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VALUES-BASED NETWORK AND BUSINESS MODEL INNOVATION

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International Journal of Innovation Management
Authors:
Henning Breuer at University of Applied Sciences for Media, Communication and Management
Henning Breuer
  • University of Applied Sciences for Media, Communication and Management
Florian Lüdeke-Freund at ESCP Europe Berlin
Florian Lüdeke-Freund
  • ESCP Europe Berlin
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Abstract

Innovation management falls short in solving urgent societal problems, if it neglects the power of networks and the values of their constituent actors. Even though network and business model innovation have been acknowledged as innovation categories in their own right, their problem-solving potential remains unexplored. In this article, we argue that purposeful innovation requires considering the shared values of those engaging in innovation processes, where values are understood as subjective notions of the desirable. Values-based innovation can motivate the development of new networks and business models that address complex societal problems, such as the unsustainability of current forms of energy supply. We present a theoretical framework and facilitation methods for values-based network and business model innovation. Both have been applied in an exemplary workshop on regional energy networks in Germany. Reflecting upon the lessons learned from theory and practice, we conclude that crucial starting points for systemic sustainability innovations can be found in values-based networks and business models.
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VALUES-BASED NETWORK AND
BUSINESS MODEL INNOVATION
HENNING BREUER
*
,
‡
and FLORIAN LÜDEKE-FREUND
†
*
UX Berlin–Innovation Consulting & University of Applied Sciences for Media,
Communication and Management
Ackerstrasse 76, 13355 Berlin, Germany
†
University of Hamburg
Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Sciences
Von-Melle-Park 9, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
‡
h.breuer@hmkw.de
Published 21 November 2016
Innovation management falls short in solving urgent societal problems, if it neglects the
power of networks and the values of their constituent actors. Even though network and
business model innovation have been acknowledged as innovation categories in their own
right, their problem-solving potential remains unexplored. In this article, we argue that
purposeful innovation requires considering the shared values of those engaging in inno-
vation processes, where values are understood as subjective notions of the desirable.
Values-based innovation can motivate the development of new networks and business
models that address complex societal problems, such as the unsustainability of current
forms of energy supply. We present a theoretical framework and facilitation methods for
values-based network and business model innovation. Both have been applied in an ex-
emplary workshop on regional energy networks in Germany. Reflecting upon the lessons
learned from theory and practice, we conclude that crucial starting points for systemic
sustainability innovations can be found in values-based networks and business models.
Keywords: Values-based innovation; value network; business model; collaborative inno-
vation; future workshop; sustainability; energy business.
⁄
Corresponding author.
†
Governing Responsible Business Fellow (2016–2017) at Copenhagen Business School, and Re-
search Fellow at the Centre for Sustainability Management (CSM), Leuphana University.
International Journal of Innovation Management
Vol. 21, No. 3 (April 2017) 1750028 (35 pages)
© World Scientific Publishing Europe Ltd.
DOI: 10.1142/S1363919617500281
1750028-1
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... Managing the strategic dimensions of BMfS is about how a company identifies and secures strategic advantage while managing its activities across technologies, social structures, and processes (Bleicher 1994) to align with sustainability objectives. This, for example, happens through business model innovation (Breuer and Lüdeke-Freund 2017), or the conceptualization, adaptation, and implementation of new business models (Geissdoerfer, Vladimirova, and Evans 2018). Innovating BMfS requires creating structures to create and capture value that supports sustainability objectives. ...
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