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Sustainable Business Model and Digital Transformation
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Sustainable Business Model and Digital Transformation

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2021) | Viewed by 44933

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Cecilia Rossignoli

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Guest Editor
Department of Business Administration, University of Verona, Italy
Interests: Digital transformation, ecommerce, New business model, Business network, Organizational Studies
Prof. Francesca Ricciardi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Management, University of Turin, Italy
Interests: Digital transformation; New business model; Business network; Organizational Studies
Dr. Alessandro Zardini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Business Administration, University of Verona, Italy
Interests: New business models; Business network; Smart city; commons; Robust action
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The sustainable business model concept is hugely successful and highly common among practitioners. Still, a lack of consensus exists among scholars about how business models can evolve towards higher levels of sustainability and digitalization. A business model can be defined as the system of the boundary-spanning interactions of the organization that is key to the organization's revenue flows. Under selective pressures due to economic, ecological, technological, relational, and institutional phenomena, business models dynamically evolve through micro-adaptations and/or disruptive changes.  Usually, the digital transformation (DT) path can lead to disruptive changes. The Digital Transformation does not, therefore only concern the adoption of new technologies, but requires the implementation of a much wider change, which must involve numerous aspects relating to the structure and above all to the organizational culture. These changes impact on all businesses and industries. The most tangible changes concern: product customization, automatic control of production processes, the introduction of robots that support and gradually replace manual labor, the implementation of predictive models for decision making, a new concept of the relationship with the customer. In summary, the impact is significant on all company functions.

Hence, who governs the company has to transform their mindset and knowledge aimed at accepting even critically the changes induced by digitization.

For these reasons, digital transformation is understood as an organizational strategy whose objective is to create value on the entire value chain. Specific topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Managerial and organizational implications of digitalization
  • Digital transformation and sustainable business model innovation.
  • New digital skills
  • Digital transformation strategies
  • Managing the digital transformation in Industry 4.0
  • The role of the Chief Digital Officer

Prof. Cecilia Rossignoli
Prof. Francesca Ricciardi
Dr. Alessandro Zardini
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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 single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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.

Keywords

  • digital transformation
  • new sustainable business model
  • digital transformation strategies
  • new digital skills
  • organizational implications of digitalization

