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This paper aims to illustrate how managing multiple business models can become a key factor for succeeding in base-of-the-pyramid markets.

Case study was conducted through an engaged scholarship approach.

The authors highlight that companies can manage multiple business models, if they are following these three steps: recognition of costs-and-benefits, improvement and growth and creation of synergies.

The study provides guidance on how to manage multiple business models.

This paper discusses Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods, a social enterprise, which provides basic sanitation in bade-of-the-pyramid markets.

Operating more than one business model could cause often strategic failures. Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods explored the advantages of having multiple business models in following three steps: recognition of costs-and-benefits, improvement and growth and creation of synergies.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a typology of management innovations.

The authors apply a multiple-case (embedded) design, with each organization representing a case, which entails a few embedded units of analysis. Case studies are about the base-of-the-pyramid (BoP) initiatives, during which all organizations are interested in management innovations which support them in coming up with and implementing between two and four new management practices.

The findings suggest four types of management innovations: efficiency-driven, externally recommended, problem-oriented, and opportunity-oriented management innovation.

This paper explores and analyses management innovations, rather than testing them. As with most qualitative research, the transferability of the findings is limited.

Managers should vigorously pursue management innovations, not only in BoP markets, but also in all markets. Practitioners must, however, ensure that they are not fully absorbed by a single type of management innovation, and recognize the importance of pursing multiple ones.

For academics, the authors revitalize the concept of engaged scholarship.

Surprisingly, previous research looks either into generic or specific management innovations. The typology is original, since the typology offers a more fine-grained view on management innovations.

This paper aims to highlight how initial business models can be converted into a larger-scale solution for tapping into the emerging base-of-the-pyramid markets.

This study uses a qualitative, multi-case research design with 20 organizations tapping into the water market at the base-of-the-pyramid.

This paper explores three business models innovations: fostering value-in-context, allowing for modifiability and embracing organizational ambidexterity.

Due to our qualitative research approach, generalizability of our findings is limited.

The description of the three business model innovations offers guidance for executives to make their business models financially more sustainable in base-of-the-pyramid markets.

The water sector represents one especially interesting sector to examine business model innovations. For, among social goods, safe water remains a huge challenge to date where 700 million people remain without access to an improved water source.

Previous business model discussion in base-of-the-pyramid markets focuses on commercial goods. The authors focus on water as a social good. They demonstrate that the existing recommendations that business models in base-of-the-pyramid markets should be inclusive, complex, collaborative and scalable are mandatory, but not sufficient. In addition, business models should foster value-in-context, allow for modifiability and embrace organizational ambidexterity.

The emergence of Internet of Things (IoT) platforms in product companies opens up new data-driven business opportunities. This paper looks at the emergence of these IoT platforms from a business-model perspective.

The study applies a mixed method with two research studies: Study I–a cluster analysis based on a quantitative survey, and Study II–case studies based on qualitative interviews.

The findings reveal that there is no gradual shift in a company's business model, but in fact three distinct and sequential patterns of business model innovations: (1) platform skimming, (2) platform revenue generation and (3) platform orchestration.

The results are subject to the typical limitations of both quantitative and qualitative studies.

The results provide guidance to managers on how to modify the components of the business model (value proposition, value creation and/or delivery and profit equation) in order to enable platforms to advance.

As IoT platforms continue to advance, product companies achieve better performance in terms of productivity and profitability, and more easily secure competitive advantages and jobs.

The paper makes three original contributions: (1) it is the first quantitative study on IoT platforms in product companies, (2) identifies three patterns of business model innovations and (3) offers a first process perspective for understanding the sequence of these patterns as IoT platforms advance.

Open service innovation is an emergent new service development practice, where knowledge on how to organize development work is scarce. The purpose of the present research is to identify and describe relevant archetypes of open service innovation. The study views an archetype as an organizing template that includes the competence of participants, organizing co-creation among participants and ties between participants. In particular, the study’s interest lies in how open service innovation archetypes are used for incremental and radical service innovation.

