This research has explored the business model and business model innovation in the context of the healthy food venture (HFV). The HFV is defined as an organised initiative that aims to improve people's health by encouraging healthy food consumption. This research has grown out of the need to find new ways of tackling the public health issues that stem from the way food is currently produced and consumed. Scholars increasingly suggest that business model innovation helps business practitioners to achieve specific value outcomes. Thought leaders increasingly call for new business models to solve the health problems stemming from the food system. However, the literature fails to offer theory and practical guidance about how to design and manage the business models of HFVs. The research seeks to answer two research questions: 1) what are the challenges faced by HFVs? and 2) how do HFVs innovate their business models? The purpose of this research is to help HFVs create multiple (both social and economic) value outcomes. One objective of the research is to contribute to the knowledge about healthy food intervention and more specifically, healthy food intervention through business models. Another objective of the research is to contribute to practice and offer practitioners tools that help them to operate successful HFVs. The research questions and objectives aligned with a qualitative approach. The researcher answered the research questions by studying a sample of HFVs using action research, autoethnography and traditional case study methodologies. The research has produced specific insights and tools that can help HFV practitioners and scholars. The insights highlight the multiplicity of value that is embedded within food. Its value richness creates both opportunities and challenges for HFVs. The research has developed a context-specific business model framework-the Business Model Blossom (BMB), and has also led to the development of a business model innovation language that complements the Business Model Blossom-the Negative Value Diagnostics (NVDs). Besides these specific insights and tools, the research has challenged the current business model literature as to the precision of the business model and business model innovation concepts. It has created future research opportunities for implementing and refining the Business Model Blossom and Negative Value Diagnostics with HFV practitioners, as well as practitioners from other industries.

The dissertation deals with the issue of novel business models based on sustainable multiple customer value creation. The issue is evaluated from the perspective of novel approaches to business models integrating environmental, social, and economic value into corporate activities. The dissertation’s objective is creating novel business model concepts based on sustainable multiple value creation for the Czech chemical industry, namely category CZ_NACE 20.1. Primary and secondary research was conducted in the making of dissertation. Research results are presented as partial conculussions describing individual areas, as well as a general conclussion. For easier interpretation of results, the disseratation emphasizes visual interpretations of provided novel business model ceoncepts. The conclussion provides contributions for theory and research, practictioners and teaching practice.

Date: 27/05/2021 Level: Bachelor thesis in Business Administration, 15 cr Institution: School of Business, Society and Engineering, Mälardalen University Authors: Hekmat Bsirini, Moe Gamil Hashem, and Hasitha Gayathri Jayasinghe                    (93/04/22)        ( 90\08\23 )                 ( 86/11/04 ) Title: A Disruptive Innovation Approach to Design a Business Model for a Startup DigitalHealthcare Platform. Tutor: Leanne Johnstone Keywords: disruptive innovation - healthcare - business model - digitalization - business modelinnovation. Research question: How should a disruptive innovation be successfully integrated into the business model of a digital healthcare platform startup, in terms of its value proposition? Purpose: Understanding the importance of innovative business models for new entrants to the healthcare sector, in terms of the marketing-related elements (namely, customer relationships, segments, and channels) which affect the whole process as the means to implement strategic aims. Method: This study used an action research approach. Data was generated by three integrative methods; a discussion with five board members of the case company, a secondary data review, and a questionnaire survey with potential customers. Conclusion: The model developed in this study identifies the implications of the disruptive innovation approach for a startup digital healthcare platform. It points out, identifying a customer segment that has been away from digital healthcare platforms due to certain inefficiencies in current platforms and designing the business model elements to cater to their needs eventually leads to the domination of the startup in the market.

