Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:25:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Alberto Augusto Guedes.pdf: 11537553 bytes, checksum: 83478700786ab01049e45541360df61d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-02-04 / Fundo Mackenzie de Pesquisa / The expression business model gained relevance at the very beginning of the 1990 s to designate any new e-business venture. However, business models are potentially important for all economic activities meaning the core logic of a company and how its components interact both internally and externally. This study proposed the description of business models put in force by companies engaged in the construction of low-income housing as the main research issue. Although the increasing interest of academic research for business models, this segment of the civil construction industry have been deserving little attention in the sense of specific phenomena wherever in Brasil or in the whole world. Notwithstanding, Brazil is getting to a prominent worldwide position since 2009 with the institution of Minha Casa, Minha Vida Program. The research, treated on an exploratory basis, use the multiple case study method. To meet the first specific objective it was possible to describe the dimensions and components of the effective business model concerning value creation, configuration and capture. The second specific objective allowed to identify the changes occurred in the business models of the construction companies who engaged in the Program, remarkably the growing interaction of social networks, the use of new technologies and several aspects related to social and environmental issues. / O termo modelo de negócio tomou força no início dos anos 1990, servindo para denominar quaisquer novas operações de e-business, e ensejando muitos estudos acadêmicos. No entanto, modelos de negócios são potencialmente relevantes para todas as atividades econômicas, representando a lógica central da empresa e como seus componentes interagem interna e externamente. Este estudo trouxe como questão principal de pesquisa a descrição dos modelos de negócio empregados pelas empresas atuantes na construção de habitações populares. Mesmo com o crescente interesse acadêmico por modelos de negócios, esse segmento da construção civil tem merecido pouca atenção para entender fenômenos particulares, seja no Brasil ou em todo o mundo. O Brasil passou a se destacar nesse quadro mundial a partir de 2009, com a introdução do Programa Minha Casa, Minha Vida. A pesquisa, de caráter exploratório, utilizou o estudo de caso múltiplo. Atendendo o primeiro objetivo específico, foi possível descrever as dimensões e componentes do modelo de negócio empregado, concernentes à criação, configuração e captura de valor. O segundo objetivo específico permitiu identificar as mudanças ocorridas nos modelos de negócios das construtoras que aderiram no Programa, notadamente a crescente atuação das redes sociais, o emprego de novas tecnologias construtivas e as preocupações com os aspectos socioambientais.

The fashion industry has for several years been driven by fast cycles of cheap industrial mass production and unsustainable consumption. At the same time the burden on the environment has been significant. New business models to prevent the environmental impact have therefore been developed, and circular business models have gained interest. Remanufacturing as one of the central activities within circular business model is not a new concept for the fashion and apparel industry, but there is a lack of focus of how to prioritise and develop the concept. The focus of the study is to understand the relative importance of the challenges and the enabling conditions that influence the adoption of remanufacturing as transition towards a circular economy within the fashion and apparel industry. The purpose is also to show the practitioners’ perspective on a relatively new phenomenon within the fashion and apparel industry, which can clarify how to further prioritise and direct the development of the concept. Furthermore, it is also expected to identify and investigate what might be the main challenges and the enabling conditions within remanufacturing. This research is conducted through a mixed method with a deductive approach where knowledge about generic challenges and the enabling conditions within remanufacturing was collected from a systematic literature review, as a modification of a Delphi method. An utilisation of online questionnaires led to verify relative importance of challenges and the enabling conditions for an adoption of remanufacturing as a transition towards a circular economy within the fashion and apparel industry. The result from the online questionnaire was analysed through finding consensus among the collected data. The result shows that the most important perspective for an adoption of remanufacturing was related to business model-, costs- and consumer perspective. Specifically, the challenge with how to change the business model seemed to be essential, and the lack of financial benefits and influencing the consumer behaviour was received to be of great importance. Identified enablers were collaborations and communication. There was no agreement among the most important challenges and the enabling conditions. However, the operations- and core- perspective where considered important by many. Significant consensus was found between the practitioners and their opinion about what influences an adoption of remanufacturing as a transition towards a circular economy. The practitioners’ verification and opinions of challenges and the enabling conditions can serve as support for managers in an adoption of remanufacturing, and provide guidance regarding what is essential to consider for an transition towards a circular economy. This study highlights and identifies what motivates and makes the adoption of remanufacturing attractive, as a way to transition towards a circular economy, in particular it provides support and guidance regarding how strategies can be developed and where to focus further development.

