Collaborative Virtual Environments (CVE) have been with us for some years however the way people utilise them is evolving and their potential is unclear. This research attempts to achieve a better understanding of retail in CVEs by comparing this channel with the competing retail channels of ‘bricks and mortar’, or offline, and two dimensional navigation websites (2D websites), in order to identify their respective Relative Advantages (RA). This is investigated from the consumer viewpoint, as they are the ones who will ultimately shape CVEs by voting with their feet, clicks or virtual feet. By exploring the literature a model was chosen to guide the research. Furthermore, based on this model and other literature five key objectives were identified for further investigation. These objectives are categories of RA that must be explored when comparing retail channels. The first research objective is as follows: A RA of CVEs to the 2D websites for e-commerce may be the aspects of offline retail it includes that do not exist in the 2D websites. The second research objective is: A RA of CVEs retail compared to offline retail may be aspects of 2D e-commerce it includes that are not included in the offline retail environment. The third research objective is: Consumers may vary their intended usage of CVEs across the different stages of the purchase process because the significance of the dimensions of RA may vary across those stages. The fourth research objective is: Consumers’ usage of CVEs may be different for simple and complex products. The fifth research objective is: CVEs such as Second Life (SL) may have the RA of a higher degree of institutional trust compared to the 2D websites. The first stage of data collection used focus groups to clarify the objectives identified from the literature. The second stage involved interviews where these objectives were explored with participants that had relevant experience. Both stages were analysed using template analysis. The first contribution was verifying the relevance of the five objectives and identifying significant dimensions within them. The second contribution was to develop the model used for comparing retail channels by adding enjoyment to the criteria. The third stage of this research is a survey. This quantitative analysis supplemented the two qualitative stages by gauging the significance of the objectives and their dimensions. This enables the findings to be more useful to retailers in making the strategic decisions to achieve the optimum synergies within and between channels. Participants showed a preference for offline and 2D in most situations however there was evidence that enjoyment, entertainment, sociable shopping, the ability to reinvent yourself, convenience and institutional trust were RA of SL in comparison to one of the other two channels.

The use of mobile technologies has permeated the business arena rapidly over the last decade. Research has been conducted to understand the nature of these mobile technologies and their adoption into business. With the ever growing importance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in countries such as South Africa, there is need to better understand the impact of mobile technologies on SMEs. The objective of this study is to assess the impact of mobile technologies on the business models of SMEs. A theoretical definition of a business model is used to understand the impact of mobile technologies on the customer value proposition, the profit formula, key resources and the value chain of SMEs. The study takes into account some of the challenges that SMEs face, namely limited resources, low levels of productivity and small management teams. SMEs registered with the Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Business (PCB) are used as a sample to assess the impact of mobile technologies. The results show that mobile technologies have a significant impact on the profit formula and certain aspects of key resources. Specifically, mobile technologies are used to firstly cut costs and then to enhance the utilisation of assets, improve knowledge management while ensuring adequate governance structures. The outcome of this study can be used by SMEs to plan for the adoption of mobile technologies and measure their impact on the business. Mobile technology companies can consider the development of mobile technologies tailored for the SME environment. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