2015年臺灣超過1,300萬人次出國，並由3,000多家旅行社服務，臺灣旅遊業競爭相當激烈。資訊科技與網際網路興起，促使電子商務模式日臻成熟，線上旅遊產品通路（OTA）也順勢發展。並且，全球廉價航空公司興起，航空公司因競爭激烈，利潤降低而欲向下游整合，自行創立旅行社直接服務消費者，都使得傳統旅行社面臨被去中間化的威脅。 因此，本論文透過SCP模型分析臺灣傳統旅行社的發展階段和政策的影響，以及市場結構、企業行為與市場績效，用以解釋目前旅遊產業的環境及所面臨的困境。接續針對專家學者、消費者及通路商進行專家問卷訪談，得到團體旅遊創新商業模式，用以檢視個案旅行社積極引進資訊科技改善作業效率，結合資訊科技與旅遊產業經營知識的整合運用，串接整個旅行產業內外部的價值鏈，達到旅客需求傳遞一致及服務不中斷，讓自身得以產生中間價值，是否符合團體旅遊產業鏈再中間化之成效。最後針對個案公司給予相關建議。 / In 2015, over 13 million people in Taiwan traveled abroad and they were serviced by more than 3,000 travel agencies, showing how fierce competition is in the travel industry. At the same time, the rise of both the information technology and the Internet has led to the maturation of the E-Commerce model, followed by the development of online travel agencies. Moreover, the rise of low-cost airlines has prompted traditional airlines to start their own travel agencies and directly serve their customers, in order to compensate for the loss in profits due to increased competition. All factors mentioned above indicate the threats faced by traditional travel agencies nowadays. Therefore, this dissertation is aimed at understanding the current travel industry in Taiwan as well as challenges it faces by using the SCP model to analyze the following: phases involved in the development of traditional travel agencies, influence of governmental policies on the travel industry, market structure, corporate behavior and market performance. Furthermore, this dissertation will introduce an innovative business model for group traveling, obtained after interviewing experts, scholars, business customers and distributors. The model is then used to check whether effective reintermediation of the group traveling industry will occur by reviewing a specific case company, which has actively introduced IT to improve its operating efficiency, combined it with knowledge in management of the traveling field, and connected the value chain within and without the whole travel industry,. These actions have contributed to consistent transmission of travelers’ needs and uninterrupted service, which then increased the value of the case company itself as a middle man. Finally, this dissertation proposes several recommendations for the case company.

Ein zentraler Aspekt der industriellen Digitalisierung ist die Entwicklung digitaler Geschäftsmodellinnovationen (GMI), um auch zukünftig wettbewerbsfähig zu bleiben und das Potenzial der Digitalisierung vollumfänglich ausschöpfen zu können. Mit verbunden ist dabei die Frage: Wie sollten Unternehmen zielführend vorgehen, um diese zu entwickeln? In den Fokus rückt dabei der Innovationsprozess zur Entwicklung von GMI und dessen Gestaltung im Hinblick auf die industrielle Digitalisierung. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit, welche sich an der Fallstudienmethodik von Yin (Yin, R. K.: Case Study Research: Design and Methods, 5. ed., Los Angeles: Sage Publications, 2014) orientiert, konnte ein fundiertes Verständnis über die Gestaltung eines Innovationsprozesses von GMI in Zeiten der Digitalisierung geschaffen werden. Wesentlicher Bestandteil des Forschungsfeldes ist die prozessuale Betrachtung zur Entwicklung von GMI, welche in der Wissenschaft durch heterogenes und zerfahrenes Wissen sowie bestehende Unklarheiten auf sich aufmerksam macht. Folglich besteht ein großer Forschungsbedarf darin, sich der Gestaltung des GMI-Prozesses und den damit verbundenen Fragestellungen zu widmen. Diesen ist die vorliegende Arbeit im Hinblick auf Struktur- und Verlaufsmerkmalen, Erfolgsfaktoren und durch eine Berücksichtigung der Digitalisierungsliteratur in der GMI-Forschung nachgekommen. Hinzukommend ermöglichen es die gewonnenen Erkenntnisse, Implikationen für die Praxis abzuleiten, wobei zu berücksichtigen gilt, dass diese aufgrund der qualitativ-empirischen Methodenwahl viel mehr als generische Handlungsoptionen für das Management und nicht als Handlungsempfehlungen zu verstehen sind. Die entwickelten Prozessmodelle für Produktionsunternehmen dienen als Vorschläge für methodische Hilfestellungen zur Entwicklung digitaler GMI. Weitere Handlungsoptionen für das Management lassen sich in Bezug auf Erfolgsfaktoren bzw. Potenziale des GMI-Prozesses konkretisieren. Dabei gilt es für Produktionsunternehmen u.a. die Integration des Kunden in den Innovationsprozess zu berücksichtigen, das Ökosystem einzubinden, mit Startups zusammenzuarbeiten, eine schnelle Prototypenentwicklung zu praktizieren und Daten auszuwerten und daraus GM-Ideen abzuleiten. Die gewonnenen Erkenntnisse bilden Anknüpfungspunkte für eine weiterführende Forschung. / The digital age is forcing manufacturing firms to innovate beyond new products and services and to professionalize their digital business model innovation (BMI) activities in order to stay competitive. While new product development (NPD) and new service development (NSD) research boasts a multiplicity of well-founded publications on process models, which contribute to increasing the likelihood of innovation, only few business model researchers have examined innovation processes for BMI. This is particularly so with digital BMI activities in manufacturing firms, as their digital BMI approach is often based on an extension of their NPD activities. This study explores how the innovation processes of manufacturing firms can be designed in order to develop novel business models to address the challenges of digitalization. Thereby, NPD-related path dependency considering the history in manufacturing firms and requirements on specific digital process characteristics are factored in. The study uses a multiple-case study approach, where data on BMI processes was collected in six manufacturing firms. The results show that the design of BMI processes in the digital age differs conceptually between B2C and B2B manufacturing firms. While BMI processes in B2C firms follow a semi-structured approach that considers experimentation, process models in B2B firms show similarities with an NPD hybrid model comprising stage-gate methods and agility. Concerning empirical and managerial implications, this study proposes two process models for digital BMI for B2C and B2B firms. Thereby, this study identifies specific digital process characteristics manufacturing firms need to consider when designing a BMI process in the digital age.

