Fostering entrepreneurial learning processes through Dynamic Start-up business model simulators
Abstract Entrepreneurial learning is a critical process in realizing the success or failure of a new business venture, as it implies that would-be entrepreneurs acquire those strategic management competencies required to start and manage a new business. Actually, statistics on start-up survival/failure rate reveal that the main reasons for failure are related to a lack of entrepreneurial competencies of start-uppers. This paper argues that combining Business Model representation schemas with System Dynamics modelling may support potential start-up entrepreneurs in learning and experimenting how to turn a business idea into a real firm. System Dynamics modelling is a methodology that allows …
A dynamic business modelling approach to design and experiment new business venture strategies
Abstract Business Modelling has evolved as a key activity to reflect new business venture strategy by framing the way a firm will operate and how it will function in achieving its goals (e.g., profitability, growth, innovation, social impact). However, scholars and practitioners have criticized the adoption of a too static perspective in the design and use of conventional Business Model representations. Such a static perspective prevents nascent entrepreneurs experimenting with their Business Models and, as a result, identifying the most effective strategies, especially in terms of business sustainability and profitability. In this paper, we argue that combining conventional Business Model …
Understanding the Microfoundations of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: Toward a Value-Based Method and Theory
Despite the progress made by scholars, empirically investigating entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) remains problematic because of the inherent complexities and nonlinearities of interactions among EE actors. The research to date has shown a tendency to focus on macrolevel ecosystem dynamics while neglecting the microfoundations of EEs. We contend that this negligence is due to a lack of appropriate methodologies that can capture EE microfoundations through a systemic value-based perspective. To fill this gap, in this article, we propose a novel methodological approach, the value system method, which enables framing EEs through critical causal interdependences between key actors’ business mod…
Business model scaling and growth hacking in digital entrepreneurship
Creating an innovative product and validating an innovative business model may not be enough for digital startups to be competitive. To grow fast and expand globally, digital startups need to innovate their business model during the scaling phase. A pragmatic approach has recently been proposed to support digital entrepreneurs engaging in business-model innovation during the scaling phase (i.e., business-model scaling), a strategy known as growth hacking. However, we know little about its theoretical grounding and how effective growth hacking is, as businesses lack methodologies to assess its effectiveness before committing resources and investments. To fill this gap, we developed a method …
Applying System Dynamics Modelling to Strategic Management: A Literature Review
System dynamics (SD) has been proved to be a useful methodology to support both understanding and learning processes of complex systems and phenomena. Since its origin, SD has been successfully applied to many different fields of studies (e.g. climate change, physics, engineering, environmental sciences, economics, management, etc.). Among these, strategic management (SM) has a particular relevance as testified by several streams of research that originate from the combination between SD modelling and SM. The aim of this paper is to explore and discuss the theoretical and empirical development of SD in the SM field through a systematic analysis of the literature in order to highlight the ma…
Fostering Collaborative Governance in Chronic Disease Management Programs: A Dynamic Performance Management Approach
Chronic diseases are the leading cause of disability and mortality in the world and represent a global health emergency due to the increase in frequency and complexity that has been occurring in recent years. The outcomes related to chronic care needs depend on the joint effort of a multi-provider, multi-disciplinary, and multi-professional service network, which operates along a clinical pathway. However, all the different players involved in the provision of services may have different interests and goals derived from their organizational structure and their role in the overall health system. This context of fragmented governance makes performance management of care services problematic. …
A dynamic simulation approach to frame drivers and implications of corruption practices on firm performance
Corruption is a multifaceted socio-economic phenomenon widely spread - although with different intensity - all around the world. Many studies on corruption have been conducted at a country-level, but relatively little effort has been placed in evaluating its implications, in terms of both financial and competitive performance, at a firm-level. Therefore, this paper aims at exploring the causal relationships underlying the effect of corruption on firm performance in order to show the different scenarios that may emerge from the combination between external (i.e., contextual conditions) and internal (i.e., organizational characteristics) forces that drive corruption. To this end, we adopt a D…