This paper dives into the world of business models where more precisely the business model called Freemium is inspected. The paper has multiple purposes where one is to examine why businesses decide to use a business model that is as volatile as Freemium. The other purpose of the paper is to examine what kind of management accounting is used within the business model. Reasoning behind that is to see if there are any specific traits that originates from the usage of the business model Freemium.   To fulfill this purpose the writers have decided to take a qualitative approach with the usage of interviews as the main instrument to gather data. The companies represented in the study are within different industries and are all considered to be SMEs. The chosen theoretical framework is built on previous research on business models and management accounting in SMEs and Start-ups.   The results of the study indicate that the business model originates from the changes in the market due to digitalization which allowed new ways for companies to present value to customers. Thanks to this, giving away part of the product for free became an acceptable way of conducting business as costs for distributing products were severely reduced. Once companies chose to adapt to this business model its competition were left with no choice but to adapt or get left behind. Nowadays most businesses choose the model thanks to its great benefits in advertising and the possibility to expand their business further beyond the business model. The role of management accounting within these companies has somewhat shifted to a greater emphasis on what the customer desires. Customers are the foundation for almost all decisions made within the companies. To leverage the customer for utmost efficiency companies collect user data and then use the information as foundation for its decisions. Due to this the business needs to adapt to quick changes and most of the tools used for management accounting have a controlling function along with the purpose of learning more about the user within the product. / Den här uppsatsen tar sitt avstamp i området affärsmodeller och mer specifikt den affärsmodell som kallas för Freemium. Uppsatsen har flera syften och ett av dem är att undersöka varför företag väljer att använda en affärsmodell som är så volatil som Freemium. Det andra syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka vilken typ av ekonomistyrning som används inom affärsmodellen. Resonemanget bakom det är att se om det finns några specifika drag som kan kopplas till användningen av Freemium.   För att uppfylla detta syfte har författarna haft ett kvalitativt förhållningssätt med användning av intervjuer som huvudinstrument för insamlingen av data. De företag som representeras i studien finns inom olika branscher och anses alla vara små och medelstora företag. Det valda teoretiska ramverket bygger på tidigare forskning om affärsmodeller och ekonomistyrning i små och medelstora företag och nystartade företag.   Resultaten av studien indikerar att affärsmodellen uppstod efter förändringar som skett på marknaden till följd av digitaliseringen som möjliggjorde nya sätt för företag att presentera värde för kunderna. Tack vare detta blev att ge bort en del av produkten gratis ett acceptabelt sätt att bedriva verksamheter eftersom kostnaderna för distribution av produkter minskade kraftigt. När företagen väl valde att anpassa sig till denna affärsmodell fick konkurrenterna inget annat val än att anpassa sig eller bli kvarlämnade i det förflutna. Numera väljer de flesta företag affärsmodellen tack vare dess stora fördelar med reklam och möjligheten att expandera. Ekonomistyrningens roll hos företag som använder Freemium har ett större behov av att tillfredsställa kunden efter vad de önskar. Kunderna är grunden för nästan alla beslut som fattas inom företagen. För att utnyttja kunden för största möjliga effektivitet samlar företag in användardata och använder sedan informationen som grund för sina beslut. På grund av detta måste företaget anpassa sig till snabba förändringar och de flesta verktyg som används för ekonomistyrning har en kontrollfunktion tillsammans med syftet att lära sig mer om användaren i produkten.

博士(経営) / 甲第596号 / 173 p. / Hitotsubashi University(一橋大学)

The transformation of road transport towards sustainable vehicle powering technologies provided an opportunity for the development of several electromobility solutions among which are Electric Road Systems (ERS). However, a large-scale implementation of ERS involves a challenge for potential participants to develop business models for ERS. Thus, the purpose of the thesis was to explore an assessment process to be used by potential ERS participants to identify related business models. The purpose was operationalized by a research question seeking to identify how business models and subsequent interactions are to evolve for potential participants. The thesis was built upon a theoretical foundation of the intersection between technological innovation system (TIS) and business model (BM) theories. The methodology followed a threestep research design that revolved around a selected case study – eRoadArlanda – and the gathering of empirical information from interviews and documents. The research design involved empirical and theoretical definition and breakdown of ERS, the development and application of a function-based assessment process for ERS and the evaluation of function-based and relational BMs. Consequently, the assessment process yielded a breakdown into five functions: ‘Energy’, ‘Road Operation’, ‘Power Transfer’, ‘Vehicle’, and ‘Road’. Followingly, the assessment process was applied for potential ERS participants where individual ERS-based BMs – defined by value proposition, value creation cost, and value capture revenue – for the functions was collected. The information was then aggregated to establish the function-based and relational BMs for ERS. Thus, the results yielded an overview of a systematic process for business modelling in the ERS context founded on TIS and business model theories. It provides practitioners with a systematic process that provides a dynamic view for business modelling. The results further enriched the academic literature within the ERS context while providing a basis for future research regarding policy-making and information sharing among others. / Transformationen av vägtransport mot hållbar teknologi för framdrift av fordon har skapat en möjlighet för utveckling av flertalet lösningar för elektrisk mobilitet, däribland Electric Road Systems (ERS). En storskalig implementation av ERS skapar utmaningar för potentiella deltagare att utveckla affärsmodeller för ERS. Således är syftet med avhandlingen att utforska en bedömningsprocess för att användas av potentiella deltagare i ERS för att identifiera relaterade affärsmodeller. Syftet operationaliserades av en forskningsfråga vilken letade att identifiera affärsmodeller och efterföljande interaktioner för att utveckla för potentiella deltagare. Avhandlingen byggdes på en teoretisk grund av interagerandet mellan teori om teknologiska innovationssystem och affärsmodeller. Metoden följde en trestegad forskningsdesign som centrerades runt en utvald fallstudie – eRoadArlanda – och samlingen av empirisk information från intervjuer och dokument. Forskningsdesignen involverade empirisk and teoretisk definition och nedbrytning av ERS, utveckling och applicering av funktionsbaserad bedömningsprocess för ERS och funktionsbaserad relativ affärsmodells utvärdering. Utvärderingen gav följaktligen en nedbrytning i fem funktioner: ’Energi’, ’Vägdrift’, ’Kraftöverföring’, ’Fordon’, och ’Väg’. Utvärderingsprocessen var applicerad för potentiella ERS deltagare där individuella ERSbaserade affärsmodeller – definierade av kundvärde, värdeskapandekostnad, omsättning för värdefångst – för funktionerna var insamlade. Informationen aggregerades för att fastställa funktionsbaserade och relativa affärsmodeller för ERS. Således gav resultaten en överblick av en systematisk process för affärsmodellering i ERS kontexten baserad på teknologiska innovationssystem och affärsmodellsteori. Det ger en systematisk process som ger en dynamisk vy för affärsmodellering. Resultaten berikar den akademiska litteraturen inom kontexten av ERS samtidigt som den ger en bas för framtida forskning gällande policy skapande och informationsdelnings bland andra.