Africa’s rapid adoption of the mobile phone is quickly closing the digital divide in voice services. But, just as one divide is closing, another one is widening. Consumers almost everywhere are demanding more services and higher Internet access data rates. In the developing world the knowledge gained through access to information is creating unprecedented opportunities and is having a dramatic impact on the way people live and work. Africa, however, has been largely left behind in the shift to broadband. Increasing the availability and affordability of broadband services is thus high on the agenda for policy makers in Africa, though it will require major efforts from both government and the private sector. Fundamental to the all efforts to close the “digital divide” is the need to provide a ubiquitous and affordable access network that will enable distribution of broadband services to anywhere, and anytime throughout Africa. While many kinds of broadband services are being offered to the African population, the currently available services have failed to reach the majority of Africans living in rural areas. This poses a very pertinent question that justifies further investigations: why have the existing broadband services failed to satisfy Africa’s need for a ubiquitous digital communication service. The lack of penetration of the existing services makes it clear that a different technology and service offering is needed, a service offering that is affordable to the large consumer market segment and which can complement the mobile and ADSL broadband networks to provide services to all of Africa on a cost effective basis. This research work investigates the current business and technology domains and develops new knowledge and the insights that are required firstly to understand why existing broadband services are failing to reach rural Africa and secondly to understand what criteria must be satisfied to deliver broadband access services to the mass consumer Africa market. The research work focuses on the interrelationships between markets, technology and business of the consumer broadband market and defines new thinking as reference to provide guidance to the future development of more suitable broadband offerings for the rural African market. The study centres around three principal areas of knowledge contribution. Analysis of the primary factors impacting the delivery of broadband services Firstly the study addresses the current market dynamics and technology realities to determine two critical aspects: 1) Can the mass market afford broadband services or will it remain the privilege of the higher income groups? And, 2) Can existing mobile broadband , ADSL and satellite access services meet the demands to service the mass market or is an alternative technology option required? Through analytical review the study determined that there is a large, and growing, middle class market that can afford broadband access services. This market sector is quantified in terms of consumer income levels and demographic user data. The study formulates the commercial and service criteria applicable to a broadband access service on servicing this target market. The study further investigates the availability, affordability and market penetration of the current mobile and ADSL broadband services and found that the available service options cannot effectively meet the current and future demand. The limitation in meeting the current market demand leads to a large under serviced consumer market in Africa. The study proposes a unique approach to quantify the specific under-serviced gap, which will not be met by currently available broadband technologies. The technology comparative study provides new insight into the limitations of mobile 3G broadband services and why this technology will not be able to meet the future demand for consumer broadband services in Africa. The technology study furthermore quantifies the advantages of using satellite technology to implement a mass consumer broadband service in Africa. The study proves that the ubiquitous nature and rapid deployment capabilities of satellite access networks provides distinct benefits when deploying a mass consumer network which makes satellite the technology of choice for consumer broadband services. We then continue to assess the ability of existing satellite broadband offerings to satisfy the needs of African end-users, and find that those offerings have been optimized for the needs and affordability levels of customers from the develop world. The result is that satellite broadband services aimed at the African end-user is primarily used by corporate and institutional customers, with little penetration of the consumer market. This finding provides the motivation for developing a business model that can leverage available technology to effectively service the African consumer market. Innovation of new concepts to support a viable broadband business strategy The mobile prepay model as well as the DStv pay-TV subscription services have demonstrated the need for a specific business innovation to ensure successful market adoption of new technologies. Both these industries have demonstrated that innovative approaches in the commercialization of technology solutions are critical to ensure the mass adoption thereof. The second section of the study therefore focuses on the innovations that are required to overcome the obstacles as identified in section 1 in order to arrive at a business strategy and business model that will prove to be viable in the delivery of broadband services to the rural African consumer market. The first challenge is the selection of the most appropriate technology platforms and the architectural design of the delivery systems to effectively service the mass consumer market. In order to adapt the business models employed by existing satellite broadband service providers the study defines the following two specific business innovation concepts that contribute to a new business paradigm for mass market broadband access services: 1) Through applied billing model innovation the study defines a new billing structure for broadband services and set a completely new paradigm for users to influence the cost of the service. The new billing model provides end-user the capability to adapt their broadband usage patterns to meet their budget constraints. 