Calls for papers

 

International Journal of Technology Management

 

Special Issue on: "Emerging Technologies, Business Models, Ecosystems, and Platforms in the B2B Context"

Guest Editors:
Prof. Seppo Leminen, University of South-Eastern Norway, Norway
Prof. Anna-Greta Nyström, Åbo Akademi University, Finland
Assoc. Prof. Mika Westerlund, Carleton University, Canada

Business models are a substantial research domain and tool for business-to-business (B2B) companies to understand, develop, and reconstruct their a) value creation, b) value capture, and c) value delivery elements (Li, 2020; Leminen, Rajahonka, Wendelin, & Westerlund, 2020; Sjödin, Parida, Jovanovic, & Visnjic, 2020a). Previous research has been particularly fueled by business model transformation (Achtenhagen, Melin, & Naldi, 2013), the rise of digital platforms (Perks, Kowalkowski, Witell, & Gustafsson, 2017), multi-sided platform design (Alt & Zimmermann, 2014) and business model fluidity (Leminen, Rajahonka, Wendelin, Westerlund, & Nyström, forthcoming). Technological advancements and the popularity of digital platforms are imposing B2B companies to re-evaluate their business models. Also, business model transformation is instrumental in strategic work and has the potential to disrupt ecosystems and create a variety of business model configurations (Kohtamäki, Parida, Oghazi, Baines, & Gebauer 2019; Leminen, Rajahonka, Westerlund, & Wendelin, 2018).

A significant aspect of business model research is the shifting focus from the business model of a company to the business models of ecosystems. This is hardly a surprise, because emerging technologies and digital innovation push companies toward collaboration with other actors, thereby forming complex ecosystem structures (Adner & Kapoor, 2010). Ecosystems thinking is thus pivotal, implying an increased need for cooperation, a notion that is also identified in the context of platform-based business models (Westerlund et al., 2014). Nonetheless, research on conceptualising platforms in order to advance management research on organisational forms (cf. Gawer, 2014) is merely taking its initial steps. Further, research on how business models come about because of emerging technology and platforms, and how they are manifested in complex ecosystems are largely scattered. Much needs to be done to fully grasp the dynamics, prerequisites, and consequences, as well as the strategies and thought behind business model transformation and innovation induced by new or emerging technology.

In this special issue, we call for research on the impact of emerging technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the Internet of Things) on platform-enabled business models and ecosystems in the B2B context. While we acknowledge that the concept of “emerging technology” is much debated (Rotolo et al., 2015), it can be characterised as a technology that shows high potential but has not yet demonstrated its value (Cozzens et al., 2010). Emerging technologies are characterised by novelty (or newness) and potential growth (Small et al., 2014). Further, they induce benefits for various industry sectors (Martin, 1995), create new industries or transform existing ones (Day & Schoemaker, 2000), and can change the basis of competition in the market (Hung & Chu, 2006). As a result, ecosystems, knowledge networks, and information-, technology- and innovation systems, as well as wider economic, regulatory, and policy systems need to reconceptualize or adapt to facilitate necessary rearrangements for novel B2B platforms and strategies (Kamalaldin, Sjödin, Hullova, & Parida, 2021).

Digital platforms play a major role in the transformation of different industry verticals (de Reuver, Sørensen, & Basole, 2018). At the heart of the transformation is the enabling power of digital technology, which holds a promise to provide a potent digital platform infrastructure and data interoperability. Not only these digital technologies drive innovation and business model change in B2B platforms (de Reuver, Sørensen, & Basole, 2018), but they also create novel business opportunities by enabling, creating, and exploiting new product and service offerings (Jovanovic, Sjödin, & Parida, in press; Pereira, Tavalaei, & Ozalp, 2019). Digitalisation and new technologies thus discompose practices and procedures of incumbent companies for conducting business in the market, and provide current and new ventures with emerging opportunities for novel and innovative solutions, products and services, and systems (cf. Sestino, Prete, Piper, & Guido, 2020; Sjödin et al., 2020b; Zeng, Tavalaei, & Khan, 2021).

Business model and ecosystem researchers are encouraged to focus on the B2B platform-based business models and ecosystems intertwined with customer and user networks across different industries, in manufacturing, services and knowledge-intensive activities, where emerging technology induces change in strategy and thinking.

