Abstract: This proposal presents preliminary findings from an in-depth exploratory qualitative case study mapping stakeholder perceptions of organizational influence within a UK Brewery's business ecosystem. Based on a critique of circular business models, this research is informed by a conceptual framework based on the extension of the ecosystem concept of material flows within biological ecosystems to social systems in the form of symbolic flows, particularly organizational influence. The purpose of the study is to understand the impact of a mismatches in stakeholder perceptions of organizational influence on sustainable value creation opportunities within business ecosystems.

Abstract: Nowadays, in an uncertain, competitive, and dynamic environment, companies must be able to manage complex value chains, and they should be aware of their BM (Business Model) to react quickly to the emerging needs of the global consumers. In this paper the main BMs of the new firms, born in Italy after 2,000, are examined. The new firms considered belong to three industries: life-science, engineering and services - Knowledge Intensive Business Service (KIBS). Data were collected through telephonic interviews, selecting a sample of 504 firms (reduced to 495 once we add the financial indicators extracted from AIDA database) within a universe of 2341 newly founded firms located in the North of Italy in the years 2000-2006 (source Cerved-Chamber of Commerce) . The results obtained trough cluster analysis show the emergence of 3 specific business models, strongly connected with the 3 specific sectoral context.

Abstract: Businesses do not evolve in a vacuum. There is a whole environment outside firms’ specific contexts that is continuously exposed to shocks and whose effects may jeopardize the way firms create and capture their value.
As a first step to face the dangerous waves of a crisis, nothing but the cognition of its potential effects on their business models is what firms need to start with. Then, to eventually ride it, nothing but to complement these business models within a network, is what firms need to go ahead with. Through a grounded theory approach within an Italian pharmaceutical district we aim at analysing the impact of shocks on business models and how, by complementing them within a network structure, firms can eventually ride the crisis.

Abstract: Companies are more and more competing within and among business ecosystems rather than on product or technological level. Although the notion of business models draws attention to the links among firms, more complex interconnections like those within business ecosystems remain to be explored. This paper addresses both the structure and dynamics of business ecosystems by employing a functional perspective, where business models of various actors form a functioning whole. Such approach stresses collaboration among companies as the way to increase competitiveness of the overall business ecosystem. The study examines two industries that face a need to replace old business ecosystem with a renewed one. The paper proposes a framework explaining the relation of business models and business ecosystems both in terms of structure and dynamics.