Mid Sweden University

Purpose - This paper aims to analyze how a real estate business model innovation developed in a real estate network, with a special focus on the relationship between ego network structure and the innovative development of the business model. Design/methodology/approach - The paper is a single case study of a Swedish real estate network of 38 actors. The data were collected at the individual actor level using multiple sources: 12 semi-structured indepth interviews, 94 min of meetings and 28 written contracts. The empirical findings resulted in four propositions. Findings - This study demonstrates that it was primarily the building user who was behind the innovative development of the real estate business model innovation, whereas the real estate company acted as a network hub and network resource coordinator. The ego network structures significantly affected the outcome. Practical implications - Real estate companies should act as hubs, coordinating all the network actor resources the building user needs in the value-creation process. To be effective hubs, the representatives of real estate companies must create extensive personal and open ego networks to acquire central network positions. Originality/value - Few studies examine business model innovation, particularly in the real estate context. Though large real estate businesses usually operate in the networks of various actors, analyses based on the network perspective are also lacking. This case study builds a valuable understanding of how network processes in real estate networks can be used as tools to foster real estate business model innovation, which in turn can lead to more competitive real estate companies and building users.

Digitalization has shifted industries closer to each other and disruptive innovation has been a major reason for the success and failure of many products and industries. Hence, the need for innovative business models and extend the innovation process beyond the technological features have become more prominent recently. The objective of this case study of the graphic arts industry is to discuss the use of customer centric open innovation processes, in a longitudinal sense, as a mean to change the competitive posture. The results of this case study are based on 11 interview series with 54 firms (43 printing firms, 7 direct customers toprinting firms and 4 media and advertising agencies).

Within the traditional real estate business today there’s a growing trend focusing on increased customer value at office workplaces. Facilitating innovation requires transfer of different kinds of knowledge, which means that the knowledge-bearing actors must meet and interact. The customer is therefore no longer passive but deemed as an important active actor in the development of new and changed business models. In a case study, this paper seeks to improve our understanding of how network structure affects innovation outcomes in real estate innovation networks by analyzing network structure in terms of network size, density and in terms of actor centrality or position. This study shows that it was primarily the customer who was behind the innovative development of the workplace while the real estate company had a more network coordinating role.

Implementing and complying with standards and certification often increases costs for supply chain actors. These increased costs are caused by upgrading production, logistics and marketing needed to achieve compliance, and can lead to the exclusion of actors from the supply chain. In particular, the exclusion of small-scale growers in developing countries as the result of the expansion and proliferation of private voluntary standards (PVS) used by large procurers has been extensively reported. Costs of PVS are per certification and the unit is usually the individual farm, regardless of its size. In much of the developing world smallholder production dominates domestic food production, and these small farms face proportionately higher costs per unit area for certification and compliance. Benefits of PVS are per production unit, giving benefits to larger farms. Developing world smallholder production tends to be on less than one hectare, giving relatively small production. Compared with the costs per farm, there is an inherent bias in many standards and certification towards larger farms. Standards in export horticulture can, potentially, incentivize a more active role for the private sector in investing in small-scale growers in ways that are mutually beneficial for growers and exporters. Such co-investment is a feature of trading relationships and business models that are inclusive of small-scale growers. In Kenyan horticulture, donors, exporters and smallholders have in some cases managed to leverage PVS requirements into profitable local agricultural developments. In this paper, we use resource-based strategic alliance theory to explain the patterns that have evolved. We propose greater use of cooperation theory to help make more efficient economic development interventions which are complementary with private-sector investments. We explore how standards might be used to accelerate development initiatives.

Even though strong competition in an industry in general favors the formation of alliances, competition between partners is a difficult task to handle when discussing cooperation. The objective of this qualitative case study is to investigate how cooperation is used to gain access to resources and to increase resource flexibility in a highly competitive fragmented industry, such as the printing industry. Further this paper investigates the perceived level of competition between cooperating partners and how this affects the possibility to cooperate.This study gives indications on both the need and possibilities to engage in cooperation with competitors for small and medium sized printing houses. To compete effectively the printing houses have formed cooperations with companies that either have complementary resources or can provide extended resource capacity. The results indicate that forming cooperations is important for increasing the resource flexibility in the printing industry, a traditional industry with economics of scale in production and immense fixed costs and investment needs. When cooperation between partners is strong, the level of competition between partners tends to be perceived as weak, which can be attributed to the high level of trust needed for cooperation to be formed in the first place. The results also indicate that whenever the competition increases in a strong cooperation the cooperation most often ends in dissolution. In other words companies in the printing industry tend to have strong cooperation with a few close partners who they can trust, which makes the competitive situation between partners seem weak. This study indicates the difficulties in having a strong cooperation with companies regarded as competitors. This study indicates the difficulties among SMEs in having a strong cooperation with companies regarded as competitors.

This paper analyses the importance for printing firms to provide print and related services to support their customers relationship marketing (RM) strategies. The results show that offering variable data printing (VDP) services is important, and many respondents believe that customers are less price sensitive when buying customised printed matters. By working close to end customers and helping them fulfil their need for print in RM it is possible to increase the relationship between printing firms and their customers. Due to the low competence regarding VDP services, within the printing industry, the results suggest that even if the demand of VDP services increases, it will be hard for printing firms to benefit from the added value that customers receive.

Even though tough competition favours formation of alliances, competition between partners is difficult to handle. This qualitative case study investigates how a fragmented industry perceives the level of competition with their cooperative partners and the influence of organized alliances. The results indicate that when cooperation between partners is strong, the competition between partners tends to be perceived as weak, which can be a result of the high initial trust needed to cooperate. Thus, printing companies strive for strong cooperation with a few close trustful partners, which makes the competitive situation between these partners weak. The competitive impact of organized alliances is diversified, since the foremost reason for cooperation is to lower and share costs. However, the use of a franchise brand, in addition to the local brand, may strengthen the company’s competitive advantages on a national basis.