Recognizing the responsibility businesses has in sustainable development, a rising number of entrepreneurs are attempting to innovate business models together with digital technology to address environmental and societal needs. Circular business models is an example of how businesses can become more sustainable. However, there is a growing phenomenon of entrepreneurs suggesting digital platforms as a supportive element in an enterprise to enable circular features. This research aims to investigate the role of a single entrepreneur as a transition intermediary to sustainable development by using digital platforms. Additionally, this research aims to explore the success factors and challenges this entrepreneur can uncover. Contrary to most studies, this thesis adopts the entrepreneur's perspective as being a key actor in sustainable development but also as an innovative force in a socio-technical system. A case study was conducted on the Swedish online secondhand store Sellpy. The qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Given the thesis' exploratory research design, the finding can be used in further research as artifacts for more conclusive and generalizing research. The entrepreneur, as a transition intermediary, can establish valuable partnerships and networks to accelerate circulation and sustainability awareness. Additionally, the entrepreneur can influence others by spreading knowledge to engage other entrepreneurs to innovate businesses towards sustainability. The main success factors found in this case study is the approach to develop with the user community, digital ownership, skilled and diverse workforce, and partnerships with similar businesses. The challenges discovered was to maintain and find new users to enter the circular system and the external skepticism towards sustainability-oriented businesses.

Bakgrund: Digitaliseringen har haft en stor påverkan på hela vårt nutida samhälle och dess utveckling sker exponentiellt. Information finns nu mer lättillgänglig och flera branscher har sett stora förändringar. Dessa förändringar har både varit positiva och negativa och har lett till att företag har behövt anpassa sina affärsmodeller samt skapa nya. En av de branscher som har sett en stor förändring är tidningsbranschen, vars traditionella affärsmodell hotats då färre konsumenter nu läser papperstidningar. Många tidningar har stora problem med att kapitalisera på de förändrade konsumtionsvanorna som uppstått kring media och nyheter. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att skapa en djupare förståelse för hur lokala dagstidningar upplever digitaliseringens påverkan på tidningsbranschen. Frågeställningar: 1) Vilka upplevda hot och möjligheter har tidningsbranschen stött på till följd av digitaliseringen och vad har de gjort för att hantera det?2) Hur har tidningarnas affärsmodeller förändrats till följd av digitaliseringen?3) Hur upplever tidningarna att deras funktion i samhället påverkats till följd av digitaliseringen? Metod: Studien har en kvalitativ forskningsstrategi och genom en multipel fallstudie har tre fallföretag studerats. Vidare utfördes studien utifrån ett hermeneutistiskt perspektiv med iterativ ansats. Primärdatan samlades in genom utförandet av sex semistrukturerade intervjuer som även har kompletterats med sekundärdata. Slutsats: Studiens resultat visar att digitaliseringen både medfört hot och möjligheter inom tidningsbranschen. Fallföretagen har mött ökad konkurrens både inom tidningsbranschen och även från aktörer utanför branschen. Det har samtidigt möjliggjort nya digitala verktyg och insamlandet av kunddata, vilket bidragit till ökad effektivitet. De traditionella affärsmodellerna inom branschen har hotats och det har varit nödvändigt att experimentera för att finna nya intäktsströmmar. Kunskapsbidrag: Denna studie har bidragit med en djupare förståelse för hur lokala dagstidningar har påverkats till följd av digitaliseringen och gett exempel på vilka upplevda hot och möjligheter de stött på till följd av detta. Vikten för lokala dagstidningar att anpassa sig, dels genom att förändra sina affärsmodeller, har även det lyfts fram. Studien har även bidragit med en bild av hur konkurrensen inom och mellan branscher har förändrats till följd av digitaliseringen. / Background: Digitalization has had a large impact on our current society and has had an exponential growth. Information is now easier to access and several industries have seen big changes. These changes have been both positive and negative and has forced companies to change their business models or create new ones. One of the industries which has seen a large change is the newspaper industry, whose traditional business models has been threatened due to fewer consumers reading printed newspapers. Many newspapers have faced problems with being able to capitalize on the changed consumer behavior regarding media and news. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to create a deeper understanding of how local newspapers experience the impact that digitalization has had on the newspaper industry. Research questions: 1) Which threats and opportunities has the newspaper industry experienced following the digitalization and how have they managed these? 2) How has the newspapers business models changed following the digitalization? 3) How does the newspapers experience that their function in society has been affected after the digitalization? Methodology: The study has used a qualitative strategy and through a multiple case study three cases have been studied. A hermeneutic philosophical perspective has been used with an iterative approach. The primary data was collected through six semi-structured interviews, which was further complemented with secondary data. Conclusion: The results of the study show that digitalization has brought both threats and opportunities to the newspaper industry. The cases have faced increased competition both from within the industry and from companies outside the industry. It has also enabled the use of digital tools and the collection of customer data, which has increased efficiency. The traditional business models has been threatened and it has been necessary to experiment to find new sources of revenue. Contribution: This study has contributed a deeper understanding of how local newspapers have been affected by the digitalization and which threats and opportunities they have experienced following this. The importance for newspapers to adapt and change, partly through changing their business models, has also been highlighted. The study has also contributed with showing how the competition within and between industries has been affected following the digitalization.

