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Debating Innovation pp 103–121Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

In Search for the Holy Grail in Management Research: A Review of the Benefits of Business Model Innovation

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Abstract

During the last 20 years, business model innovation (BMI) has become a fundamental concept in strategic management and entrepreneurship research and practice. Tools such as the business model canvas or the business model navigator were used in business workshops around the world and have created numerous ideas on how business models can be innovated. Despite this hype for BMI, the question arises, if this effort really pays off? The simple yet biased answer is yes, it does. This chapter argues for BMI. I highlight three reasons why BMI may keep its promises to academics and practitioners: First, BMI stimulates the performance and creates competitive advantages for start-ups and incumbent firms alike. Second, firms utilize BMI for strategic shifts, such as digital or sustainability transformation or to react to crises. Third, tools for the management of BMI facilitate holistic thinking and help firms to develop new solutions to customer problems.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Witten Institute for Family Business, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany

    Thomas Clauss

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Correspondence to Thomas Clauss .

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  1. Department of Innovation and Technology, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

    Alf Rehn

  2. Department of Working Life and Innovation, School of Business and Law, University of Agder, Grimstad, Norway

    Anders Örtenblad

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Clauss, T. (2023). In Search for the Holy Grail in Management Research: A Review of the Benefits of Business Model Innovation. In: Rehn, A., Örtenblad, A. (eds) Debating Innovation. Palgrave Debates in Business and Management. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-16666-2_6

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