The ability to build and manage a knowledge transfer partnership is one of the most highly demanded skills. Knowledge is widely dispersed, so it should be acquired from the environment. For this ...purpose, partnerships should be established with different entities. Presumably, the most mature type of partnership is the innovation ecosystem. Hence empirical research was conducted among Poland’s Grupa Azoty (GA) Puławy's consortium members based on an in-depth, partially structured interview, supported by an analysis of several innovation ecosystems of chemical companies. The aim of the research was to assess the phenomenon of open innovations in the GA along with the characteristics of the selection of partners, cooperation strategies and declared resources for jointly implemented projects.
Business Model – the Context of Innovation Pokojski, Zenon
Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Skłodowska. Sectio H, Oeconomia,
12/2021, Volume:
55, Issue:
3
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Theoretical background: The concept of the business model was introduced in the late 1950s, but did not gain any special scientific popularity in the first period. Only the appearance of the Internet ...and e-business at the turn of the century contributed to the renaissance of this concept. Currently, the concept of the business model is popular among scientists and business practitioners. A great deal of interest is accompanied by an equally large variety of definitions of the concept, but there is no commonly accepted consent as to its components. There is even talk of carelessness in using this concept. Business models need to be constantly developed not only when they become outdated, but also when they appear to be well developed. The proposition of the unique value for the customer, creating, delivering and taking over the value for the stakeholders is associated with innovations that do not have objective economic value in themselves, only their commercialization based on a business model gives such value. Therefore, companies should reorganize their business models to be more open to innovation, in other words, to make them open business models. Purpose of the article: To make a synthetic review of the definitions of a business model available in the economic literature, the role of innovation in this model and to indicate new trends in the interpretation of these concepts. Research methods: The publication is the result of a research procedure based on a review of the literature on the subject. The evolution of the understanding of the concept of a business model and its components as well as the role of innovation in the model were studied on the basis of an analysis of 69 definitions or conceptualization of the concept. Main findings: In the second decade of 20th century, new elements appear more and more in the definitions of business models supplemented by innovation processes. Unfortunately, the terminology has not kept pace with the development of the ways of doing business: 1) the concept of the value chain is already too narrow for the complex network structures of various organizations. Value is created and delivered more and more often in complex structures, called partnerships, networks or ecosystems; 2) the current definitions of a business model refer to the phenomenon of value creation both on the supply and demand side, where value is also generated on the part of customers and other stakeholders within, for example, business ecosystems; 3) the business model is becoming an increasingly important concept in the field of innovation management, strategy implementation, sustainable development taking into account social and environmental values, and social entrepreneurship; 4) it is believed that the model should be open to open innovation and should favor their commercialization; 5) inviting undefined user/customer communities to cooperate is becoming more and more important. This kind of cooperation requires building open platforms on the Internet (crowdsourcing, co-production or coopetition, open sourcing); 6) it is now believed that the ability to define and redefine an organization’s business model is one of the key competences for building the value of an organization.
Theoretical background: Remote work has been of interest to managers since the introduction of new information and communication technologies (ICT). In the initial period, it was treated as a ...privilege of the employee, which few deserve. Therefore, this type of work was not very popular. The COVID-19 pandemic period changed the attitude towards remote work, it became a necessity for many organizations. However, its use gave rise to many new problems, which both employers and employees had to face. Post-pandemic reality poses new challenges for those interested in its further use. Purpose of the article: The aim of the article is to examine the attitude of employers to the five challenges related to remote work selected by the authors: the method of monitoring work, the level of employee support by employers, the assessment of work efficiency, work safety and data protection, and the intention to continue remote work after the pandemic. Research methods: The research was carried out using the standardized questionnaire interviews based on the CATI method. The questionnaire used in the research contained 23 closed questions of single and multiple choice, as well as 7 metric questions, allowing to identify the size, type of business, age and the structure of the company’s ownership capital. The research was carried out in the period May–June 2021 on a population of 248 entrepreneurs divided into micro, small, medium and large companies. Main findings: Remote work, in particular hybrid work, is likely to become more common in enterprises after the end of the pandemic crisis. Unfortunately, the provisions of labour law do not keep pace with the dynamics of changes in the organization of work in enterprises. Remote work poses new challenges for managers who have to deal with another, probably not yet well recognized management method. Therefore, it requires managers to develop new skills, a management style in the ICT environment oriented towards the results of work, and not time and workload. New tools for measuring work efficiency need to be developed. We also have to face the problem of trust, procrastination and many other new challenges. The model of remote work means the need to develop new internal procedures in the company, because this type of work requires a different organization of duties and tasks for employees with whom there is no physical contact. The challenge will be to strike a balance between a “tight” or “loose” organizational culture, known as “tight-loose ambidexterity”. It also seems that employers will have to assume a much larger range of responsibilities for this group of workers, ranging from a wide range of different training courses to financial support.