2) To successfully deliver a technology service to an emerging market requires a very specific organisational structure that effectively integrates knowledge, capability and funding while minimizing risk and uncertainty. The study proposes a new symbiotic organisational structure that elegantly combines capability and knowledge while minimizing funding requirements to ensure the acceptable market development risk. Development of a business model simulator for satellite broadband service delivery The deployment of a new type of satellite broadband service to rural Africa on an experimental basis is too expensive to be conducted for research purposes. A more practical approach that is also widely used in other domains of engineering is to construct a simulated model of the system being studied. The third knowledge contribution area of the study therefore focuses on constructing a mathematical model of the expected behavior of a business operation that provides satellite based broadband services to the African market. This simulator can be applied to quantitatively analyze various existing or proposed new business strategies. The business model simulation integrates all the business, market, technology and commercial relationships that impacts on the expected behavior of such an operation and provides a quantified model of expected business behavior based on the underlying dynamics of the satellite broadband industry. The development and validation of the business model simulator represents a unique contribution to this industry as no results of a similar model that represents the operations of a satellite broadband access service provider has been published before. The model empowers Service Providers and industry stakeholders to analyze different business strategies and to quantify the impact of various business decisions. In general it can be stated that this research work adds knowledge and insight to the field of applied business strategy as applicable to providing advanced technology-based services for emerging markets. The final outcome of this research study is the business model simulator. It integrates various market and business elements as well as satellite network engineering practises into an integrated financial cost modelling, business scenario planning and engineering network design tool. Through this integration of known disciplines the study provides an additional extension to the field of satellite business engineering. / PhD (Electronic Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

Africa’s rapid adoption of the mobile phone is quickly closing the digital divide in voice services. But, just as one divide is closing, another one is widening. Consumers almost everywhere are demanding more services and higher Internet access data rates. In the developing world the knowledge gained through access to information is creating unprecedented opportunities and is having a dramatic impact on the way people live and work. Africa, however, has been largely left behind in the shift to broadband. Increasing the availability and affordability of broadband services is thus high on the agenda for policy makers in Africa, though it will require major efforts from both government and the private sector. Fundamental to the all efforts to close the “digital divide” is the need to provide a ubiquitous and affordable access network that will enable distribution of broadband services to anywhere, and anytime throughout Africa. While many kinds of broadband services are being offered to the African population, the currently available services have failed to reach the majority of Africans living in rural areas. This poses a very pertinent question that justifies further investigations: why have the existing broadband services failed to satisfy Africa’s need for a ubiquitous digital communication service. The lack of penetration of the existing services makes it clear that a different technology and service offering is needed, a service offering that is affordable to the large consumer market segment and which can complement the mobile and ADSL broadband networks to provide services to all of Africa on a cost effective basis. This research work investigates the current business and technology domains and develops new knowledge and the insights that are required firstly to understand why existing broadband services are failing to reach rural Africa and secondly to understand what criteria must be satisfied to deliver broadband access services to the mass consumer Africa market. The research work focuses on the interrelationships between markets, technology and business of the consumer broadband market and defines new thinking as reference to provide guidance to the future development of more suitable broadband offerings for the rural African market. The study centres around three principal areas of knowledge contribution. Analysis of the primary factors impacting the delivery of broadband services Firstly the study addresses the current market dynamics and technology realities to determine two critical aspects: 1) Can the mass market afford broadband services or will it remain the privilege of the higher income groups? And, 2) Can existing mobile broadband , ADSL and satellite access services meet the demands to service the mass market or is an alternative technology option required? Through analytical review the study determined that there is a