This thesis aims to deepen the relationship between the different forms of proximity that emerge between economic actors and the consequent influence on their innovative capacity. Over the years, this topic has generated a great deal of attention in conference proceedings and scientific publications. The first step to deepen the understanding of this amount of knowledge was to identify a suitable methodology. In so do- ing, the recent advances of the Machine Learning community – particularly Natural Language Processing academics - have offered interesting insights. In particular, "Topic Modeling" was identified as a suitable methodology to bring out latent semantic structures. Therefore, the first chapter tries to study how this methodology has been implemented in the social sciences and, in particular, in management. The contribution offered is a rationalization of the achievable goals and their relationship with evaluation practices. Once clarified how to use this algorithm, the second chapter studied the relationship between proximity and innovation. Using an unsupervised machine learning technique, the research attempts to identify thematic management cores in a multifocal literature such as proximity. Together with a qualitative analysis, the study attempts to bring out the theoretical and empirical contributions offered to the management community. Once the theoretical and empirical expectations have been clarified, the third chapter introduces a strategic theme, namely the business model. This section proposes a mediating effect of the business model concerning the central relationship between proximity and innovation. After a theoretical introduction, the conceptual model is studied with an exploratory approach. Without any presumption of generalizability and completeness, a novel analytical key is offered to open further debate in the community of proximity.

This research investigates mobile service design and engineering in the mobile telecommunications industry. The mobile telecommunication business is shifting from one that was voice-centric to one that is almost all data-centric; thanks to recent rapid advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The underlying reasons behind this shift can be traced back to two main issues that are interlinked. The first and major reason is that telecoms (telecommunication companies) are trying to generate new revenue streams based on data and information transmissions, given the saturation of the voice market. This is rational given the market opportunities in one direction and the pressures being generated by the current economic downturn from the other direction. The second reason relates to the flexibility of data, compared to voice. Indeed, the number of services that can be developed on the basis of data are much greater than those that can be developed on the basis of voice. However, the design and engineering of successful and innovative mobile data services has proven to be a complex undertaking. The number of effective mobile data services is relatively small and the revenue generated from such offerings has generally been below expectations. This research develops an ontological framework to help in changing this situation, and making mobile services engineering more effective and successful, following the design-science research paradigm. Design-science research, in general, aims to solve unstructured but relevant organizational or social problems through the development of novel and useful artefacts. As the current research aims to help in solving the mobile data services engineering dilemma by developing a purposeful ontological framework, the design-science research paradigm is deemed fitting. Within this paradigm, the author develops a novel design approach specified for ontology engineering, termed “OntoEng”. This design approach is used in this research for developing the ontological framework. The developed ontological framework is founded on business model thinking. The idea is that creating innovative mobile data services requires developing innovative business models. Indeed, innovative business models can help translate technological potential into economic value and allow telecoms to achieve their strategic objectives. The ontological framework includes the development of an ontology, termed “V4 Mobile Service BM Ontology” as well as “Mobile Key Value Drivers” for designing and engineering innovative mobile data services. The V4 Mobile Service BM Ontology incorporates four design dimensions: (1) value proposition including targeting; (2) value architecture including technological and organizational infrastructure; (3) value network dealing with aspects relating to partnerships and co-operations; and finally (4) value finance relating to costs, pricing, and revenue structures. Within these four dimensions, sixteen design concepts are identified along with their constituent elements. Relationships and interdependencies amongst the identified design constructs are established and clear semantics are produced. The research then derives six key value drivers for mobile service engineering as follows: (a) Market Alignment; (b) Cohesion; (c) Dynamicity; (d) Uniqueness; (e) Fitting Network-Mode; and (f) Explicitness. The developed ontological framework in this research is evaluated to ensure that it can be successfully implemented and performs correctly in the real world. The research mainly utilizes case analysis methods to ensure the semantic correctness of the ontological framework. Indeed, the developed ontological framework is employed as an analytical lens to examine the design and engineering of three key real-life cases in the mobile telecommunications industry. These cases are: (1) Apple’s iPhone Services and Applications; (2) NTT DoCoMo’s i-mode Services; and (3) Orange Business Services. For further validation, the developed ontological framework is evaluated against a set of criteria synthesized from ontology engineering and evaluation literature. These criteria are: Clarity; Coherence; Conciseness; Preciseness; Completeness; and Customizability. The developed ontological framework is argued to make significant contributions for theory, practice, and methodology. For theory, this research provides (1) a novel ontological framework for designing and engineering mobile data services; (2) a unified framework of the business model concept; and (3) a new design approach for ontology engineering in information systems. For practice, the current research provides practitioners in the telecommunications industry with systematic and customizable means to design, implement, analyze, evaluate, and change new and existing mobile data services to make them more manageable, effective, and creative. For methodology, the use of the design- science research paradigm for ontology engineering signifies the focal methodological contribution in this research given its novelty. This research also contributes to the understanding of the design-science research paradigm in information systems as it is relatively new. It provides a working example in which the author illustrates how recognizing design-science research as a paradigm is essential and useful to the research in information systems discipline.