This thesis aims to examine the current state of business models among game developers and how subscription licensing between platforms and developers currently works. With this foundation the potential future impacts are discussed. The thesis accomplishes this by interviewing developers and using literature data from interviews, articles, and market research. The findings are that the business models of the gaming industry are diverse but that they are tied to the type of game they are implemented in, certain models work better on certain types of games and certain platforms. The agreements surrounding the subscription model between developers and platforms are currently about revenue guarantees or advance payments plus revenue inside games. There is much uncertainty about how the agreements will look in the future. How the agreements are designed will impact developers greatly and change how content is designed and made. / Det här examensarbetet ämnar undersöka hur affärsmodeller används bland utvecklare i spelindustrin och hur prenumerationsliscensering mellan plattformar och utvecklare fungerar idag. Med denna grund diskuteras i examensarbetet den möjliga framtida påverkan av detta. Detta görs med hjälp av intervjuer med utvecklare samt en litteraturstudie med data från intervjuer, artiklar och rapporter. Resultaten är att affärsmodeller inom spelindustrin är spridda i spelindustrin och att de är bundna till vilken slags spel de implementeras i, vissa modeller fungerar bättre i vissa spel och plattformar. Prenumerationsmodellen mellan plattformar och utvecklare kretsar idag kring vinstgarantier och förbetalning plus vinst inuti spel. Det finns en stor osäkerhetkring hur förhållandet kommer se ut i framtiden och hur det ser ut kommer påverka utvecklare och speldesign till hög grad.

Yes / The leading frameworks of internationalization have contributed significantly to our knowledge of how firms internationalize, but do not fully explain how firms actually create and capture value from customers when internationalizing their activities. Understanding the value creation and capture activities defining their business model(s) is critical for firms moving into less familiar markets, and is particularly relevant for service firms where variability is an inherent feature of the firm/client experience. To address this gap, we take a business model perspective to analyze 144 internationalization events of 10 professional service firms. We find that the case firms adopted four different business models when internationalizing, and that single firms may utilize portfolios of business models. Our findings contribute to both the services internationalization and business model literatures by showing how variability in the internationalization process substantiates the need for business model portfolios.

Yes / Using data from world-leading digital-driven/technology multinational enterprises (DTMNEs), we draw from the resource orchestration theory to investigate the associations between business model (BM) drivers and firm performance during crisis periods. Drawing on data from the COVID-19 pandemic period, we deploy diverse analytical approaches including multivariate linear regressions and aggregated composite index statistical methods in examining how the BMs of our sampled DTMNEs drive firm performance. Our study highlights six methodological approaches that can be utilised by decision-makers in examining which variables in their BM drive better firm performance. Our findings revealed that the principal component analysis and multicriteria decision analysis (PROMETHEE methods) that espouse the use of aggregate composite index can provide significant and consistent predictive results in comparison to the traditional linear methods when examining the association between BM and firm performance during crisis periods. The paper provides policy and managerial implications on how firms and decision-makers can bolster business continuity, resilience, and plasticity by using analytical lenses that identify optimum resource orchestration during crises.

