forms and the health of our planet, thus making a shift from just human-centred design. The life-centred design was taken into consideration since it covers different aspects of sustainability as well as ethics and provides practical guidance for the designing process. Based on literature review and expert interviews the framework was formulated. The developed solution was tested with three early-stage startups, providing practical insights. The author analyses the findings and concludes that start-ups which have sustainability as a core value proposition are already sustainable and their sustainable impacts potentially scales with their product growth. At the same time for these types of start-ups it’s vital to consider additional value for the customer apart from sustainable value. For the start-ups with core value not directly related to sustainability, the sustainability can be embedded within a lean approach and aligning sustainability with their business goals if it doesn't require sacrificing limited resources such as money. Finally, the author suggests tools that raise awareness of participants and can be useful for holistic picture, based on findings during the workshop.

No description available.

There has been an increase in research on the internationalization of so-called born-globalfirms. However, this research primarily focused on the internationalization process duringcalmer times. So far, little attention has been paid to internationalization during times of crisis.Especially for the recently happened COVID-19 crisis, research on the implications for bornglobal internationalization has been neglected. Nonetheless, born-global firms face manyliabilities in their internationalization processes, even getting more severe in times of crisis.This study aims to fill the existing knowledge gap by examining the internationalization ofSwedish born-global firms and their challenges due to COVID-19. Finally, we seek to makerecommendations for firms and entrepreneurs on how to cope with those hurdles.This research was conducted using qualitative semi-structured interviews with the founders orco-founders of six Swedish companies that fit the specifics of a born-global firm.The empirical findings show that all firms internationalize quickly abroad by using variousstrategies. While some follow relatively gradual approaches, others internationalize withintheir home regions or globally from the beginning. Also, the firms faced challenges due toilliquid customers, funding issues, or impeded networking. On the other hand, many companiescould discover new opportunities due to the crisis that supported their survival in abroadmarkets. Herewith the digital infrastructure and being online was distinctive. Eventually, it waspossible to conclude supportive behavioral patterns for entrepreneurs and firms when facingcrises.

In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on sustainability, not only from the society but also from companies and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). For instance, The United Nations (UN) has adopted 17 global objectives for sustainable development. Within the European Union, the current Commission has an ambition that Europe will be the first climate-neutral continent and has launched the European Green Deal with the main message of resetting the European Union’s economy for a sustainable future. One industry that has a major impact on the environment, as well as on society, is the industrial sector. The awareness of the impact on future generations from the industrial sector has increased among governments, producers and consumers. Because of this many companies in the industrial sector are acting on these expectations. Companies which choose to integrate sustainability in the business can gain long-term competitive advantages in term of first-mover advantages as well as economic benefits. Despite that there is huge potential with integrating sustainability in the business, it is difficult to do so. This in turn, leads to a focus on short-term profit instead of long-term competitive advantages and sustainable profit. With this in mind, it is interesting to study how aspects of sustainability can be integrated in the traditional business model and therefore be classified as a sustainable business model. Which leads to the purpose of this study; to examine how the business model can be used as a tool to develop the work of sustainability in a mediumsize steel company. Furthermore, drivers and barriers regarding how enterprises can integrate aspects of sustainability have been examined. To address the purpose, this study has focused on a company in the steel industry in Linköping. The study is a qualitative study focused around interviews with people in the corporate and operational level. Moreover, a litterature study has been conducted where teories regarding strategy, business models, sustainability and sustainable business model, as well as teories regarding drivers and barriers, have been analyzed. The result from the study indicates that there are several elements which are crucial for integrating aspects of sustainability in the business model. These aspects can be highligheted by Triple Layered Business Model Canvas, TLBMC, which is a tripartite business model made up of an economic, environmental and social canvas. Some examples of elements which are crucial are Costs, Partners, Value Proposition, Customer Relationships, Materials, Production, Distribution, Supplies and Out-sourcing, Environmental Benefits, Employees, Governance and Local Communities. The primarily drivers are customers and an increased demand for sustainable products, regulations and lower operating costs. The largest barriers are lack of communication and balancing the three pillars of sustainability.

The purpose of this study was to explore the required criteria for sharing an electric machine and explore how PSS as a BM could be adapted to share an electric machine. This resulted in the following research questions: 1. From the customers’ perspective, what are the criteria for changing the ownership of an electric machine?  2. How could PSS as a business model be adapted to share an electric machine?  This study was of a qualitative nature based on an abductive approach. This enabled interaction between the theoretical framework and empirical findings. The theory was mainly based on scientific articles and the study was limited to investigating one organisation, which is described as a case study. Empirical data collection was conducted through five semi- structured interviews with customers from Industry A and three unstructured interviews with employees from the case organisation.   In the first research question, the most discussed and mentioned criteria from the customers during the semi-structured interviews were the economic gain, service quality, and accessibility. In the second research question, scenario 3, out of the five presented scenarios, is the one that could mostly be adapted to share an electric machine.