For the research, a nested case study was performed, in which an industrial firm with nine open service innovation groups was identified. Forty-five interviews were conducted with participants. For each case, first a within-case analysis was performed, and how to perform open service innovation in practice was described. Then, a cross-case analysis identifying similarities and differences between the open service innovation groups was performed. On the basis of the cross-case analysis, three archetypes for open service innovation were identified.

The nested case study identified three archetypes for open service innovation: internal group development, satellite team development and rocket team development. This study shows that different archetypes are used for incremental and radical service innovation and that a firm can have multiple open service innovation groups using different archetypes.

This study provides suggestions on how firms can organize for open service innovation. The identified archetypes can guide managers to set up, develop or be part of open service innovation groups.

This paper uses open service innovation as a mid-range theory to extend existing research on new service development in networks or service ecosystems. In particular, it shows how open service innovation can be organized to develop both incremental and radical service innovations.

Despite the opportunities provided by pay-per-use (PPU) services, product companies in business-to-business sectors often fail to compete systematically by using them. The purpose of this paper is to explain how companies can avoid failures when it comes to PPU services. The paper describes the “seizing” capabilities needed to achieve the strategic objectives of PPU services.

The research process is divided into a pilot and an in-depth study. Altogether, 17 companies participated in the study.

The findings reveal that the seizing capabilities depend on the strategic objectives of PPU services. To expand the market share with PPU services, companies need to broaden the customer portfolio for PPU services, to align individual services within the entire service portfolio and to balance profits made by PPU services and other business lines. For strategic objectives such as rapid sales growth early in the market development and new market creation other seizing capabilities are required.

The findings are not generalizable, due to the use of a qualitative study. The study is restricted to product companies in the business-to-business sector.

Managers often believe that extending and modularizing the service portfolio is beneficial. When achieving sales growth during the market development phase, these capabilities are in fact sometimes counterproductive. Practitioners have to look into the costs and benefits of setting-up their own financing company and working with banks.

PPU services contribute to a more sustainable consumption and make product design more resource-efficient.

The study is original by virtue of systematically studying PPU services, providing a microfoundation for seizing capabilities and developing testable propositions for future research.

The purpose of this article is to illustrate the management policies behind the success of Swiss product‐manufacturing companies in international competition.

The study included a few multinational corporations as well as a large number of “hidden champions”.

This part of the study focuses on one management policy that is currently driven by the top management. The management policies capture the optimisation of the global footprint.

The paper provides effective guidance for managers seeking to optimise the global value chain activities. The management policies are complementary perspectives to many existing ideas advocated by practitioners.

Shifting management attention towards the service business and the medium market segment is not easy. There are several barriers limiting management attention.

The purpose of this article is to illustrate the management policies behind the success of Swiss product‐manufacturing companies in international competition.

The study included a few multinational corporations as well as a large number of “hidden champions”.

The study has led to three management policies that are currently driven by their top management. The three management policies were: extension of the service business; entering the medium market; and optimising the global footprint.

The paper provides effective guidance for managers seeking to extend the service business and to enter the medium market segment. The management policies are complementary perspectives to many existing ideas advocated by practitioners.

Shifting management attention towards the service business and the medium market segment is not easy. There are several barriers limiting management attention.

The purpose of this paper is to emphasize how different service strategies are properly aligned with the external environment, and how organizational factors lead to a specific level of service‐related performance outcomes.

A multicase research design on Western‐European firms is used as the research methodology. This study answers the following three strategic questions: what typical service strategies exist that enable firms to move from products to services?; what is the appropriate alignment of the service strategies with the external environment and organizational design?; and what performance level can be achieved through the service strategies?

After‐sales service providers are faced with a high competitive intensity and their customers invest in low‐priced products. Customer support providers' market consists of customers who are looking for outstanding product quality. Development partners' customers expect specific solutions for the operating processes.

The study focuses only on manufacturing companies in business‐to‐business markets. The findings are limited to this sector.

The paper assists managers in concentrating on the right triggers for implementing the service strategy.

Both scholars and managers tend to be somewhat vague in suggesting strategies to move along the transition line from products to services. This study identifies specific service strategies that enable manufacturing firms to shift their position on the transition line.