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(i) Value proposition: what value is embedded in the product/service offered by
the company.
(ii) Supply chain: how upstream relationships with suppliers are structured and
managed.
(iii) Customer interface: how downstream relationships with customers are structured and managed.
(iv) Financial model: costs and benefits from (i–iii) and their distribution across
business model stakeholders.
These four business model elements, when combined with a perspective on social
and environmental sustainability, describe a sustainable business model (Boons and
Lüdeke-Freund 2013). Organizations committed to such sustainability integrate
their social, environmental and economic activities in order to create value for their
customers and for society. The sustainable business model analyses not only how
organizations produce and deliver goods and services but, at the same time, how
they contribute to the improvement of society – environmentally and socially. A
company, cooperation or other organization with a sustainable business model is
often part of, to a greater or lesser extent, a community or region that highly values
the sustainable society and the sustainable environment.
Because of this increased focus on social and environmental sustainability, many
companies worldwide have taken a greater interest in sequential business model
innovation in which they refine an existing business model or launch a new one. The
business model canvas framework (Osterwalder and Pigneur, 2012) has been developed for companies to envision and implement sustainable business models in practice. One of the new tools promoted for this work is the strongly sustainable business
model canvas (Jones and Upward 2014; Upward and Jones 2016). In practice, a
stewardship style of leadership is required for use of sustainable business models in
which leaders understand their role as temporary custodians of power. Such leaders
are committed to achieving value for all organizational stakeholders, including society (Bocken et al. 2014; Harvey 2001).
When focusing on sustainable business models, Barth et al. (2017) have proposed that a fourth building element should be added to the previously defined
building elements of business models, (i) value proposition, (ii) value creation and
delivery and (iii) value capture (Bocken et al. 2014; Richardsson 2008; Osterwalder
and Pigneur 2005), namely, (iv) value intention. Many agri-companies are ownermanaged family businesses. The owners regard themselves as stewards or custodians of the company, the property and the environment, with a responsibility for
living and non-living things (Ulvenblad et al. 2016, Barth et al. 2017). Research
regarding sustainability-oriented innovation also stresses the importance of intentional changes to the philosophy and values of the organization (Adams et al.
2016). Including value intention of the owner-manager in the conceptual framework could present important insights of potential trade-offs and barriers when
addressing growth ambitions based on social, environmental and economic aspects
(Table 5.3).
5 Development of Sustainable Business Models for Innovation in the Swedish…
(i) Value proposition: what value is embedded in the product/service offered by
the company.
(ii) Supply chain: how upstream relationships with suppliers are structured and
managed.
(iii) Customer interface: how downstream relationships with customers are structured and managed.
(iv) Financial model: costs and benefits from (i–iii) and their distribution across
business model stakeholders.
These four business model elements, when combined with a perspective on social
and environmental sustainability, describe a sustainable business model (Boons and
Lüdeke-Freund 2013). Organizations committed to such sustainability integrate
their social, environmental and economic activities in order to create value for their
customers and for society. The sustainable business model analyses not only how
organizations produce and deliver goods and services but, at the same time, how
they contribute to the improvement of society – environmentally and socially. A
company, cooperation or other organization with a sustainable business model is
often part of, to a greater or lesser extent, a community or region that highly values
the sustainable society and the sustainable environment.
Because of this increased focus on social and environmental sustainability, many
companies worldwide have taken a greater interest in sequential business model
innovation in which they refine an existing business model or launch a new one. The
business model canvas framework (Osterwalder and Pigneur, 2012) has been developed for companies to envision and implement sustainable business models in practice. One of the new tools promoted for this work is the strongly sustainable business
model canvas (Jones and Upward 2014; Upward and Jones 2016). In practice, a
stewardship style of leadership is required for use of sustainable business models in
which leaders understand their role as temporary custodians of power. Such leaders
are committed to achieving value for all organizational stakeholders, including society (Bocken et al. 2014; Harvey 2001).
When focusing on sustainable business models, Barth et al. (2017) have proposed that a fourth building element should be added to the previously defined
building elements of business models, (i) value proposition, (ii) value creation and
delivery and (iii) value capture (Bocken et al. 2014; Richardsson 2008; Osterwalder
and Pigneur 2005), namely, (iv) value intention. Many agri-companies are ownermanaged family businesses. The owners regard themselves as stewards or custodians of the company, the property and the environment, with a responsibility for
living and non-living things (Ulvenblad et al. 2016, Barth et al. 2017). Research
regarding sustainability-oriented innovation also stresses the importance of intentional changes to the philosophy and values of the organization (Adams et al.
2016). Including value intention of the owner-manager in the conceptual framework could present important insights of potential trade-offs and barriers when
addressing growth ambitions based on social, environmental and economic aspects
(Table 5.3).
5 Development of Sustainable Business Models for Innovation in the Swedish…