W niniejszym artykule zaprezentowano uwarunkowania zarządzania przedsiębiorstwem w budowaniu jego wartości. Wskazano na dwa dominujące nurty w zarządzaniu. Jeden oparty na budowaniu wartości dla ...właścicieli, drugi koncentrujący się na budowaniu wartości dla interesariuszy przedsiębiorstwa. Celem artykułu jest wskazanie na przykładzie Grupy Azoty Puławy, że w dłuższym horyzoncie czasu budowa wartości przedsiębiorstwa dla podstawowych interesariuszy służy podnoszeniu wartości dla jego właścicieli. Analizę dokonano w oparciu o przegląd literatury nauk o zarządzaniu oraz obserwację uczestniczącą autora jako wiceprezesa zarządu GA Puławy.
The ability to build and manage a knowledge transfer partnership is one of the most highly demanded skills. Knowledge is widely dispersed, so it should be acquired from the environment. For this ...purpose, partnerships should be established with different entities. Presumably, the most mature type of partnership is the innovation ecosystem. Hence empirical research was conducted among Poland’s Grupa Azoty (GA) Puławy's consortium members based on an in-depth, partially structured interview, supported by an analysis of several innovation ecosystems of chemical companies. The aim of the research was to assess the phenomenon of open innovations in the GA along with the characteristics of the selection of partners, cooperation strategies and declared resources for jointly implemented projects.
Traditionally, the innovation process has been of a closed nature because research or development projects are generated inside the company and brought to the market by a company. However, Chesbrough ...(2003) formulated the open innovation paradigm, assuming that companies can and should use external and internal ideas as well as external and internal market paths in search of new opportunities for their development. Openness to innovation requires cooperation with other market players, therefore some kind of partnership is necessary to co-create value with various stakeholders. The partners share their knowledge and experience as well as the benefits of jointly conducted innovative projects. Managing this type of partnership is now considered one of the key competences of the organization. However, the issue of managing the innovation ecosystem as the most mature form of open innovation has been relatively poorly researched. We do not know much about what organizational and legal solutions are adopted by companies in partnerships for the development of innovation, what a model of cooperation could look like or how to manage such a partnership. How far should we formalize these processes? While searching for answers to these questions, the author decided to conduct empirical research in 2019 among the consortium members of Group Azoty Puławy (nitrogen fertilizers production), based on an in-depth, partially structured interview, supported by an analysis of several selected innovation ecosystems of global chemical groups (BASF, MONSANTO, SOLVAY and YARA). Group Azoty Puławy is part of Group Azoty, the second largest producer of mineral fertilizers in Europe. In 2019, Group Azoty Puławy generated revenues of EUR 845.4 million and profit of EUR 70.7 million. The results for the first nine months of 2020 were EUR 533.7 million and EUR 37.2 million, respectively (Group Azoty Puławy interim reports 2020; 2021). The subject of the research was a consortium established in 2011 by Group Azoty Puławy in order to implement joint innovation projects. In the period between 2011 and 2016, consortium members submitted 22 initiatives, 6 of which were completed by 2016. After five years of operation, the consortium consisted of 12 members, including 5 representatives of scientific institutions, 3 producers of agricultural products and 4 organizations representing agricultural entrepreneurs. The purpose of the research was to assess the degree of openness of project participants to cooperation during the construction phase and the management phase of the consortium. The research of innovation consortium of the Group Azoty Puławy shows the following: During the construction phase, the members of the consortium were open to the accession of new partners, however selectively, i.e. according to the leader’s instructions. The selection of partners was complementary and concerned entities serving the same market segment as leaders. During the management phase of the consortium, the solution that gave the leader the greatest power had the largest number of followers. Most of the respondents were in favour of a formalized cooperation strategy, i.e. the one based on standardizing relations between partners. The respondents were open to both formal (specific, contractual) and informal (relational) mechanisms in building and managing a partnership.