This research project began with the objective of obtaining a deeper understanding of the conduct of business on the Internet. Research regarding the overall performance of business on the Web has been limited due to several constraining factors. Firstly, the shear size, volume, and perceived complexity of business on the Web made it an imposing target for research. Secondly, the interdisciplinary nature of the field had an initial dampening effect on research activity. Kuhn (1962) describes this phenomenon as the insufficiency of methodological directives. He writes (p. 3) ‘Instructed to examine electrical or chemical phenomena, the man who is ignorant of these fields but who knows what it is to be scientific may legitimately reach any one of a number of incompatible conclusions. Among those legitimate possibilities, the particular conclusions he does arrive at are probably determined by his prior experience in the other fields’. Thirdly, academic interest in Web businesses was somewhat diminished by the bursting of the dot com bubble during 2000-2001 as evidenced by the fact that many academic programs in electronic commerce have been discontinued or significantly reduced (Featherstone, Ellis & Borstorff 2004). Lastly, methodological issues arose which limited the application of previously available sampling methods. The impact of this meant that drawing representative samples of websites in order to examine business behaviour became a more complex endeavour. As a result, many fundamental questions regarding business on the Web have remained unanswered. For example, there has been no clear answer to the question of what new business models, if any, are evolving within the Web environment. What is the role of entrepreneurship employing the Web? What are the key elements or mechanisms driving business expansion in the Web? Some have suggested that Web use necessitates greater business cooperation than may be necessary in the non-virtual world. Is there evidence that this is so? This thesis addresses these questions. It accomplishes this by reducing the function of business on the Internet to its simplest element, the domain name, and by employing innovative methodologies to explore the business environment of the Web. Using Complexity and Network Theories as a contextual framework , and based upon a review of existing literature, this thesis develops a series of propositions regarding both the conduct and attributes of Web business, and proceeds to present evidence of confirmation or refutation of these propositions.

<p>This work is performed as a pre-study to investigate new business opportunities for companies who are product-centric oriented but want to move in the direction of being a customer-centric organization by using technologies based on networked products.</p><p>The study describes IntelliCom, which is a company selling network enabling products. IntelliCom has also developed a customized server solution making it possible to network remote installed products and collect data from these products over Internet. This technology that IntelliCom have knowledge in could be a platform for providing data and different kind of services by connecting customer’s devices, which aim to generate a value for the customer and be a new business opportunity for product-centric companies.</p><p>The research is mainly based on observations and dialogs with management and sales people of IntelliCom to investigate how the marketing strategies and marketing mix is used when selling products. To be able to collect data and information about the customer’s value and opportunities, I have made an Interview with a potential customer of IntelliCom who is an OEM company already proving products and services in line with a customer-centric business strategy. This customer is Woodward and manufacturer of GenSet controllers within the energy/electrical segment. The observations and information collected from customer were analysed to understand and to be able to describe how customer’s value chain and smart services opportunities relate to each other.</p><p>The study shows that the opportunity for IntelliCom to start using the new technology to increasing the sales of data and services, not only products, is good. The study points out that IntelliCom should chose a business model that targeting OEM companies. IntelliCom should limit the offer to provide unprocessed data and let the OEM customer process data to provide smart services to their customers worldwide.</p>

