The business model: Theoretical roots, recent developments, and future research

The paper provides a broad and multifaceted review of the received literature on business models, in which we attempt to explore the origin of the construct and to examine the business model concept through multiple disciplinary and subject-matter lenses. The review reveals that scholars do not agree on what a business model is, and that the literature is developing largely in silos, according to the phenomena of interest to the respective researchers. However, we also found some emerging common ground among students of business models. Specifically, i) the business model is emerging as a new unit of analysis; ii) business models emphasize a system-level, holistic approach towards explaining how firms do business; iii) organizational activities play an important role in the various conceptualizations of business models that have been proposed, and iv) business models seek not only to explain the ways in which value is captured but also how it is created. These emerging themes could serve as important catalysts towards a more unified study of business models.Business model; strategy; technology management; innovation; literature review;

Intra-alliance performance, control rights, and today's split of tomorrow's value

Although the differential benefits reaped by individual partners are a major determinant of the performance impact of strategic alliances, previous analysis has faced methodological challenges. In response we propose a measure for relative value appropriation and an explicit theoretical framework for predicting its variation in terms of relative bargaining position. With a sample of 180 biotechnology R&D alliances, we are thus able to explain variation in value appropriation across partner types as well as individual partners of each type.Alliance performance; strategic alliances; value appropriation; bargaining position; factor markets;

Human resource management in India: strategy, performance and complementarity

This study seeks to explore which types of HR practice are associated with better organisational performance (OP). Whilst the core finding—that specific HR practices lead to better organisational outcomes may not be surprising—we also found an absence of complementarity. Normally, the absence of complementarities would suggest limitations in institutional supports; on the one hand, however, institutional shortfalls are not unique to India and may be encountered in many emerging market settings. In contrast, the great internal diversity of the Indian setting, with strong variations recognised amongst institutions, along with enforcement capabilities, might suggest that these tendencies are particularly pronounced. We also found a strong link between the intrinsic rewards and performance—an unexpected result in a low-income country, where wages are generally low. We suggest that this may reflect the nature of the labour market and the limited (and possibly proportionately shrinking) pool of good jobs, making exit a difficult option for all but the best qualified. Whilst this puts employees in a poor bargaining position in bidding-up pay (making pay rises seem unfeasible), the intrinsic attributes of the job become more important

Exploring the connection between relational capital and female entrepreneurs

.Among intangible assets of contemporary companies, relational capital (RC) is a relevant strategic asset as well as a dimension of intellectual capital. In this scenario, micro-enterprises are key drivers of economic growth, and woman entrepreneurs are key developers of these businesses. So, the purpose of this study is to carry out a literature review analyzing how RC contributes to the startup phase of women-owned micro-enterprises. Another purpose is to understand whether and to what extent the studies conducted so far have addressed some issues such as “How and why women entrepreneurs use relational capital? What are the main benefits they get using relational capital? What are the main obstacles they face?” A literature search on Scopus was conducted, using a set of selected keywords. Scopus was used since it has quality publications. Selected papers were analyzed and classified, in an attempt to identify the main topics and results obtained from the research and analysis carried out so far. The contribution of the present research is to make the international literature focus on the connection between gender studies and RC. Particularly, the literature review emphasizes the topic proposed as emerging issue, which gives us the opportunity to identify new trends and future directions of research. This paper aims to advance knowledge and practice in the area of gender and management, using RC based on empirical research, theoretical developments, practice and current issues. The main evidences are related to a better understanding of the debate on gender and relational capital, considering that female entrepreneurship is central to the development and welfare of economies. Deep knowledge on how women entrepreneurs manage business relation can contribute to improving the effectiveness policies that promote the participation of female entrepreneurs in the economy

Selective Intervention and Internal HybridsInterpreting and Learning from the Rise and Decline of the Oticon Spaghetti Organization

Infusing hierarchies with elements of market control has become a much-used way of simultaneously increasing entrepreneurialism and motivation in firms. However, this paper argues that such “internal hybrids,” particularly in their radical forms, are inherently hard to successfully design and implement, because of fundamental credibility problems related to managerial promises to not intervene in delegated decision-making ¾ an incentive problem that is often referred to as the “problem of selective intervention.” This theoretical theme is developed and illustrated, using the case of the world-leading Danish hearing aids producer, Oticon. In the beginning of the 1990s, Oticon became famous for its radical internal hybrid, the ”spaghetti organization.” Recent work has interpreted the spaghetti organization as a radical attempt to foster dynamic capabilities by imposing loose coupling on the organization, neglecting, however, that about a decade later, the spaghetti organization has given way to a more traditional matrix organization. This paper presents an organizational economics interpretation of organizational changes in Oticon, and argues that a strong liability of the spaghetti organization was the above incentive problem. Motivation in Oticon was strongly harmed by selective intervention on the part of top-management Changing the organizational structure was one means of repairing these motivational problems. Refutable implications are developed, both for the understanding of efficient design of internal hybrids, and for the more general issue of the distinction between firms and markets, as well as the choice between internal and external hybrids.Internal hybrids, organizational change, delegation, managerial commitment problems, new organizational forms

Early evolution of purple retinal pigments on Earth and implications for exoplanet biosignatures

