Hybrid Business Models fpr Sustainability - A Business Model Design Approach

Publication Type

Book chapter

Authors

Hahn, R., & Spieth, P.

Year of publication

2014

Published in

The Proceeding of XXV ISPIM Conference - Innovation fo Sustainable Economy & Society, Dublin, Ireland

Editor

K. Huizinghm S. Conn, M. Torkkelo & I. Bitran

In addition to purely economic goals, hybrid businesses pursue social or ecological ones. They often entail a distinct focus on innovative approaches and implement new business models to achieve their multiple goals. While the related stream of research has received ever-growing attention in business practice and academic research on sustainability, we know relatively little about the peculiarities of hybrid business models from the business model innovation perspective. We aim to fill this gap by employing a deductive multiple-case study approach that uses a business model design framework, based on Zott and Amit (2010), which is commonly used for business model innovation research in start-up firms. Based on 18 in-depth case studies of hybrid business models, we identify and illustrate four clusters, which all differ in their design themes and elements: niche novelty, integrated novelty, intermediary approaches (efficiency 1), and platform approaches (efficiency 2). We link our findings to the extant literature and provide suggestions for start-up managers regarding how these design elements and themes can be put into practice to enable hybrid business model innovations to achieve social and/or ecological sustainability.