Globally, more than two billion people suffer from deficiencies in micronutrients that are essential for human health. Low-income populations in low- and middle-income countries are especially vulnerable to these deficiencies. There are three priority interventions used to reduce micronutrient deficiencies and improve overall nutrition status — supplementation, fortification, and diet diversity. As the share of food purchases made by low-income households has been increasing, there is increasing interest in the role the private sector can play in these interventions. Currently, there is little known about the potential for a market-based approach to contribute to improvements in diet diversity. Proven to be one of the most effective ways of improving nutritional status, increasing diet diversification among low-income populations will be essential for reducing micronutrient deficiencies in the long-term. The purpose of this research is to contribute evidence on the potential for a market-based approach to increase diet diversity among low-income households in Mozambique. This research starts by examining the extent to which low-income consumers in Nampula, Mozambique make diverse food purchases and the amount they are willing to pay for such diversity. Since diet diversification is intended to improve health, the connections between individual-level health constructs and diversity of food purchases is subsequently investigated. These studies are then used as the basis for a participatory community-based intervention that explores if health constructs influence modifications in food purchases and the barriers and enabling factors that exist to using the market to increase household diet diversity. The findings of this work reveal that there is potential for markets to contribute to the diversity of foods consumed by low-income households; however, concerted efforts between the private, public, and civil sectors will likely be required for the success and longevity of market-based approaches. / Doctor of Philosophy / Though we usually think of hunger in terms of not getting enough to eat, there is another form, known as 'hidden hunger', which refers to not eating enough of the right types of foods. This results in not getting enough of the nutrients, such as iron or vitamin A, that are essential for human health and development. People living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are especially vulnerable to this type of hunger, as their diet typically is comprised of calorie-rich but nutrient-deficient foods. One of the most effective ways to reduce hidden hunger, is to eat a variety of foods that are rich in micronutrients (e.g., fruits, vegetables, legumes, meat). In LMICs, governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have created programs to encourage this so-called 'diet diversity' by encouraging households to produce different types of food crops or plant kitchen gardens. These programs have been successful in increasing diet diversity, however, significant portions of the population in LMICs still lack diversity in their diets. We now know that an increasing number of low-income households in LMICs are purchasing at least some of their foods from markets. Thus, there is increasing interest in the role that businesses and food purchases can play in increasing the diversity of the diet among households that may be suffering from hidden hunger. The purpose of this research was to explore this possibility. First, I investigated if low-income consumers are already purchasing diverse foods from the market in Mozambique, and, if they are, how much are they willing to pay for this diversity. Second, I explored how the diversity of these purchases are related to what individuals believe about the connection between diet diversity and health. Then I conducted a community-based intervention, where low-income households participated in a nutrition and food-purchasing education and worked with facilitators to find ways that worked for them to increase the diversity of the foods they purchased from the market. The findings of this study show that it may be possible to use the market and food purchases to increase the diet diversity of low-income households, but that support from governments and NGOs will likely be required in order to be successful in reducing hidden hunger in the long-term.

To a rapidly increasing degree, traditional organizational structures evolve in large parts of the world towards online business using modern Information and Communication Technology (ICT) capabilities. For efficient applications of inter-organizational information systems, the alignment between business and ICT is a key factor. In this context, business analysis using business modelling can be regarded as a first step in designing economically sustainable e-business solutions. This thesis examines how business modeling can be used to improve e-business design. We examine how business stakeholder intentions and different objectives of business collaborations can be used to obtain an explorative business model that can be used as a basis for designing e-business solutions. The thesis proposes a set of artifacts for business modeling and e-service design. In regard to business modeling, we propose methods that consider internal aspects such as strategic intentions of actors and external aspects such as business collaborations among them. Considering stakeholder intentions, we introduce a method to design business models based on goal models. A set of templates for designing goal models and a set of transformation rules to obtain business models based on goal models are proposed. To further improve business models considering business collaborations, we suggest a classification of business transactions that considers underlying business objectives of business collaborations. Utilizing the suggested business transactions, we then propose a method to improve business modeling. Finally, we propose a method for designing e-services using business models. The methods suggested support business modelers as well as process and services designers in executing their tasks effectively. The methods have been assessed through applications in two cases.