Free and Open Source Software has not only increased researchers’ interest about community-driven software development, but lately, interest from commercial actors increased as well. In addition, some scientists have claimed that Open Source Software has entered a new phase: OSS 2.0. Even so, a coherent way of analyzing commercial Open Source ventures is still missing. Commercial Open Source firms’ strategies are often described using the term “business models”. However, these models often lack stringent structures and have been used primarily to describe the firms’ offerings and methods to earn revenue. Through the adaptation of an existing, firmly theoretically-based analytical business model framework, this thesis suggests a new analysis model for studying for-profit Open Source companies. In addition, the framework is generically constructed, ensuring its usability for other industries as well. The model consists of three elements: market positions, operational platform and offering. This particular study concerned four software product vendors, all of which base their products on Open Source Software. When analyzing their business, insights were made about how these firms operated. The result show that there are certain key elements and factors that determine if a company has a sustainable business or not. From the analysis framework, three elements were refined. The main Open Source Software project connects the market positions and the operational platform; and from the offering, the product and service and the revenue model were very important. The study identified eight key factors which influenced the elements: brand for the product, the company and the Open Source Software project; community, that is the sum of the non-paying users and developers connected to Open Source Software projects; resources, which are community-based resources such as development and testing; legitimacy, the perceived legitimacy regarding licenses and the revenue models; control, i.e. the control the firm has of the software; ability to charge, or how the company can charge for its services; customers, the paying users; and finally volume, which is the number of paying customers. The findings also indicate that companies interested in working with the open-source community have to be able to balance the demands from both their customers and the community in order to benefit and gain competitive advantage. / Report code: LiU-TEK-LIC 2008:26.

This work is performed as a pre-study to investigate new business opportunities for companies who are product-centric oriented but want to move in the direction of being a customer-centric organization by using technologies based on networked products. The study describes IntelliCom, which is a company selling network enabling products. IntelliCom has also developed a customized server solution making it possible to network remote installed products and collect data from these products over Internet. This technology that IntelliCom have knowledge in could be a platform for providing data and different kind of services by connecting customer’s devices, which aim to generate a value for the customer and be a new business opportunity for product-centric companies. The research is mainly based on observations and dialogs with management and sales people of IntelliCom to investigate how the marketing strategies and marketing mix is used when selling products. To be able to collect data and information about the customer’s value and opportunities, I have made an Interview with a potential customer of IntelliCom who is an OEM company already proving products and services in line with a customer-centric business strategy. This customer is Woodward and manufacturer of GenSet controllers within the energy/electrical segment. The observations and information collected from customer were analysed to understand and to be able to describe how customer’s value chain and smart services opportunities relate to each other. The study shows that the opportunity for IntelliCom to start using the new technology to increasing the sales of data and services, not only products, is good. The study points out that IntelliCom should chose a business model that targeting OEM companies. IntelliCom should limit the offer to provide unprocessed data and let the OEM customer process data to provide smart services to their customers worldwide.