Submitted by Irene Nascimento (irene.kessia@ufpe.br) on 2016-06-22T17:17:22Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) dissertacao-emp-ABNT.pdf: 3116407 bytes, checksum: 8cd23c19daed8b6c62acf21e44c510b4 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-22T17:17:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) dissertacao-emp-ABNT.pdf: 3116407 bytes, checksum: 8cd23c19daed8b6c62acf21e44c510b4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-01-29 / Existem muitos estudos sobre inovação em modelos de negócios com startups e grandes empresas, mas a realidade das pequenas empresas é bem diferente e requer uma atenção especial. Neste sentido, o objetivo do trabalho é investigar como uma pequena empresa estabelecida do segmento de Tecnologia da Informação inova em seu modelo de negócio ao longo do tempo. Realizamos então um estudo de caso para identificar os fatores que incidiram sobre o modelo de negócio, sob a ótica dos nove blocos de construção do Business Model Canvas. Avaliamos também a aplicabilidade da ferramenta com relação às facilidades e dificuldades do processo de elaboração, à completude da ferramenta e às oportunidades futuras de inovação a partir do Canvas. O fator mais importante foi a inovação aberta, pois, além de manter o foco no negócio principal, a pequena empresa conseguiu responder às necessidades do mercado mais rapidamente e manteve os clientes engajados com a inovação. É essencial construir um ambiente interno capaz de fomentar a inovação e disseminar a visão sistêmica do negócio com toda a equipe, usando o Canvas como ferramenta auxiliar e permitindo à empresa se relacionar com agentes externos (institutos de pesquisa, grandes e pequenas empresas, startups). As boas parcerias incentivam o crescimento da empresa, gerando benefícios para ambos os lados e promovendo uma solução mais completa para o cliente. / There are many studies on business model innovation with startups and big corporations but the scenario for small businesses is quite different and requires special attention. The objective of this study is to investigate how an established small company of Information Technology innovates on its business model over time. To do this, we conducted a case study to identify the factors that impacted on the business model, from the perspective of nine building blocks of Business Model Canvas. We also evaluated the applicability of the tool related to strengths and difficulties of the drafting process, tool completeness and future opportunities of innovation from the Canvas. The most important factor was the open innovation, because in addition to keep the focus on the core business, the small business can respond to market needs faster and keeps customers engaged with innovation. It is essential to build an internal environment capable of fostering innovation and spreading to the whole team a systematic view of business, using Canvas as assistant tool and enabling the company to relate to external stakeholders (research institutions, big and small companies, startups). The good partnerships encourage the growth of the company while creating benefits to both and providing a complete solution to customers.

