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1 – 6 of 6Raffaello Balocco, Angelo Cavallo, Antonio Ghezzi and Jasmina Berbegal-Mirabent
Business model change (BMC) is a process new ventures are frequently involved in, especially in dynamic environments like the digital industry: copying with it is a key issue for…
Abstract
Purpose
Business model change (BMC) is a process new ventures are frequently involved in, especially in dynamic environments like the digital industry: copying with it is a key issue for entrepreneurs attempting to shorten the transition between current and new business models (BMs) and avoid losses in terms of revenue, image and customer retention, while acquiring experience and validated learning in the process. The purpose of this paper is to propose a lean framework to support digital new ventures in the BMC process.
Design/methodology/approach
The study builds its contribution on two pillars: a review on BM and the lean thinking theories, and a multiple case study on three digital new ventures which underwent BMC.
Findings
The study shows how BMC in a digital context can beneficially follow lean principles, and how these principles can be integrated in an original lean framework to experiment on, validate and subsequently change a BM.
Originality/value
The authors provide the “single minute exchange of die” for BMC framework that extends and complements lean startup approaches to further relate lean thinking and BMC, thus operationalizing the process of BM experimenting and validation that enables change.
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Antonio Ghezzi, Raffaello Balocco and Andrea Rangone
This study aims to recognize the growing importance of Open Innovation (OI) theory and practice in the broader fields of Management and Information Systems, and focuse on the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to recognize the growing importance of Open Innovation (OI) theory and practice in the broader fields of Management and Information Systems, and focuse on the relationship existing between OI and a firm’s Business Strategy. Hence, the study aims at investigating the multifaceted OI – Strategy nexus at a business level, assessing how OI initiatives influence Strategy within the Mobile Telecommunications Industry and thus contributing to framing and classifying such inherent relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
A data-driven research approach is used, based on 45 qualitative interviews on firms operating in the Mobile Industry and involved in OI initiatives.
Findings
Six cross-themes the OI–Strategy relationship in the Mobile Industry revolves around are identified, i.e. OI and Competitive Advantage; OI and Strategic Positioning; OI and Business Models; OI in Networks; OI and Co-opetition; and OI and Resilient Business Advantages. For each theme, examples from the sample of interviewed Mobile firms are organized and reported. The key managerial issues emerging in the attempt to relate OI initiatives and the firm’s overarching Strategy are also underscored and organized in three streams, namely, designing an open business model; achieving competitive advantage through value capture; and nurturing OI as a dynamic capability.
Originality/value
The proposed reorganization of real-world OI and strategic initiatives in the Mobile Industry, together with the underscoring of key managerial issues, constitutes a comprehensive research agenda or roadmap, with value for both academics and practitioners.
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Raffaello Balocco, Riccardo Mogre and Giovanni Toletti
The purpose of this paper is to focus on the adoption of business to employee (B2e) mobile internet (MI) applications in Italian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The purpose…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to focus on the adoption of business to employee (B2e) mobile internet (MI) applications in Italian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The purpose is twofold: to analyze the diffusion of these applications underlining the main adoption barriers and to describe the impact on the corporate environment and the decision‐making process leading to the introduction of B2e MI applications.
Design/methodology/approach
The diffusion of mobile solutions is gauged through a survey of 646 Italian SMEs in the manufacturing industry. Multiple case studies of 28 Italian SMEs that have adopted 33 B2e MI applications have given insight into the impact and the adoption process of such technologies.
Findings
The adoption of MI technologies is still limited in Italian SMEs. Two different kinds of solutions (classified into connectivity‐based and application‐based) lead to different processes of adoption.
Research limitations/implications
The study has been conducted only in an Italian scenario. As for the survey, only firms belonging to the manufacturing industry have been interviewed.
Practical implications
The main adoption drivers/constraints have been identified. The paper also provides information and communication technologies vendors with guidelines on how to increase the use of the applications in Italian SMEs.
Originality/value
The paper is based on a double methodology in order to provide a full analysis of the adoption of mobile technologies in a business environment: the survey is used to quantify the adoption of the technologies and the case studies are used to investigate the adoption process.