<p>Free and Open Source Software has not only increased researchers’ interest about community-driven software development, but lately, interest from commercial actors increased as well. In addition, some scientists have claimed that Open Source Software has entered a new phase: OSS 2.0. Even so, a coherent way of analyzing commercial Open Source ventures is still missing.</p><p>Commercial Open Source firms’ strategies are often described using the term “business models”. However, these models often lack stringent structures and have been used primarily to describe the firms’ offerings and methods to earn revenue.</p><p>Through the adaptation of an existing, firmly theoretically-based analytical business model framework, this thesis suggests a new analysis model for studying for-profit Open Source companies. In addition, the framework is generically constructed, ensuring its usability for other industries as well. The model consists of three elements: <em>market positions, operational platform</em> and <em>offering</em>.</p><p>This particular study concerned four software product vendors, all of which base their products on Open Source Software. When analyzing their business, insights were made about how these firms operated. The result show that there are certain key elements and factors that determine if a company has a sustainable business or not. From the analysis framework, three elements were refined. The main <em>Open Source Software project</em> connects the market positions and the operational platform; and from the offering, the <em>product and service</em> and the<em> revenue model</em> were very important.</p><p>The study identified eight key factors which influenced the elements: <em>brand</em> for the product, the company and the Open Source Software project; <em>community</em>, that is the sum of the non-paying users and developers connected to Open Source Software projects; <em>resources</em>, which are community-based resources such as development and testing; <em>legitimacy,</em> the perceived legitimacy regarding licenses and the revenue models; <em>control,</em> i.e. the control the firm has of the software; <em>ability to charge</em>, or how the company can charge for its services; <em>customers</em>, the paying users; and finally <em>volume</em>, which is the number of paying customers.</p><p>The findings also indicate that companies interested in working with the open-source community have to be able to balance the demands from both their customers and the community in order to benefit and gain competitive advantage.</p> / Report code: LiU-TEK-LIC 2008:26.

L'entreprise de demain n'aura pas les mêmes caractéristiques de celle d'aujourd'hui ! Parmi, les nombreux leviers de ce changement, le business model est un concept récent qui connaît chez les praticiens et les académiques un fort intérêt. Le business model est un cadre mental qui décrit comment l'entreprise fonctionne, plus précisément comment l'entreprise créée et capture de la valeur (Teece, 2010). L'innovation technologique est aussi un levier qui requiert parfois une innovation de business model (Chesbrough 2002). Quand la technologie est à un stade embryonnaire, l'entrepreneur fait face à l'incertain. Il ne sait pas encore dans quelle offre sa technologie sera déployée. À quels segments de marché, l'offre sera-t-elle commercialisée ? Quels sont les partenariats qu'il devra nouer pour que l'offre encore peu définie soit commercialisée ? Comment fera-t-il pour générer des revenus et assurer la survie de son entreprise ? D'un point de vue académique, la littérature a principalement porté son regard sur les composants du business model et sur les mécanismes de son évolution. Cependant, en tant que cadre mental, le business model est un modèle (Baden-Fuller et Morgan, 2010) et un modèle sert à raisonner (Le Moigne, 1999). En revenant sur les fondamentaux des objectifs qu'il dessert, nous nous posons la question suivante : comment raisonne-t-on dans un processus de conception de business model ? La recherche suit les principes d'une recherche des sciences de la conception organisationnelle (Hatchuel 2001; Romme 2003; Morhman 2007) autour d'une étude de cas unique et un mode de recherche collaboratif. L'instrumentation de gestion combine plusieurs méthodes (séance de créativité, technique de mise en récit, mise en carte du réseau de valeur et modélisation financière). Afin de répondre à cette question, nous avons mis en place un dispositif méthodologique dans lequel nous avons récolté le discours du processus instrumenté de scénarios de business models chez Schneider Electric. Le cas Calorie est un cas de valorisation d'une technologie innovante qui permet de réaliser des économies d'énergie substantielles sur les machines de production de froid. Ce cas a de l'intérêt, car il pose un véritable problème de business model. En passant par le business model dominant du groupe, la technologie n'est pas valorisée à sa juste valeur. Ce cas a été l'occasion de concevoir deux scénarios innovants de business models en partenariat avec une équipe d'innovation du groupe Schneider Electric. Nous avons analysé les modes de raisonnement de ce processus grâce à un cadre d'analyse que nous avons construit : le modèle des modes de raisonnement. Le travail théorique a permis en effet d'identifier le mode de raisonnement analytique, systémique, causal, narratif, calculatoire, analogique, effectual, d'identification de problèmes et de conception. Les résultats permettent de montrer de manière quantitative la part de chacun de ces modes de raisonnement et leur évolution au cours de ce processus. Dans un style narratif, nous proposons aussi une interprétation qualitative. L'apport académique réside dans le fait que nous espérons avoir donné des clefs de compréhension d'un processus de conception de business model grâce au modèle de raisonnements que nous avons fourni à la communauté scientifique. Par ailleurs, nous montrons que la conception de business model relève principalement d'une démarche systémique. Pour l'apport pratique, ce travail propose aux praticiens une méthode fonctionnelle pour concevoir des scénarios de business models.