Die Energiewirtschaft befindet sich im Wandel: der Einfluss von globalen Trends und veränderten Kundenbedürfnissen bei gleichzeitiger Gewährleistung hoher Versorgungssicherheit setzt Energieversorgungsunternehmen (EVU) unter enormen Druck. Weiterhin verstärkt der Einstieg marktfremder Unternehmen den Wettbewerb und der Übergang zu dezentralen regenerativen Energien verändert das Strommarktdesign. Beides fordert die konservativen Strukturen der Energieversorger heraus. Das bemerken die meisten EVUs heute bereits an den sinkenden Margen im Stromvertrieb, aber auch am Erfolg neuer technologischer Möglichkeiten, die ihr Geschäftsmodell bedrohen. Der Fortgang dieser Tendenzen, sowie die veränderte Umgebung in 2030 bestätigen: Wie jedes Unternehmen müssen sich auch EVUs an die externen Rahmenbedingungen anpassen, insofern sie in dieser Umgebung langfristig überleben wollen. Es stellt sich die Frage, ob und wie EVUs sich perspektivisch transformieren müssen, so dass ihrem Angebot auch immer ausreichend kundenseitige Nachfrage gegenübersteht.:Abkürzungsverzeichnis Abbildungsverzeichnis Tabellenverzeichnis 1. EINLEITUNG 1.1 Motivation und Zielstellung 1.2 Aufbau der Arbeit 2. THEORIE UND DEFINITION DER GRUNDBEGRIFFE 2.1 Die Energiewirtschaft und Energieversorgungsunternehmen 2.2 Begriffsdefinition Digitalisierung und Innovation 2.2.1 Digitalisierung 2.2.2 Innovation 2.2.3 Business Model Canvas 2.3 Der Transformationsdruck auf Energieversorger 2.3.1 Rechtliche Einflüsse 2.3.2 Technische Einflüsse 2.3.3 Wirtschaftliche Einflüsse 2.4 Zusammenfassung 3. DER TRANSFORMATIONSDRUCK AUF ENERGIEVERSORGER 3.1 Entwicklung der Thesen 3.1.1 Thesen aus Kundensicht 3.1.2 Thesen zur Selbstsicht der Energieversorgungsunternehmen 3.1.3 Thesen zum Verhalten des Gesetzgebers 3.1.4 Thesen zur Beschreibung einiger Treiber der Veränderungen 2030 3.1.5 Thesen zur Situation der Energieversorgungsunternehmen in 2030 3.2 Überprüfung der Thesen durch Experteninterviews 3.2.1 Methodik, Vorgehensweise und Befragte 3.2.2 Auswertung 3.2.3 Mögliche Szenarien für die Energiewirtschaft 2030 3.3 Ergebnisse der Experteninterviews 3.3.1 Themenkomplex 1 – Das Kundenverhalten 3.3.2 Themenkomplex 2 – Die Selbstsicht der EVUs 3.3.3 Themenkomplex 3 – Das Verhalten des Gesetzgebers 3.3.4 Themenkomplex 4 – Die Treiber der Veränderungen 3.3.5 Themenkomplex 5 – EVUs 2030 3.4 Schlussfolgerung aus der Befragung 4. MODELLENTWICKLUNG „VIRTUELLES EVU“ 4.1 Vision, Mission und Strategie 4.2 Aufbau und Organisation 4.3 Wertschöpfungskette 4.4 Kunden und Partnerschaften 4.5 Business Model Canvas 5. DIE ENTWICKLUNGEN IN DER TELEKOMMUNIKATIONSBRANCHE 5.1 Wertschöpfung in der Telekommunikation 5.2 Veränderungen in der Telekommunikation 5.3 Schlussfolgerung für die Energiewirtschaft 6. FAZIT DER BETRACHTUNGEN 6.1 Mögliche Vorbehalte und Fehleranalyse 6.2 Verwendung des Modells „Virtuelles EVU 2030“ 6.3Weiterer Forschungsbedarf und Ausblick LITERATURVERZEICHNIS ANHANG

Submitted by Adriana Alves Rodrigues (aalves@espm.br) on 2018-10-10T15:49:34Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MPPJM - MARIANA BENVENIDO.pdf: 5225925 bytes, checksum: 8c3fa6d48bc88727b5d644f4277423e1 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Alves Rodrigues (aalves@espm.br) on 2018-10-10T15:50:09Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 MPPJM - MARIANA BENVENIDO.pdf: 5225925 bytes, checksum: 8c3fa6d48bc88727b5d644f4277423e1 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Debora Cristina Bonfim Aquarone (deborabonfim@espm.br) on 2018-10-10T15:50:46Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 MPPJM - MARIANA BENVENIDO.pdf: 5225925 bytes, checksum: 8c3fa6d48bc88727b5d644f4277423e1 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-10-10T15:50:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MPPJM - MARIANA BENVENIDO.pdf: 5225925 bytes, checksum: 8c3fa6d48bc88727b5d644f4277423e1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-20 / This research investigates how Exame magazine creates innovations and adds value in business models to survive in a digital ecosystem. The main objective is: analyze the strategies of innovation and creation of value for the audience in the magazine Exame in the three central platforms: magazine, site and application. A theoretical framework was developed to: understand the transition from traditional journalism to digital through new business models; identify the business model in the printed environment and in the digital environment; point out the innovations made by the magazine with the arrival of technologies; map the audience value creations developed by the Exame. This study is an exploratory research of qualitative character, appropriating the methodology of case study. For the development of the dissertation a bibliographical and documentary survey was carried out, elaboration of the categories of analysis, semi-structured interviews in depth and monitoring of the platforms. As a result, the research infers that the Exame presents three profiles of readers, justifying the independent nuclei in its organizational structure. The units meet the characteristics of the platforms, requiring an exclusive team to produce the content. The financing is based on readers and advertisers and the implementation of paywall has changed the business model. There is a need for greater collaboration among readers. Exame develops specific actions to create value on the three platforms analyzed to strengthen the brand in front of the print and digital audience. However, there is no effective insertion of innovation in their actions. Exame reproduces strategies that have worked well in international vehicles and performs innovative processes that are different from what already exists in the national market. / Essa pesquisa investiga como a revista Exame cria inovações e agrega valor em seu modelo de negócio para sobreviver em um ecossistema digital. O objetivo principal é analisar as estratégias de inovação e criação de valor para a audiência na Exame nas três plataformas centrais: revista, site e aplicativo. Foi elaborado um referencial teórico para: compreender a transição do jornalismo tradicional para o digital por meio de novos modelos de negócio; identificar o modelo de negócio no ambiente impresso e no digital; apontar as inovações realizadas pela revista com a chega das tecnologias; mapear as criações de valores para a audiência desenvolvidas pela Exame. Esse estudo é uma pesquisa exploratória de caráter qualitativo, apropriando-se da metodologia de estudo de caso. Para o desenvolvimento da dissertação foi realizado um levantamento bibliográfico e documental, elaboração das categorias de análise, entrevistas semiestruturadas em profundidade e monitoramento das plataformas. Como resultado, a pesquisa infere que a Exame apresenta três perfis de leitores, justificando os núcleos independentes em sua estrutura organizacional. As unidades atendem as características das plataformas, exigindo uma equipe exclusiva para a produção do conteúdo. O financiamento é pautado nos leitores e nos anunciantes e a implementação do paywall alterou o modelo de negócio. Observa-se a necessidade de uma maior colaboração dos leitores. A Exame desenvolve ações específicas de criação de valor nas três plataformas analisadas para fortalecer a marca perante a audiência impressa e digital. No entanto, não existe uma inserção efetiva de inovação em suas ações. A Exame reproduz estratégias que deram certo em veículos internacionais e executa processos inovadores diferenciados do que já existe no mercado nacional.