large, and growing, middle class market that can afford broadband access services. This market sector is quantified in terms of consumer income levels and demographic user data. The study formulates the commercial and service criteria applicable to a broadband access service on servicing this target market. The study further investigates the availability, affordability and market penetration of the current mobile and ADSL broadband services and found that the available service options cannot effectively meet the current and future demand. The limitation in meeting the current market demand leads to a large under serviced consumer market in Africa. The study proposes a unique approach to quantify the specific under-serviced gap, which will not be met by currently available broadband technologies. The technology comparative study provides new insight into the limitations of mobile 3G broadband services and why this technology will not be able to meet the future demand for consumer broadband services in Africa. The technology study furthermore quantifies the advantages of using satellite technology to implement a mass consumer broadband service in Africa. The study proves that the ubiquitous nature and rapid deployment capabilities of satellite access networks provides distinct benefits when deploying a mass consumer network which makes satellite the technology of choice for consumer broadband services. We then continue to assess the ability of existing satellite broadband offerings to satisfy the needs of African end-users, and find that those offerings have been optimized for the needs and affordability levels of customers from the develop world. The result is that satellite broadband services aimed at the African end-user is primarily used by corporate and institutional customers, with little penetration of the consumer market. This finding provides the motivation for developing a business model that can leverage available technology to effectively service the African consumer market. Innovation of new concepts to support a viable broadband business strategy The mobile prepay model as well as the DStv pay-TV subscription services have demonstrated the need for a specific business innovation to ensure successful market adoption of new technologies. Both these industries have demonstrated that innovative approaches in the commercialization of technology solutions are critical to ensure the mass adoption thereof. The second section of the study therefore focuses on the innovations that are required to overcome the obstacles as identified in section 1 in order to arrive at a business strategy and business model that will prove to be viable in the delivery of broadband services to the rural African consumer market. The first challenge is the selection of the most appropriate technology platforms and the architectural design of the delivery systems to effectively service the mass consumer market. In order to adapt the business models employed by existing satellite broadband service providers the study defines the following two specific business innovation concepts that contribute to a new business paradigm for mass market broadband access services: 1) Through applied billing model innovation the study defines a new billing structure for broadband services and set a completely new paradigm for users to influence the cost of the service. The new billing model provides end-user the capability to adapt their broadband usage patterns to meet their budget constraints. 2) To successfully deliver a technology service to an emerging market requires a very specific organisational structure that effectively integrates knowledge, capability and funding while minimizing risk and uncertainty. The study proposes a new symbiotic organisational structure that elegantly combines capability and knowledge while minimizing funding requirements to ensure the acceptable market development risk. Development of a business model simulator for satellite broadband service delivery The deployment of a new type of satellite broadband service to rural Africa on an experimental basis is too expensive to be conducted for research purposes. A more practical approach that is also widely used in other domains of engineering is to construct a simulated model of the system being studied. The third knowledge contribution area of the study therefore focuses on constructing a mathematical model of the expected behavior of a business operation that provides satellite based broadband services to the African market. This simulator can be applied to quantitatively analyze various existing or proposed new business strategies. The business model simulation integrates all the business, market, technology and commercial relationships that impacts on the expected behavior of such an operation and provides a quantified model of expected business behavior based on the underlying dynamics of the satellite broadband industry. The development and validation of the business model simulator represents a unique contribution to this industry as no results of a similar model that represents the operations of a satellite broadband access service provider has been published before. The model empowers Service Providers and industry stakeholders to analyze different business strategies and to quantify the impact of various business decisions. In general it can be stated that this research work adds knowledge and insight to the field of applied business strategy as applicable to providing advanced technology-based services for emerging markets. The final outcome of this research study is the business model simulator. It integrates various market and business elements as well as satellite network engineering practises into an integrated financial cost modelling, business scenario planning and engineering network design tool. Through this integration of known disciplines the study provides an additional extension to the field of satellite business engineering. / PhD (Electronic Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013