Access Type

Open Access Dissertation

Date of Award

January 2020

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Department

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

First Advisor

Ratna Babu R. Chinnam

Abstract

ABSTRACT

NEW PERSPECTIVES AND INSIGHTS ON THE INTERSECTION OF BUSINESS MODEL DESIGN AND OPEN INNOVATION: A MULTI-METHOD APPROACH

by

ALEXANDER HERMANN TOBIAS HAGENMEYER

August 2020

Advisor: Dr. Ratna Babu Chinnam

Major: Industrial Engineering

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Today’s fast-moving economy, characterized by uncertainty, rapid change and highly competitive landscapes, challenges firms to innovate effectively, which requires them in turn to increasingly innovate openly. The key idea of the notion of open innovation is that “not all the smart people work for you”. Instead, useful ideas and knowledge are spread over firms of all sizes in many parts of the world. But at present, even the use of external knowledge sources to stimulate innovativeness is no guarantee for business success any longer. Increasingly, corporations realize that innovation must go beyond novel products and processes and also be applied to the firms’ underlying core logic and strategic choices of doing business and thus to their business models. The open business model concept, in which the focal firm utilizes externally available capabilities and resources, has been rapidly gaining importance in the business and academic environment. But extant research of the emerging concept falls short in providing a clear definition and relevant insights into the innovation process.

The objective of this paper-based dissertation is to complement the existing body of scholarly research and its knowledge on achieving business model openness. The thesis consists of three individual articles, each with its own specific research focus and based on an appropriate methodology and data source. The first paper establishes the theoretical groundwork by providing a common understanding of the interdependencies between both concepts, open innovation and business model design, and identifying their antecedents and consequences. The remaining two papers then use the developed structure to study insights of innovation behavior and business model innovation by providing answers to the following research questions: (1) How does the innovation focus of an enterprise determine the combination of open innovation practices and how is an ideal innovation strategy defined? (2) How is the open business model innovation process in the sustainability phase characterized and how does open innovation influence the value creation and capture? By examining these key issues, this dissertation hopes to make a meaningful contribution to the existing literature and to serve both, academics and business practitioners.

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