This lecture introduces the history and theoretical foundations of business model innovation. We will discuss different typologies that are commonly used to describe business models and apply them to different organizations to see how they work.

Learning Goals

After attending this lecture, you should be able to…

• Understand what business model innovation is and why it differs from other types of innovation
• Understand the popular business model typologies, identify their strength and weaknesses, and know how to apply them to describe the business models of organizations
• Understand the history of business model research and identify interesting avenues for future research

Required Readings

1. Casadesus-Masanell, R., & Ricart, J. E. (2011). How to design a winning business model. Harvard Business Review, 89(1/2), 100–107.
2. Foss, N. J., & Saebi, T. (2017). Fifteen years of research on business model innovation: How far have we come, and where should we go? Journal of Management, 43(1), 200–227. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206316675927

Complementary Readings

1. Leppänen, P., George, G., & Alexy, O. (2021). When do novel business models lead to high firm performance? A configurational approach to value drivers, competitive strategy, and firm environment. Academy of Management Journal. https://doi.org/10/gnx7xx
2. Massa, L., Tucci, C. L., & Afuah, A. (2017). A critical assessment of business model research. Academy of Management Annals, 11(1), 73–104. https://doi.org/10.5465/annals.2014.0072
3. Gassmann, O., Frankenberger, K., & Choudury, M. (2020). The business model navigator (2nd ed., p. 426). Pearson Education Limited.
4. Canvas. (n.d.). Strategyzer. Retrieved January 24, 2023, from https://www.strategyzer.com/canvas

The Course

This lecture is part of the Business Model Innovation course at the Radboud University Nijmegen. In an increasingly interconnected world, organizations are confronted with unprecedented levels of turbulence, uncertainty, and complexity. Global trends such as rapid urbanization, climate change, global economic power shifts, digitalization influence the effectiveness and efficiency of existing business models. To ensure future competitive success, organizations must rethink the way they create, deliver, and capture value. This course teaches students how to redesign an organization’s business model and make it future-proof.