We propose that retinal-based phototrophy arose early in the evolution of life on Earth, profoundly impacting the development of photosynthesis and creating implications for the search for life beyond our planet. While the early evolutionary history of phototrophy is largely in the realm of the unknown, the onset of oxygenic photosynthesis in primitive cyanobacteria significantly altered the Earth's atmosphere by contributing to the rise of oxygen ~2.3 billion years ago. However, photosynthetic chlorophyll and bacteriochlorophyll pigments lack appreciable absorption at wavelengths about 500-600 nm, an energy-rich region of the solar spectrum. By contrast, simpler retinal-based light-harvesting systems such as the haloarchaeal purple membrane protein bacteriorhodopsin show a strong well-defined peak of absorbance centered at 568 nm, which is complementary to that of chlorophyll pigments. We propose a scenario where simple retinal-based light-harvesting systems like that of the purple chromoprotein bacteriorhodopsin, originally discovered in halophilic Archaea, may have dominated prior to the development of photosynthesis. We explore this hypothesis, termed the 'Purple Earth,' and discuss how retinal photopigments may serve as remote biosignatures for exoplanet research.Comment: Published Open Access in the International Journal of Astrobiology; 10 pages, 6 figure

Beyond formal R&D : taking advantage of other sources of innovation in low- and medium-technology industries.

This study deepens our knowledge of critical success factors in the innovation process of low- andmediumtechnology (LMT) industries. To accomplish this, it explores howthe innovation process in LMT firms may depend on non-formal R&D activities and the use of external sources. The empirical analysis is based on a representative panel of Spanish manufacturing firms. The results strongly support the view that non- R&D activities such as design, the use of advanced machinery and training are crucial to understanding the innovation process of any firm. The study finds, however, that the impact of these activities is especially important in LMT industries, particularly for the achievement of product innovations. The empirical evidence also reveals the importance of external sources such as the use of consultants, the hiring of personnel, collaboration agreements and external R&D, with the greatest differences between LMT and high-technology (HT) firms being observed in process innovationsLow- and medium-technology industries; Technological activities; External sources; Innovation outputs; Market characteristics;

Functional and contextual dimensions of INVs’ alliance partner selection

Prior research on the selection of international alliance partners calls for investigation of the potential specificity of selection criteria for evaluating partners for alliances with different objectives or functions. The present study responds to this need and contributes to the development of the field of international entrepreneurship by examining the relation between the alliance function and the criteria chosen. We studied three alliance functions: R&D, production, and marketing. Second, for each alliance function, we analyzed the criteria selected within two contexts: developing countries and those that consider emerging markets in their partner choice set. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 25 executives from INVs in two major North American biotechnology clusters, representing 239 alliances. 65.7% of these were signed with international partners. Results indicate that, aside from compatibility/complementarity of resources (R&D and production alliances), all criteria used within a single function are unique to that function. Furthermore, these criteria differ somewhat when the potential partners considered by a firm include those from both emerging and developed markets, compared to firms that limit potential partners to those in developed markets contexts. Finally, the study reveals that respondent firms integrate country, industry, and market attractiveness factors with partner selection criteria for marketing alliances. This suggests that, for many firms, market choice and partner selection are not successive steps. The study’s originality lies in its focus on the relationship between alliance function and partner selection criteria used by INVs as well as within different contexts.Des études précédentes portant sur la sélection des partenaires pour des alliances internationales soulèvent le besoin d’examiner la spécificité des critères de sélection dans l’évaluation des partenaires pour des fonctions différentes. Cet article répond à ce besoin et contribue au développement du domaine de l’entrepreneuriat international en analysant la relation entre l’objectif et les critères choisis pour trois types d’alliances : recherche et développement, production et marketing. Pour chaque fonction, les critères sont aussi analysés dans deux contextes : les entreprises qui limitent leurs partenaires à des pays développés et celles qui considèrent les pays en émergence. Des entrevues semi-structurées ont été réalisées auprès de 25 dirigeants de nouvelles entreprises internationales en biotechnologie de Montréal et de Boston, totalisant 239 alliances, dont 157 internationales. Les résultats indiquent que, mis à part la complémentarité et la compatibilité, tous les critères utilisés à l’intérieur d’une fonction lui sont spécifiques. Les critères peuvent diverger lorsque les partenaires potentiels proviennent de marchés émergents en plus de marchés développés. Pour les alliances marketing, les entreprises répondantes prennent en compte, en sus des critères de sélection reliés au partenaire, l’attractivité du pays, de l’industrie et du marché. Pour plusieurs entreprises, le choix du marché et la sélection du partenaire ne constitueraient pas des étapes successives. L’originalité de cette recherche repose sur le fait qu’elle se concentre sur la relation entre la fonction de l’alliance et les critères de sélection utilisés par les entreprises, qui pourront aussi varier selon le contexte

Depression, Relationship Quality, and Couples’ Demand/Withdraw and Demand/Submit Sequential Interactions

This study investigated the associations among depression, relationship quality, and demand/withdraw and demand/submit behavior in couples’ conflict interactions. Two 10-min conflict interactions were coded for each couple (N = 97) using Structural Analysis of Social Behavior (SASB; Benjamin, 1979a, 1987, 2000a). Depression was assessed categorically (via the presence of depressive disorders) and dimensionally (via symptom reports). Results revealed that relationship quality was negatively associated with demanding behavior, as well as receiving submissive or withdrawing behavior from one’s partner. Relationship quality was positively associated with withdrawal. Demanding behavior was positively associated with women’s depression symptoms but negatively associated with men’s depression symptoms. Sequential analysis revealed couples’ behavior was highly stable across time. Initiation of demand/withdraw and demand/submit sequences were negatively associated with partners’ relationship adjustment. Female demand/male withdraw was positively associated with men’s depression diagnosis. Results underscore the importance of sequential analysis when investigating associations among depression, relationship quality, and couples’ interpersonal behavior