The Value Flow Perspective in Business Models for Sustainability - Challenges, drivers, barriers and learning practices

The topics of the research are Business Model and Sustainability. The complete integration of sustainability in a company requires a business model change since the business value dimensions are no longer the same. In this regard, Business Model for Sustainability (BMfS) could be defined as "a model where sustainability concepts shape the driving force of the firm and its decision making". The adoption of a BMfS needs a change of mind-set and the reconfiguration of many elements such as: knowledge management, collaborations, relationships and capabilities. This research is based on an in-depth bibliometric review of literature of BMfS to identify several research gaps and four research questions. To answer the first research question, multiple case studies in small and medium enterprises was conducted. More specifically, the empirical investigation adopted a research design with seven case studies. The results display a varied typology of case studies, where business model components reveal diverse expressions of facing sustainability challenges. The study contributes in continuing the discourse on BMfS, adopting the perspective of the challenges for SMEs and offers food for thought for managers of SMEs in comparing their own business with the identified business model types. The second research question has been answered by investigating the value flow of business model in sustainable-born companies. Specifically, the aim of the work was to link the topic of BMfS to drivers and barriers in a single interpretative framework integrated with the value flow perspective. The research methodology was a multiple case study in five Italian B-corp companies, where firstly the phases, and then the organizational drivers and barriers, are explored. The phases were defined as awareness, people and processes, systemic vision, and relate them to the value flow: value intention, proposition, creation and delivering, underlying the different perceptions of sustainability as a goal, a tool, a standard and an integrated value. The third research question has been studied by analysing how stakeholder groups engaged by the company contribute to the value flow of BMfS. The research aimed to expand the knowledge on BMfS by highlighting the most important contributions of stakeholders that are relevant from a value flow and sustainability perspective. The research methodology was a multiple case study in five Italian B-corporations. The contribution was a Stakeholder Value Flow Framework of BMfS that categorizes the stakeholders in the specific value flow dimension, namely: value intention, value proposition, value creation, value delivery, and value capture. The framework can facilitate a systematic and deeper analysis of stakeholder contributions to the company business model. Moreover, the Stakeholder Value Flow Framework can be used to map from the company perspective the most significant relationships and to facilitate the stakeholder engagement. Finally, to address the fourth research question sustainability was examined from an organisational learning perspective. To identify which organisational learning characteristics are used in BMfS, a multiple-case study was designed for sustainable companies operating in the food and beverage industry. The study found a wide variety of sustainable practices. It was also found that sustainable companies learn through social rather than reflective learning, in relationships with internal and external stakeholders, and by concrete actions to implement environmental and social impacts. The study is one of a few that explore sustainability organisational learning and contributes to categorising organisational learning characteristics that sustainable companies use to facilitate and support sustainability in the mid–long term.