References:
Achtenhagen, L., Melin, L., & Naldi, L. (2013). Dynamics of Business Models – Strategizing, Critical Capabilities and Activities for Sustained Value Creation. Long Range Planning, 46(6), 427–442.
Adner R and Kapoor R (2010). Value creation in innovation ecosystems: how the structure of technological interdependence affects firm performance in new technology generations. Strategic Management Journal, 31(3), 306–333. Alt, R., & Zimmermann, H.-D. (2014). Electronic markets and general research. Electronic Markets, 24(3), 161–164.
Cozzens, S., Gatchair, S., Kang, J., Kim, K.-S., Lee, H.J., Ordóñez, G., & Porter, A. (2010). Emerging technologies: quantitative identification and measurement, Technology Analysis and Strategic Management, 22, 361–376.
Day, G.S., & Schoemaker, P.J.H. (2000). Avoiding the pitfalls of emerging technologies, California Management Review, 42, 8–33.
de Reuver, M., Sørensen, C., & Basole, R.C. (2018). The Digital Platform: A Research Agenda. Journal of Information Technology, 33(2), 124–135.
Gawer, A. (2014). Bridging Differing Perspectives on Technological Platforms: Toward an Integrative Framework. Research Policy. 43(7), 1239–1249.
Hung, S.C., & Chu, Y.Y. (2006). Stimulating new industries from emerging technologies: Challenges for the public sector, Technovation, 26, 104–110 Jovanovic, M., Sjödin, D., & Parida, V (in-press). Co-evolution of platform architecture, platform services, and platform governance: Expanding the platform value of industrial digital platforms. Technovation, 102218.
Kamalaldin, A., Sjödin, D., Hullova, D., & Parida, V. (2021). Configuring ecosystem strategies for digitally enabled process innovation: A framework for equipment suppliers in the process industries. Technovation. Kohtamäki, M., Parida, V., Oghazi, P., Gebauer, H., & Baines, T. (2019). Digital servitization business models in ecosystems: A theory of the firm. Journal of Business Research, 104(11), 380–392.
Leminen, S., Rajahonka, M., Wendelin, R., Westerlund, M., & Nyström, A.-G. (forthcoming). Autonomous vehicle solution archetypes and their digital servitization models. Technological Forecasting & Social Change.
Leminen, S., Rajahonka, M., Westerlund, M., & Wendelin, R. (2018). The Future of the Internet of Things: Toward Heterarchical Ecosystems and Service Business Models. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 33(6), 749–767.
Leminen, S., Rajahonka, M., Wendelin, R., & Westerlund, M. (2020). Industrial Internet of Things Business Models in the Machine-to-Machine Context. Industrial Marketing Management, 84, 298-311.
Li, F. (2020). The digital transformation of business models in the creative industries: A holistic framework and emerging trends. Technovation, 92–93, 102012.
Martin, B.R. (1995). Foresight in science and technology, Technology Analysis and Strategic Management, 7, 139–168 Pereira, J., Tavalaei, M. M., & Ozalp, H. (2019). Blockchain-based platforms: Decentralized infrastructures and its boundary conditions. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 146, 94-102.
Perks, H., Kowalkowski, C., Witell, L., & Gustafsson, A. (2017). Network orchestration for value platform development. Industrial Marketing Management, 67, 106-121.
Rotolo, D., Hicks, D., & Martin, B. R. (2015). What is an emerging technology?, Research Policy, 44(10), 1827–43.
Sestino, A., Prete, I., Piper, L., & Guido, G. (2020). Internet of Things and Big Data as enablers for business digitalization strategies. Technovation. 98, 102173.
Sjödin, D., Parida, V., Jovanovic, M., & Visnjic, I. (2020a). Value creation and value capture alignment in business model innovation: A process view on outcome-based business models. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 37(2), 158–183.
Sjödin, D., Parida, V., Kohtamäki, M., & Wincent, J. (2020b) An agile co-creation process for digital servitization: A micro-service innovation approach. Journal of Business Research, 112, 478-491.
Small, H., Boyack, K.W., & Klavans, R. (2014). Identifying emerging topics in science and technology, Research Policy, 43, 1450–1467.
Zeng, J., Tavalaei, M. M., & Khan, Z. (2021). Sharing economy platform firms and their resource orchestration approaches. Journal of Business Research, 136, 451-465.

Subject Coverage
Suitable topics include, but are not limited, to the following:

• The impact of new and emerging technologies on business models in the B2B context
• Business model design, evolution, and process in the context of digital platforms
• Change in business model elements due to emerging technology, ecosystem thinking, and digital platforms
• The impact of ecosystem dynamics and evolution on business model transformation.
• Case studies on platform-based business models
• Multi-level analyses of new technology-enabled B2B platform business models
• Actor roles and stakeholder management in B2B platform business models
• Organizational boundaries in emerging technology-enabled B2B platform business models
• Theorising emerging technology-enabled platforms and their business models in the B2B context
• Understanding the transition process toward technology-enabled B2B platform business models
• Data sources and data integration issues of new technology-enabled B2B platform business models
• Emerging technology-enabled B2B platform business models fostering industry or other types of sustainability and growth

Notes for Prospective Authors

Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. (N.B. Conference papers may only be submitted if the paper has been completely re-written and if appropriate written permissions have been obtained from any copyright holders of the original paper).

All papers are refereed through a peer review process.

All papers must be submitted online. To submit a paper, please read our Submitting articles page.

Important Dates

Manuscripts due by: 31 January, 2024