Purpose:Novel technologies such as blockchain alter the way games are developed, and cause paradigm shift in the game industry. This thesis explores how the blockchain impacts conditions for developing games, with a particular interest in the effects on the business model used for games, and the value proposition offered to prospective players.  Methodology:Since blockchain games are a new emerging industry at the moment, semi- structured interviews are conducted with five game developers to find first- hand data on blockchain's effects on game development using a single case study of a blockchain game in the late development stage. Furthermore, an extensive literature review is conducted to help guide the thesis and increase the researchers' understanding of the subject.  Analysis:The focus of the case, which is My Neighbor Alice, is explored in detail. Then, the analysis of the semi-structured interviews is executed with thematic analysis. Based on repetitions by different interviewees, several themes and concepts are identified. Finally, all the gathered aspects are explained.  Findings:The business model of blockchain games has many changes compared to traditional games, mainly depending on the introduction of blockchain-enabled asset ownership. This introduces a new value proposition to the consumers in tradability and Play to Earn game models. Furthermore, the focus on the consumer relationship increases as they now are investors. This allows funding to be gathered at an early stage of development and highlights trust between developer and player. Finally, the value created by entrepreneurs reflects more on alternative entrepreneurship as the case game My Neighbor Alice intends to be run by a Decentralized Autonomous Organization which consists of stakeholders of the game.  Value:While there is much literature on various game business models and blockchain technology, there is a gap in the research regarding game development related to blockchain games. This thesis pinpointed several vital areas that will increase importance when such games are developed.

Societal and environmental challenges present challenges for our current industrial systems. In order to respond to these difficulties, various alternative systems have been suggested, as they promise sustainability and increased societal quality of life enabled by innovative technologies. These future solutions hold the capacity to solve problems by unlocking considerable business potential. However, the journey to the forthcoming era will bring dramatic changes, not only to the success of incumbent industrial stakeholders but also to their very existence. The upcoming changes are impregnated with hazards to current business models of successful organizations. So, one may ask what impact future technologies may have on the realms that industrial actors live in? To disentangle the complexity of the unknowns, multitudes of collaborative efforts in protected spaces have emerged globally to experiment with potential systems on the road to sociotechnical transitions. The transport sector is undergoing efforts towards transitions to future sustainable systems. This sector has a special focus when it comes to sustainability challenges due to its substantial economic and environmental impact.  Bus systems are at the heart of this challenge due to the central role they play in urban mobility. Hence, different fuels and charging technologies for buses have been tested in pilot projects to facilitate the march towards sustainability; electric charging is one of the promising technologies, which achieve this aim. However, current business models of incumbent transport stakeholders seem to be problematic, and changes to facilitate the transitions seem to be complex. Extant literature indicates a critical role of business models under sociotechnical transitions. Theoretically, there is an underlying need for incumbents to change their business models to reap the benefits of innovative technologies. However, this change is difficult and potential business models are far from clear. With that, the dynamics of business models under transition remains as an underexplored area, and the challenge to incumbent business models poses itself as an interesting area to gauge. Under this umbrella, a question arises regarding how the pressure on incumbent business models interacts with systemic innovations. This thesis is a case study of an incumbent bus operator participating in a pilot project on a future bus system. The case study is in-depth in nature and investigates the potential business model of a bus operator in a multiple stakeholder pilot project, which tests an inductive electric hybrid bus. With a strong empirical exploratory nature, this thesis is built on an “insider” single case study that occurred in the year 2016-2017. The focus of the study is on the pressure on bus operator business model in the face of systemic innovation. The findings reveal positive future value proposition, disrupted value creation, and unclear value capture in the potential business model of the operator. Moreover, the findings show lock-in and resource dependence situation of the operator’s current business model. The lock-in of the business model hinder the transition to future sociotechnical bus system and makes it difficult to commercialize the new technology. The outcome of this thesis speaks to a significant influence of history and the regulator, manifested by rules on the future of business models of commercial incumbent stakeholders. This demonstrates lock-in may prove to be a major impediment, and that unchained and flexible business model of incumbents is critical for further continuation of successful shifts. Given these findings, this thesis suggests applying the business model lens to pilot projects for sustainability. This would aid in better comprehending how current business models may facilitate or hinder favorable transitions. This knowledge informs both managerial decisions and policy making, especially when it comes to resource optimization and investment decisions. / <p>QC 20190416</p> / Wireless Bus Stop Charging

Yes / The circular economy is gaining momentum in corporate circles and European economic policies. However, its relevance and applicability to service dominated industries, such as tourism and hospitality, is poorly researched. This study investigates Scandinavian hotel operators’ understanding of the circular economy, its drivers, enablers, barriers, and value creation potential. This exploratory study gathers feedback from ten Scandinavian hotel chains managers and proposes a circular economy applicability framework to test the concept’s relevance to hotel operators. The research findings highlight respondents’ interest and expose introductory to intermediate level of understanding of the circular economy. Conditional to specific enabling levers, the research confirms the applicability and value creation potential of the circular economy to hotel operators. The research provides hotel operators with recommendations on circular economy value creation opportunities, deployment pathways and suggests future research directions.

No / This case study is based on a research study that examined the relationship between big data analytics capability and market performance. The study investigated the intervening role of disruptive business models and the contingency role of competitive intensity on the relationship between big data analytics capability and market performance using both qualitative and quantitative methods. This case-study will focus on the qualitative and quantitative methods utilised including NVivo and IBM SPSS to conduct qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis. You will learn the factors to consider when conducting a mixed-methods study and develop the ability to apply similar analytical techniques to your research context.

Yes / This study examines the antecedents and market performance outcomes of disruptive business models on one hand and the boundary conditions of the disruptive business model–market performance relationship on the other hand.