The Business Model Cube
Peter Lindgren and Ole Horn Rasmussen
Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Denmark
Abstract: [+] | Download File [ 6763KB ]
Abstract: The amount of literature concerning business model (BM) has increased in recent years
(Zott 2010, Teece 2010, Krcmar 2011). A definition and a generic language of the BM
have been long under way. Many of the existing BM frameworks are not empirically tested
but are just BM concepts, which lead to a large variety of definitions in scholarly and
practical literature.
A commonly accepted and generic language of the BM is therefore highly needed to
embrace the opportunities but also challenges of business models and business model
innovation (BMI). A commonly accepted BM language will enable the BM research to
take one step further to become an accepted academic theory.
The paper attempts to fill in a piece of this gap in BM literature by proposing an
empirically tested framework and language of BM by answering the research question:
- "What are the dimensions of any business model?"
This paper proposes that any business model has seven generic dimensions. The purpose
of this paper is to verify and describe these dimensions. Previous BM concepts and related
academic frameworks are compared to these seven dimensions.
A BM Cube is finally proposed as a generic framework for working with any
business model. The BM Cube presents a new approach and framework to BM literature.
Two case studies are used to show how the BM language and the BM Cube can be used in
practice. The case study empirically documents the existence of the seven dimensions and
that the BM Cube is useable when mapping "TO BE" and "AS IS" BM's.
Keywords: Business model Cube, Business, Business model, Business and Business
Model language, Business Model levels
Sustainability - A key business value of the 21st Century
Annabeth Aagaard
University of Southern Denmark
Abstract: [+] | Download File [ 657KB ]
Abstract: Since the early 1990’s, corporate responsibility (CR) has attained prominence in the
political and business agenda in response to corporate scandals and the realization that
development centered only on economic growth paradigms is unsustainable. This
increasing need for a more pro-active role by states, companies and communities in
balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability and social cohesion has
motivated the following three interlinked concepts: corporate social responsibility (CSR),
Corporate sustainability (CS) and corporate governance (Katsoulakos, T. & Katsoulacos,
Y., 2006).
The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) field presents not only a landscape of
theories but also a proliferation of approaches, which are controversial, complex and
unclear (Garriga, E. & Melé, D., 2004). Despite numerous efforts to bring about a clear
and unbiased definition of CSR, there is still some confusion as to how CSR should be
defined (Dahlsrud, 2008). Many ambiguities surround the concepts of sustainability and
CSR, including what business activities count as responsible behaviors (Vogel, 2009).
Therefore, the central questions asked in this chapter relate to the concepts of sustainability
and CSR and how they can be applied as key business values in organizations.