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

25 pages, 670 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Customer Learning and Shopping Value on Intention Purchase and Reuse in a Digital Market: The Institutional Trust–Commitment Perspective
by Ni Wayan Masri, Jun-Jer You, Athapol Ruangkanjanases and Shih-Chih Chen
Sustainability 2021, 13(8), 4318; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084318 - 13 Apr 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2618
Abstract
The successes of the digital market depend on customers’ intentions to purchase and reuse products or services. Previous studies have extensively discussed customer shopping value and customer learning, but most studies have analyzed the influencing factor as a single entity and seldom investigated [...] Read more.
The successes of the digital market depend on customers’ intentions to purchase and reuse products or services. Previous studies have extensively discussed customer shopping value and customer learning, but most studies have analyzed the influencing factor as a single entity and seldom investigated the combination of two factors based on the institutional trust–commitment mechanism. We based this study on the e-commerce institutional trust–commitment mechanism (customers’ trust and commitment calculation) to investigate the influence of customer learning (product and website knowledge) and customer shopping value (monetary value, product evaluation cost, and customer reputation) on customers’ intentions to purchase and reuse products. The data sample included 279 respondents with experience of electronic shopping in Taiwan. The results show that customer learning and customer shopping value positively and significantly influence customers’ trust and customers’ calculation commitment and indirectly influence customers’ intention to purchase and reuse. However, dimensions of customer learning, such as website knowledge, do not affect customers’ trust and commitment but have a partially an indirect relationship with customers’ trust via the influence of product knowledge. In addition, product knowledge has a partially indirect effect on customers’ intention to reuse products or services through the influence of product knowledge and customers’ trust in online vendors in the digital market environment. The findings presented here have important theoretical and practical implications for scholars and digital market providers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Business Model and Digital Transformation)
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14 pages, 570 KiB  
Article
Artificial Intelligence and Business Strategy towards Digital Transformation: A Research Agenda
by Fotis Kitsios and Maria Kamariotou
Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 2025; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042025 - 13 Feb 2021
Cited by 85 | Viewed by 27183
Abstract
In the past decade, current literature and businesses have drawn attention to Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and in particular to the advances in machine learning techniques. Nevertheless, while the AI technology offers great potential to solve difficulties, challenges remain implicated in practical implementation [...] Read more.
In the past decade, current literature and businesses have drawn attention to Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and in particular to the advances in machine learning techniques. Nevertheless, while the AI technology offers great potential to solve difficulties, challenges remain implicated in practical implementation and lack of expertise in the strategic usage of AI to create business value. This paper aims to implement a systematic literature review analyzing convergence of the AI and corporate strategy and develop a theoretical model incorporating issues based on the existing research in this field. Eighty-one peer-reviewed articles were discussed on the basis of research methodology from Webster and Watson (2002). In addition to gaps in future research, a theoretical model is developed, discussing the four sources of value creation: AI and Machine Learning in organizations; alignment of AI tools and Information Technology (IT) with organizational strategy; AI, knowledge management and decision-making process; and AI, service innovation and value. These outcomes lead to both theoretical and managerial viewpoints, with extensive possibilities to generate new methods and types of management practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Business Model and Digital Transformation)
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14 pages, 3045 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Product Life Cycle Cost Estimating Models Based on Neural Networks and Parametric Techniques—A Case Study for Induction Motors
by Zbigniew Leszczyński and Tomasz Jasiński
Sustainability 2020, 12(20), 8353; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208353 - 11 Oct 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2812
Abstract
The cost estimation of a product’s life cycle is a key factor in the product design process. The research is based on an innovative model of artificial neural networks (ANNs) compared to a parametric estimation. Introducing modern elements of information technologies in the [...] Read more.
The cost estimation of a product’s life cycle is a key factor in the product design process. The research is based on an innovative model of artificial neural networks (ANNs) compared to a parametric estimation. Introducing modern elements of information technologies in the area of cost estimation for a production company is a vital element of its sustainability in the era of Industry 4.0. The presented modern product life cycle cost estimation tool in the form of ANN is a reliable source of forecast that is the basis for the product life cycle cost reduction program, which is a crucial element of sustainability. Research shows that ANNs are a viable alternative to parametric cost estimation. The percentage error between estimated and historical cost values is 8.05 times lower for ANN than for the parametric approach. ANN is an adequate cost estimation model for technologically complex products. The second contribution is using technical specifications required by the customer directly to estimate the cost of a product’s life cycle automatically. This can translate both into a reduction of the time needed to provide information to the client and the workload of engineers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Business Model and Digital Transformation)
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24 pages, 778 KiB  
Article
How do Partners Benefit from IT Use in Supply-Chain Management: An Empirical Study of Taiwan’s Bicycle Industry
by Jing Li, Chien-Wen Chen, Chi-Hui Wu, Hsing-Chun Hung and Ching-Torng Lin
Sustainability 2020, 12(7), 2883; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072883 - 04 Apr 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3734
Abstract
To be sustainable and growing amongst uncertain environments and intensive global competition, supply-chain network leaders have established supply-chain management systems (SCMS) to leverage the resources and knowledge of their partners to achieve greater supply-chain capabilities (SCC) to respond to market changes and complexity. [...] Read more.
To be sustainable and growing amongst uncertain environments and intensive global competition, supply-chain network leaders have established supply-chain management systems (SCMS) to leverage the resources and knowledge of their partners to achieve greater supply-chain capabilities (SCC) to respond to market changes and complexity. Although several studies have investigated the benefits to network leaders from these systems in various industries, little attention has been paid to the delivery of substantial benefits and advantages to its partners. Based on information technology (IT) applications and SCC literature, this paper proposes a model relating partners use of SCMS to benefits. Data from 168 partners using an SCMS implemented by a leading bicycle supply chain in Taiwan to test the hypotheses that SCC and operational performance has a mediating role linking SCMS use in order to affect a partner’s performance. The results indicate that SCMS implementation has a significant impact on SCC, which in turn create a significant positive effect on operational (sustainable) performance, ultimately leading to improved growth rate and profitability in partners. Another interesting finding of the research is that SCMS cannot directly affect financial performance. In addition, from sustainable performance aspects, it is revealed that IT enables supply chain management (SCM) to achieve environmental value through information sharing (up and down), process integration (vertical and horizontal) and automation (i.e., planning, operation and control). This finding highlights the importance for maximizing benefits and sustainability for the whole supply-chain partners, the IT implementation must be integrated with the sustainable development goals and inserted in the eco-operation supply-chain platform process. The results also contribute to the debate in prior studies by disclosing why so many partners could not find to gain benefit from these IT implementations. Furthermore, this study represents the first attempt to examine how partners benefit from IT use in SCC for traditional industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Business Model and Digital Transformation)
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17 pages, 825 KiB  
Article
Overcoming the Blockchain Oracle Problem in the Traceability of Non-Fungible Products
by Giulio Caldarelli, Cecilia Rossignoli and Alessandro Zardini
Sustainability 2020, 12(6), 2391; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12062391 - 19 Mar 2020
Cited by 56 | Viewed by 7529
Abstract
Blockchain implications within the sustainability domain are rapidly arousing the interest of researchers and institutions. However, despite the avalanche of articles, papers, and recently published books, innovation in the blockchain domain is still heavily influenced by light literature, such as news, articles, opinion [...] Read more.
Blockchain implications within the sustainability domain are rapidly arousing the interest of researchers and institutions. However, despite the avalanche of articles, papers, and recently published books, innovation in the blockchain domain is still heavily influenced by light literature, such as news, articles, opinion posts, and white papers. Lacking a homogeneous literature background, case studies often fall into storytelling, providing mere descriptions of the facts according to the writers’ impressions and opinions. We therefore investigate blockchain adoption for sustainable purposes through a case study while remaining firmly grounded in three main theoretical literature streams: knowledge management, knowledge infrastructure, and trust. Since blockchain interaction with the real world is managed by oracles, addressing the oracle problem is essential in order to evaluate the effectiveness of blockchain for sustainability issues. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no other paper has efficiently addressed this subject or even mentioned it. Recognizing its scarce consideration in the literature, the oracle problem will be analyzed in both theoretical and practical terms, thereby providing a way to solve the issues related to non-fungible products in the supply chain. Choice over the selected case study was made in light of the divergence in motives for the adoption of blockchain (economic over social), which makes the results more inferable at a broader scale and offers an insight into how sustainable innovations can also be economically viable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Business Model and Digital Transformation)
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