Business Models Their Resilience in Contingencies

Review of \\\"Business continuity of business models: Evaluating the resilience of business models for contingencies\\\" by Niemimaa et al. ()

In this article, the authors have focused on Business Continuity (BC) of business models because they have a central role in companies\\\' business strategies and ensure continuity in businesses\\\' revenue streams. They propose that the business model is a crucial part of the BC concept. It should not be considered an espoused business model, but as an actual business model that the organizations implement through the various resources available, as illustrated in figure 1 below.

Figure 1: Strategic BC management framework (Adapted from Niemimaa et al., 2019, p.211)

The value creation part of the approach focuses on the evaluation of contingencies that are a threat to the existing business model and modification of the existing model based on analysis. The value preservation part of the model is concerned with traditional approaches on BC, these approaches can also create value, therefore, the overlap. Value preservation can therefore be viewed as strategic. Social platforms that various technological changes are a serious threat to BC of a company.

The threat is due to a changing operational environment, which is characterized by the Internet of things, crowdsourcing, sharing economy, and big data. While online oriented business models thrive in this environment, the traditional business models are under threat. To secure these threatened businesses, the authors propose Strategic Business Continuity Management, which consists of 1) sustenance of the company business model through value preservation, and 2) evaluation and modification of business model through value creation. Online businesses benefit from insights from the online environment, especially big data, and for the traditional business, it is vital to adapt to as well as adopt some of these benefits (value preservation) and seeks ways to use the strategies offered by online business models (value creation).

Review of \\\"Determinants shaping willingness towards online recycling behavior: An empirical study of household e-waste recycling in China\\\" by Wang et al. (2019)

In this article, Wang et al. (2019) discuss online recycling as a new concept in the age of technology and consider how economic income and education levels affect consumer recycling behavior and its functional path. The theory of planned behavior is used in this research, and the authors hypothesize that; H1, attitudes significantly positively affect willingness to participate in online recycling, H2, subjective norms significantly positively affect willingness to participate in online recycling, and H3, perceived behavior significantly positively control willingness to participate in the recycling of e-waste.

Economic income and education are considered inflicting factors, and thus, the authors hypothesize that; H4, economic motivation positively influences participation in online recycling, H5, oncome level significantly affects positive participation in online recycling, and H6, level of education significantly positively affects participation in online recycling. Economic benefits and sensitivity are also mediating factors. Thus, the hypothesis; H7, income level, and income incentives affect participation in online recycling, and H8, level of education and effects of subjective norms affect participation in online recycling.

A quantitative research design using a questionnaire survey was used as the methodology. A sample of 1225 respondents from the China Sustainable Consumption Survey was used for data collection. Data were analyzed through linear regression. Results showed that perceived behavior control, subjective norms, attitudes, and economic motivation, income, and education level significantly positively affect e-waste online recycling participation. Based on these findings, hypotheses 1-7 are supported, but H8 is not. Based on these findings, it is concluded that residents\\\' income level significantly negatively influences e-waste online recycling platforms. The moderating effect of level of education is insignificant.

Review of \\\"The evolution of platform business models: Exploring competitive battles in the world of platforms\\\" by Zhao et al. (2020)

In this article, Zhao and colleagues seek to address the under-theorization of multi-sided platform business models and present new, empirically-driven insights on the evolution of business models in a highly competitive environment. Two research questions are addressed; 1) how can the interconnected and interdependent decisions in the development of multi-sided platforms be described and analyzed? And 2) how do some multi-sided platforms succeed in the competitive environment for leadership while others perish? An inductive multiple-case study design is adopted for this study.

It explores the evolution of twelve multi-sided platform business models in the Chinese Online Group Buying (OGB) industry between 2010 and 2013. The 12 business cases (coded A-L) were selected purposely because of being successful, based on sales and market share. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews of founders, top managers, and industry experts. Data were analyzed through narrative analyses to established emerging patterns. Findings show that OGB companies engaged in innovation for the development of business models and responded to rivals\\\' innovation through imitation. Innovations can be either simple or complex, and imitations can be either simple or complex. Businesses engaged in complex innovation and complex imitations were the market leaders, as shown in figure 2 below.

