Reimagining Value Creation: Digital Business Models in a Global Context

Dear Colleagues,

The accelerating pace of digital transformation is fundamentally reshaping industries, economies, and societies worldwide, and at the core of this transformation lie digital business models, which redefine how organizations create, deliver, and capture value. Well-known cases such as Airbnb, which has disrupted the hospitality sector by orchestrating global platform-based exchanges without owning physical assets, or Spotify, which has reconfigured music consumption through subscription models and data-driven personalization, illustrate the profound ways in which digital business models are challenging traditional logics of value creation.

Despite the growing significance of these developments, scholarly research on digital business models often remains fragmented across regions, industries, and academic disciplines. This Special Issue seeks to integrate and extend these streams of inquiry by fostering a global and interdisciplinary perspective on the design, evolution, and impact of digital business models.

We invite rigorous and original contributions that address, but are not limited to, the following themes: 

• Comparative analyses of digital business models across countries, regions, and institutional environments.
• The influence of regulation, governance, and cultural factors on the development and scaling of digital business models.
• Case studies and theoretical insights into patterns of digital business model innovation in both established firms and entrepreneurial ventures.
• The interplay between digital platforms, ecosystems, and emerging technologies (e.g., AI, blockchain, IoT) in shaping business model design.
• The implications of sustainability, inclusivity, and ethical considerations for digital business models in a global context.

We particularly encourage submissions that contribute to theoretical advancement, provide novel empirical insights, or adopt interdisciplinary approaches, including perspectives from management, economics, information systems, and public policy.

This Special Issue will be of relevance to academics, practitioners, and policymakers interested in understanding how digital business models evolve across diverse contexts and what lessons can be derived for global practice and policy.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 200–500 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send this to the Guest Editor (akbary@ceu.edu) or to the Assistant Editor Ms. Zoya Zhang (zoya.zhang@mdpi.com). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editor for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer-review.

Abstract Submission Deadline: 31 May 2026
Notification of Abstract Acceptance: 31 July 2026

Selected References

Hock‐Doepgen, M., Heaton, S., Clauss, T., & Block, J. (2025). Identifying micro foundations of dynamic managerial capabilities for business model innovation. Strategic Management Journal, 46(2), 470–501.

Kohtamäki, M., Leminen, S., & Parida, V. (2024). Conceptualizing digital business models (DBM): Framing the interplay between digitalization and business models. Technovation, 133, 103013.

Li, F. (2020). The digital transformation of business models in the creative industries: A holistic framework and emerging trends. Technovation, 92, 102012.

Palmié, M., Aebersold, A., Oghazi, P., Pashkevich, N., & Gassmann, O. (2025). Digital‐sustainable business models: Definition, systematic literature review, integrative framework and research agenda from a strategic management perspective. International Journal of Management Reviews, 27(3), 346–374.

Rachinger, M., Rauter, R., Müller, C., Vorraber, W., & Schirgi, E. (2019). Digitalization and its influence on business model innovation. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 30(8), 1143–1160.

Trischler, M. F. G., & Li-Ying, J. (2023). Digital business model innovation: toward construct clarity and future research directions. Review of Managerial Science, 17(1), 3–32.

Prof. Dr. Yusaf H. Akbar
Prof. Dr. Andrea Tracogna
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Administrative Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.