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Raffaello Balocco, Giovanni Miragliotta, Alessandro Perego and Angela Tumino
In 2003, Walmart issued a sensational RFId mandate for its top 100 suppliers, including a detailed deployment plan under compelling deadlines. After seven years, very little of…
Abstract
Purpose
In 2003, Walmart issued a sensational RFId mandate for its top 100 suppliers, including a detailed deployment plan under compelling deadlines. After seven years, very little of that mandate has become a consolidated industry practice. This paper aims to try to offer a complete and thorough explanation of the reasons behind this fact, providing a sound strategic view of what is happening and could happen in the future.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on a twofold methodological approach: first, it relies on an in‐depth literature review covering the assessment of RFId applications in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry; second, it leverages on a five‐year research program carried out by the RFId Solution Center of Politecnico di Milano in cooperation with GS1 Italy, which provided both quantitative data (used to develop and feed an analytical profitability assessment model) and qualitative knowledge to understand the “soft” implications of RFId adoption in the industry.
Findings
Despite the great potential of RFId technology, there are still some significant barriers preventing its diffusion. Case‐level tagging is required to enable a substantial redesign of the supply chain, but profit‐sharing and reading reliability should be carefully considered to ensure economic and technological feasibility. The comparison with the fashion industry evidences some key success factors of RFId; while some of them are industry‐specific, others can be replicated in the FMCG as well, but further efforts are still needed.
Originality/value
This is one of the first attempts to provide a comprehensive analysis of RFId potential in the FMCG supply chain, taking into account all the major factors involved. Moreover, the quantitative results illustrated in the paper could be a valuable support to companies in defining their RFId strategies.
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Antonio Ghezzi, Filippo Renga, Raffaello Balocco and Paolo Pescetto
The purpose of the paper is to provide an initial study on the Italian mobile payment services market, and to identify and assess the main diffusion drivers of mobile payment…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the paper is to provide an initial study on the Italian mobile payment services market, and to identify and assess the main diffusion drivers of mobile payment applications.
Design/methodology/approach
The research design integrates an exhaustive census of all Italian mPayment applications and an in‐depth analysis of the most significant cases performed through the case studies methodology: ten user companies or “merchants” and six service providers were analyzed through semi‐structured interviews given to top managers.
Findings
Through the census, 21 mPayment applications and related services were identified. In addition to this, the case studies brought greater understanding of the key diffusion drivers: strong inhibitory factors and adoption barriers are still restricting user adoption despite the many benefits related to these services.
Research limitations/implications
The research represents a first, exploratory study of a market at its embryonic stage of development. Nevertheless, given the global magnitude of the Italian mobile telecommunications market and the gradual rise of the mPayment paradigm, the analysis can provide a valuable basis for future studies in the field.
Practical implications
The findings can support a wide set of stakeholders – both first movers and newcomers of the mobile payment segment – in their offer definition and market making choices.
Originality/value
The paper combines a census and a case study methodology to delineate the offer's state of the art for innovative, mobile channel‐based payment services; moreover, its assessment of the applications' core benefits, diffusion drivers and adoption barriers can be tested for generalization to different contexts.
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Raffaello Balocco, Alessandro Perego and Sara Perotti
The purpose of the paper is to look in depth at the role of business‐to‐business (B2b) eMarketplaces in supporting B2b relationships, identifying the successful business models…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the paper is to look in depth at the role of business‐to‐business (B2b) eMarketplaces in supporting B2b relationships, identifying the successful business models and the related critical success factors (CSFs), and to propose a new classification framework to classify eMarketplace business models.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on the analysis of 30 international eMarketplaces through case study methodology.
Findings
Nine different business models are identified, which can be classified in terms of a service‐provisioning model and supported processes between companies. For each business model, different CSFs are highlighted.
Research limitations/implications
The study has been conducted on a sample of 30 significant international eMarketplaces. Future studies could apply the framework to other cases in specific industries.
Originality/value
The paper offers an overview of the eMarketplace business models linking them with the most relevant CSFs. On one hand, the identified CSFs must be considered by managers and entrepreneurs launching new eMarketplaces or managing existing ones, in order to define the strategy, the business model, and the value proposition for the company users. On the other hand, managers facing the problem of adopting internet technology to support a B2b relationship with business partners must learn to distinguish between the different B2b business models, in order to understand their impact on processes and more precisely evaluate the potential value offered by a B2b electronic intermediary.
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