TY - CHAP

T1 - Business model experimentation for sustainability

AU - Bocken, Nancy M.P.

AU - Weissbrod, Ilka

AU - Tennant, Mike

N1 - Conference code: 3

PY - 2016/4/6

Y1 - 2016/4/6

N2 - Business experimentation is a key avenue for accelerating change for sustainability. In contrast to experimentation in natural sciences, benefitting from controlled situations, business experimentation aims to explore the diverse possibilities that a business could create value from, or understand what works in which particular situations in a real life business context. While at present most popular with start-ups, this paper argues that large businesses can also find inspiration in business experimentation to develop sustainable business models and accelerate positive change for sustainability. Five illustrative cases are included of business experimentation for sustainability by focusing on pivots (modifications) in the business model. This paper only scratches the surface of the potential impactful new research field of business (model) experimentation for sustainability. Future work on sustainable business experimentation for start-ups and mature businesses is viewed as a powerful future research avenue to accelerate change in industries.

AB - Business experimentation is a key avenue for accelerating change for sustainability. In contrast to experimentation in natural sciences, benefitting from controlled situations, business experimentation aims to explore the diverse possibilities that a business could create value from, or understand what works in which particular situations in a real life business context. While at present most popular with start-ups, this paper argues that large businesses can also find inspiration in business experimentation to develop sustainable business models and accelerate positive change for sustainability. Five illustrative cases are included of business experimentation for sustainability by focusing on pivots (modifications) in the business model. This paper only scratches the surface of the potential impactful new research field of business (model) experimentation for sustainability. Future work on sustainable business experimentation for start-ups and mature businesses is viewed as a powerful future research avenue to accelerate change in industries.

KW - Sustainability Science

KW - Business experimentation

KW - Lean start up

KW - Corporate Sustainability

KW - Radical innovation

KW - Disruptive innovation

KW - Sustainable entrepreneurship

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84966473980&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/978-3-319-32098-4_26

DO - 10.1007/978-3-319-32098-4_26

M3 - Article in conference proceedings

SN - 978-3-319-32096-0

T3 - Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies

SP - 297

EP - 306

BT - Sustainable Design and Manufacturing 2016

A2 - Setchi, Rossi

A2 - Howlett, Robert

A2 - Liu, Ying

A2 - Theobald, Peter

PB - Springer International Publishing AG

CY - Cham

T2 - International Conference on Sustainable Design and Manufacturing - SDM 2016

Y2 - 4 April 2016 through 6 April 2016

ER -