URBAN TRANSPORTATION GOVERNANCE AND WICKED PROBLEMS: A SYSTEMIC AND PERFORMANCE ORIENTED APPROACH
At an urban level, among the services that the public sector is called upon to provide, transportation plays a central role (Meyer & Miller, 2000). Urban mobility systems are complex. This complexity – characterized by pluralism, institutional fragmentation and uncertainty – determines what literature defines as ‘wicked’ problems (Rittel & Webber, 1973); namely issues that are hard to define and manage, and often lead to counterintuitive behaviours when actions are taken to resolve them. In the last 40 years, Public Administrations around the world experienced various reform processes. These processes - that were aimed at overcoming the limitations of the institutional settings already in p…
Introducing a strategic perspective in lean thinking applications through system dynamics modelling: the dynamic Value Stream Map
PurposeLean Thinking is an operation management discipline which aims to identify, map and analyse the activities forming a process to detect “value waste” and outline the most effective flow of activities to execute in sequence. Process mapping is often developed in lean projects through the use of the Value Stream Map (VSM). Like many other management tools, the VSM adopts a static and non-systemic perspective in the representation of an organizational process. This may result in the implementation of Lean projects inconsistent with the overall organizational long-term strategy, thus leading to dysfunctional performance. In order to overcome this limit, the paper suggests combining VSM wi…
Applying System Dynamics Modelling to Strategic Management: A Literature Review
System dynamics (SD) has been proved to be a useful methodology to support both understanding and learning processes of complex systems and phenomena. Since its origin, SD has been successfully applied to many different fields of studies (e.g. climate change, physics, engineering, environmental sciences, economics, management, etc.). Among these, strategic management (SM) has a particular relevance as testified by several streams of research that originate from the combination between SD modelling and SM. The aim of this paper is to explore and discuss the theoretical and empirical development of SD in the SM field through a systematic analysis of the literature in order to highlight the ma…
Il dynamic business model: una prospettiva dinamica per la progettazione dei modelli di business
Building on the extant literature on business modelling and focussing on start-up firms, this article aims at exploring the combination between conventional business model schemes and System Dynamics methodology with the intent to overcome those limitations related to a static design approach. By mapping the multiple key elements underlying value creation processes – linked according to a cause-and-effect perspective – and with the support of a simulation-based methodology, entrepreneurs may experiment and understand how the firm reacts to strategic and organizational changes in terms of performance, innovation and value creation.
Dealing with Multi-Level Governance and Wicked Problems in Urban Transportation Systems: The Case of Palermo Municipality
Italian New Public Management (NPM) has been mainly characterized by a political orientation toward power decentralization to local governments and privatization of public companies. Nowadays, local utilities in Italy are often run by joint stock companies controlled by public agencies such as Regional and Municipal Administrations. Due to this transformation, these companies must comply with a set of diverse expectations coming from a wide range of stakeholders, related to their financial, competitive and social performance. Such fragmented governance increases the presence of “wicked” problems in the decision-making sphere of these entities. Given this multi-level governance structure, ho…
Tackling wicked problems in performance management and governance of public health: an empirical analysis of COVID-19 vaccination strategies
PurposePublic health strategies and activities are intrinsically complex. According to the literature, this “wickedness” depends on the different interests and expectations of the stakeholders and the community, the fragmented governance of the related services and the challenges in measuring and assessing public health outcomes. Existent performance measures and management systems for public health are not designed to cope with wickedness since they are mainly focused on inputs and outputs, neglecting broader outcomes because of their long-term impact and the poor accountability of results. This research aims to tackle this shortfall by adopting a dynamic performance management (DPM) appro…
A Dynamic Simulation Approach to Frame Drivers and Implications of Corruption Practices on Firm Performance
Corruption is a multifaceted socio-economic phenomenon widely spread – although with different intensity – all around the world. Many studies on corruption have been conducted at a country-level, but relatively little effort has been placed in evaluating its implications, in terms of both financial and competitive performance, at a firm-level. Therefore, this paper aims at exploring the causal relationships underlying the effect of corruption on firm performance in order to show the different scenarios that may emerge from the combination between external (i.e., contextual conditions) and internal (i.e., organizational characteristics) forces that drive corruption. To this end, we adopt a D…