Figure 2. Matrix showing approaches to platform evolution and the strategies for competition in platform battles in the Chinese OGB market (Adopted from Zhao et l., 2020, p.10).

Based on this findings, it is concluded that success of a multi-sided platform is dependent on the patterns of the platform business model development and the different strategies for applying and combining these patterns. While all market-disrupting platforms are multi-sided, not all multi-sided platform business models are successful. The important consideration is to think systematically and holistically about the business model, and when designing the business model, competition should be factored in.

Review of \\\"Managing e-commerce platform quality and its performance implication: A multiple-group structural model comparison\\\" by Xiao, 2016

This study seeks to develop comprehensive e-service quality measures of e-commerce platforms as intermediaries who consider the functions and of the e-commerce website and the performance assessment of independent sellers. Hypothesis considered are; H1: Availability of system positively affects perceived online transactions value, H2: efficiency has a positive effect on perceived online transaction value, H3: Privacy has a positive influence, H4: website service has a positive influence, and H5: fairness has a positive influence on perceived online transaction value.

Also, H6: fulfillment has a positive influence, H7: service by the seller has a positive influence, H8: the perceived transaction value has a positive influence on satisfaction, and H9: the proposed relationship among quality components, perceived online transaction value, and satisfaction (H1-H8) could vary between online platforms - eBay and Amazon. A quantitative research design was used, and data collected through an online survey. The sample of 196 persons was selected through convenience sampling of individuals who have an online shopping experience. The results showed that privacy, website service, and fulfillment affected perceived online transaction value in eBay. Also, perceived transaction value was related positively to satisfaction for eBay.

On the other hand, website service and fulfillment had a significant association with perceived online transaction value and the perceived value of the online transaction associated with Amazon\\\'s satisfaction. It is thus recommended that for an online platform to achieve high ratings, it should; 1) always be available for sellers and buyers to communicate and complete transactions, 2) provide a reliable and accurate ordering system that facilitates transactions, and 3) reasons to buyers\\\' and sellers\\\' requests property and effectively. Also, online e-commerce platforms must; 1) use a trusted logistic company to deliver products to the buyer\\\'s address, 2) beat the delivery date, 3) deliver the right ordered product, and 4) condition the product match the description posted by the vendor.

Review of \\\"Platforms without borders? The international strategies of digital platform firms\\\" by Stallkamp and & Schotter, (2019)

This research integrates insights from platform research in strategy and economics, particularly through network externalities, through the internalization theory. This is a theory-driven paper, and it is aimed at gaining an in-depth understanding of platform firms operating in the real world. Interviews were conducted with managers of nine firms in multiple countries and industry experts working with platform firms.

The authors argue that a successful international strategy must address entry mode, posture, the foreign market, and platform competition. When entering a foreign country, the authors propose that platform business in an industry that has cross-country externalities is more likely to enter independently compared to those within country network externalities. On the other hand, platform businesses characterized by within-country networks are likely to enter through alliances or acquisitions. On international strategic posture, the authors propose that platform businesses in industries with network externalities a likely to adopt global strategies.

In contrast, those in industries characterized by within-country network externalities are likely to adopt multi-domestic strategies. On the selection of foreign market, the authors propose that platform businesses in industries characterized by cross-country network externalities prioritize expansion to host countries with a culture similar to the home country more than platform business in other sectors.

Likewise, platform businesses in sectors with cross-country network externalities will prefer expanding to host countries connected to the home country through strong social and economic connections more than platform businesses in industries without cross-country network externalities. On competition, the authors propose that platform businesses in industries characterized by within-country network externalities are likely to withdraw from foreign markets than those with cross-country network externalities. It is important for managers of platform business models to factor in the geographical scope of network externalities.

Review of \\\"Reducing food waste through digital platforms: a quantification of cross-side network effects\\\" by Mullick and colleagues (2020)

This article examines how to retail store activity on the digital platform used to fight goof waste affects consumer activity, and vice versa, which is also referred to as cross-side network effects. A case study methodology has been used. The case study firm is based in Europe and became operational in 2016 to reduce food waste. Data collected pertains to retail store behavior and consumer behavior. Data was collected from 48 grocery stores who uploaded 159.040 products in their first year on the platform and were viewed by 9985 consumers.