Agenda

16 Nov 2023 12:30

What makes a business model sustainable? Insights into activities, design themes, and value function

San Giobbe - Aula Volpato | Online

Seminar for faculty and researchers by Visiting Scholar Francesco Rosati, Associate Professor and Group Leader in Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Centre for Technology Entrepreneurship, Technical University of Denmark (DTU).

On November 16, at 12.30 pm in Aula Volpato and on online: Gmeet link

Abstract
This study aims to understand how organizations can actively participate in sustainable value creation through the development of business models for sustainability. To do so, we conducted a comprehensive review of 390 journal articles on business models for sustainability. Employing the activity system perspective, we systematically categorized these articles, uncovering 26 distinct activity groups aligned with 12 design themes. These activities and design themes are intrinsically linked to an organization's potential to leverage their business models for the advancement of sustainable value creation. Our analysis further revealed that these identified activities and design themes can be mapped into three overarching value functions of business models for sustainability—namely, maintaining, unlocking, and sharing value. Our findings underscore the critical role played by these value functions in creating sustainable value through business models. The identified design themes can serve as guiding principles for organizations aspiring to render their business models more sustainable, while the recognized value functions can contribute to the enrichment of prevailing theories on value creation.

Francesco Rosati’s bio
Francesco Rosati is Associate Professor and Group Leader in Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Centre for Technology Entrepreneurship, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), and Research Fellow at Copenhagen Business School (CBS). His research focuses on the role of business in society and is dedicated to studying how entrepreneurship and business model innovation can contribute to the sustainable development agenda. He is currently leading a research project that delves into regenerative business and its implications for individual and collective wellbeing. His scholarly work has been published in journals such as Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice and Business Strategy and the Environment. Francesco’s contributions to the field were recognized with the 2020 Tietgen Award by the Danish Society for Education and Business.

Language

The event will be held in English

Organized by

Dipartimento di Management/ Venice School of Management

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