This thesis investigates the performance of business model innovation (BMI) by incumbent power utility and clean-tech start-up firms influenced by the German Energiewende. It emphasises the factors that impact BMI from a managers’ perspective, examines success factors for managers to overcome BMI challenges, and addresses contingencies to perform BMI in a more structured way. The research is driven by the German Energiewende. It has been chosen as Germany is considered one of the world’s leading markets for renewable energies and a transformation of the power sector is currently underway. Therefore, established power utility firms face severe changes, which have the characteristics of a potential disruption to their business model (BM). At the same time, new players are challenging these incumbents with new BMs. The research is underpinned by the extant literature on BMs and BMI. The research approach is based on two case studies; the incumbent power utility and the clean-tech start-up sector. The qualitative study comprises of 24 semi-structured interviews conducted with top tier managers, from 18 firms, responsible for BMI within these firms. Key findings: This study extends our knowledge of BMI in both a start-up and an incumbent environment that is influenced by various contingent events. It portrays barriers to BMI and depicts critical success factors for BMI that point out solutions on how to overcome these barriers. It provides a structured BMI framework for established firms and illustrates future BM archetypes in this sector. It clearly documents the German Energiewende is regarded as a disruptive threat from the perspective of incumbent power utility managers. The theoretical contribution of this thesis is a process framework including all identified drivers and challenges for BMI in both established and start-up firms. Contributions to practice include critical success factors for BMI, recommendations to overcome barriers to BMI and future BM archetypes within the newly evolving Energiewende industry based on sustainable technologies.

The literature review on emerging concepts of 'Business model' and 'Business model innovation' finds significant theoretical and practical potential to facilitate the strategising and innovating activities of modern organisations operating in complex and dynamic business environments. However, a further review of extant literature reveals that although a significant knowledge-base has been accumulated focusing on the content and process aspects of the phenomenon, very few of the conducted studies take a practice-based perspective. Therefore, in keeping with the broader research question of current strategising practices, this research investigates the issue from many possible philosophical, theoretical and methodological angles, in turn making several contributions to the theory and practice of business models while also opening up several potential future research avenues. This research consists of four main research stages sequentially covering problem formulation, two theory creation phases and problem solving, thereby meeting the requirements of a practice-based management research through relevance rather than merely rigour, as in conventional scientific research. As a result, it offers several research contributions to both the theory and practice of business models, which can be immediately put into practice by theorists, practitioners and entrepreneurs: a pluralistic business model research classification framework; a dynamic practice-based approach to the construction of business models; a knowledge-based conceptualisation of business models and a dynamic capability matrix for business model practices. Additionally, this research also offers potential future contributions to adjacent research streams such as dynamic capabilities, strategy as practice and research methodology. Overall, by utilising the philosophy of pragmatism, this thesis advances the contemporary discipline of business models towards a practice-based science, crucially and timely bridging the knowledge gap in existing practice-based theories and frameworks business models. It is hopes that this work will gave rise to a new movement of research on business models, positioning itself as a well established applied-oriented management science among the broader disciplines of strategy, innovation and entrepreneurship.

This thesis investigates the performance of business model innovation (BMI) by incumbent power utility and clean-tech start-up firms influenced by the German Energiewende. It emphasises the factors that impact BMI from a managers’ perspective, examines success factors for managers to overcome BMI challenges, and addresses contingencies to perform BMI in a more structured way. The research is driven by the German Energiewende. It has been chosen as Germany is considered one of the world’s leading markets for renewable energies and a transformation of the power sector is currently underway. Therefore, established power utility firms face severe changes, which have the characteristics of a potential disruption to their business model (BM). At the same time, new players are challenging these incumbents with new BMs. The research is underpinned by the extant literature on BMs and BMI. The research approach is based on two case studies; the incumbent power utility and the clean-tech start-up sector. The qualitative study comprises of 24 semi-structured interviews conducted with top tier managers, from 18 firms, responsible for BMI within these firms. Key findings: This study extends our knowledge of BMI in both a start-up and an incumbent environment that is influenced by various contingent events. It portrays barriers to BMI and depicts critical success factors for BMI that point out solutions on how to overcome these barriers. It provides a structured BMI framework for established firms and illustrates future BM archetypes in this sector. It clearly documents the German Energiewende is regarded as a disruptive threat from the perspective of incumbent power utility managers. The theoretical contribution of this thesis is a process framework including all identified drivers and challenges for BMI in both established and start-up firms. Contributions to practice include critical success factors for BMI, recommendations to overcome barriers to BMI and future BM archetypes within the newly evolving Energiewende industry based on sustainable technologies.

Due to entrance of WTO and performance of cGMP, Taiwan¡¦s biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries has met with more challenge¡Bimpact and pressure that let enterprise must reflect the marketing concept rests on four pillars¡Gtarget market, customer needs, integrated marketing, and organizational objectives( profitability) that reflect completely and restructure the strategic marketing according to innovative rethinking and develop into vision and strategic target of enterprise. The high-performance of business competitive advantage is focused on delivering customer value and satisfaction. Given the importance of customer value and satisfaction, we need to discuss the concepts of a value chain and value-delivery systems. Every firm is a collection of activities that are performed to design¡Bproduce¡Bmarket¡Bdeliver¡Band support its product. The firm¡¦s task is to examine the value chain and look for ways to improve its cost and performance in each value-creating activity. The firm should estimate its competitor¡¦s cost and performance as benchmarks against which to compare its own cost and performance. To the extent that it can perform certain activities better than its competitors, it can achieve a business competitive advantage. Strong companies develop superior capabilities in managing these core competences. According to current healthy policy of Taiwan¡¦s government and promotional projects of developing biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, enterprise need to reflect and evaluate the core competence and focus on firm¡¦s resources. Enterprise need to find out and decide the strategic positioning and then fit with government¡¦s policy. How to combine about the low cost operation of business strategy and high profit of innovative strategy that develop and restructure the new business model that achieve the business competitive advantage. This study will explore meantime that Taiwan¡¦s biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms desire for reaching competitive advantage and occupying the market quickly, the firms should think that saving resources¡Brestructuring business model¡Bmanaging risk¡Banalyzing critical success factors¡Boperating the strategy of alliance and co-marketing are necessary.

Keywords¡GBiotechnology, Business Competitive Advantage, Innovation Business Model, Strategic Marketing, Marketing Concept Rests on Four Pillars, Porter¡¦s Competitive Forces Model, Value-chain Model, Resources Advantage Orientation, Resources-Based Theory( view) , Core Competence, Customer Relation Management, Strategy Game Due to entrance of WTO and performance of cGMP, Taiwan¡¦s biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries has met with more challenge¡Bimpact and pressure that let enterprise must reflect the marketing concept rests on four pillars¡Gtarget market, customer needs, integrated marketing, and organizational objectives( profitability) that reflect completely and restructure the strategic marketing according to innovative rethinking and develop into vision and strategic target of enterprise. The high-performance of business competitive advantage is focused on delivering customer value and satisfaction. Given the importance of customer value and satisfaction, we need to discuss the concepts of a value chain and value-delivery systems. Every firm is a collection of activities that are performed to design¡Bproduce¡Bmarket¡Bdeliver¡Band support its product. The firm¡¦s task is to examine the value chain and look for ways to improve its cost and performance in each value-creating activity. The firm should estimate its competitor¡¦s cost and performance as benchmarks against which to compare its own cost and performance. To the extent that it can perform certain activities better than its competitors, it can achieve a business competitive advantage. Strong companies develop superior capabilities in managing these core competences. According to current healthy policy of Taiwan¡¦s government and promotional projects of developing biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, enterprise need to reflect and evaluate the core competence and focus on firm¡¦s resources. Enterprise need to find out and decide the strategic positioning and then fit with government¡¦s policy. How to combine about the low cost operation of business strategy and high profit of innovative strategy that develop and restructure the new business model that achieve the business competitive advantage. This study will explore meantime that Taiwan¡¦s biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms desire for reaching competitive advantage and occupying the market quickly, the firms should think that saving resources¡Brestructuring business model¡Bmanaging risk¡Banalyzing critical success factors¡Boperating the strategy of alliance and co-marketing are necessary.