Model biznesowy – kontekst innowacji Pokojski, Zenon
Annales Universitatis Mariae Curie-Skłodowska. Sectio H. Oeconomia,
2021, Volume:
LV, Issue:
3
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Uzasadnienie teoretyczne: Pojęcie modelu biznesowego zostało wprowadzone pod koniec lat 50. XX wieku, ale w pierwszym okresie nie zyskało dużej popularności naukowej. Dopiero pojawienie się internetu ...i e-biznesu na przełomie wieków przyczyniło się do renesansu tego pojęcia. Obecnie koncepcja modelu biznesowego cieszy się zainteresowaniem zarówno ludzi nauki, jak i praktyków biznesu. Dużemu zainteresowaniu towarzyszy równie duża różnorodność definicji pojęcia, ale brakuje powszechnie akceptowanej zgody co do jej elementów składowych. Mówi się nawet o niedbałości w używaniu tego pojęcia. Modele biznesowe muszą być stale rozwijane nie tylko wtedy, gdy się dezaktualizują, ale również gdy wydają się dobrze rozwinięte. Propozycja unikalnej wartości dla klienta oraz tworzenie, dostarczanie i przejmowanie wartości dla interesariuszy wiąże się z innowacjami, które same w sobie nie mają obiektywnej wartości ekonomicznej, dopiero ich komercjalizacja w oparciu o model biznesowy taką wartość nadaje. Firmy powinny zatem przeorganizować swoje modele biznesowe w taki sposób, by były bardziej otwarte na innowacje, słowem – by to były otwarte modele biznesowe.Cel artykułu: Dokonanie syntetycznego przeglądu dostępnych w literaturze ekonomicznej definicji modelu biznesowego, wskazanie roli innowacji w tym modelu oraz nowych trendów w interpretacji tych pojęć.Metody badawcze: Publikacja jest rezultatem postępowania badawczego opartego na przeglądzie literatury przedmiotu. Dokonano badania ewolucji rozumienia pojęcia modelu biznesowego i jego komponentów oraz roli innowacji w modelu na podstawie analizy 69 definicji bądź konceptualizacji pojęcia.Główne wnioski: W drugiej dekadzie XX wieku coraz częściej pojawiają się nowe elementy w definicjach modeli biznesowych uzupełnianych procesami innowacji. Niestety, terminologia nie nadąża za rozwojem sposobów prowadzenia biznesu: 1) pojęcie łańcucha wartości jest już zbyt wąskie dla rozbudowanych struktur sieciowych różnych organizacji. Wartość kreowana i dostarczana znajduje się coraz częściej w rozbudowanych strukturach, zwanych partnerstwami, sieciami lub ekosystemami; 2) obecne definicje modelu biznesowego odnoszą się do zjawiska tworzenia wartości zarówno po stronie podaży, jak i po stronie popytu, gdzie wartość powstaje również po stronie klientów i innych interesariuszy w ramach np. ekosystemów biznesu; 3) model biznesowy staje się coraz ważniejszym pojęciem w obszarze zarządzania innowacjami, wdrażania strategii, zrównoważonego rozwoju uwzględniającego wartości społeczne i środowiskowe czy przedsiębiorczości społecznej; 4) uważa się, że model powinien być otwarty na otwarte innowacje i powinien sprzyjać ich komercjalizowaniu; 5) coraz większego znaczenia nabiera zapraszanie do współpracy niezdefiniowanych społeczności użytkowników/klientów. Współpraca tego rodzaju wymaga zbudowania otwartych platform w internecie (crowdsourcing, koprodukcja czy koopetycja, open sourcing); 6) obecnie uważa się, że umiejętność definiowania i redefiniowania modelu biznesowego organizacji należy do kluczowych kompetencji służących budowaniu wartości organizacji.Theoretical background: The concept of the business model was introduced in the late 1950s, but did not gain any special scientific popularity in the first period. Only the appearance of the Internet and e-business at the turn of the century contributed to the renaissance of this concept. Currently, the concept of the business model is popular among scientists and business practitioners. A great deal of interest is accompanied by an equally large variety of definitions of the concept, but there is no commonly accepted consent as to its components. There is even talk of carelessness in using this concept. Business models need to be constantly developed not only when they become outdated, but also when they appear to be well developed. The proposition of the unique value for the customer, creating, delivering and taking over the value for the stakeholders is associated with innovations that do not have objective economic value in themselves, only their commercialization based on a business model gives such value. Therefore, companies should reorganize their business models to be more open to innovation, in other words, to make them open business models.Purpose of the article: To make a synthetic review of the definitions of a business model available in the economic literature, the role of innovation in this model and to indicate new trends in the interpretation of these concepts.Research methods: The publication is the result of a research procedure based on a review of the literature on the subject. The evolution of the understanding of the concept of a business model and its components as well as the role of innovation in the model were studied on the basis of an analysis of 69 definitions or conceptualization of the concept.Main findings: In the second decade of 20th century, new elements appear more and more in the definitions of business models supplemented by innovation processes. Unfortunately, the terminology has not kept pace with the development of the ways of doing business: 1) the concept of the value chain is already too narrow for the complex network structures of various organizations. Value is created and delivered more and more often in complex structures, called partnerships, networks or ecosystems; 2) the current definitions of a business model refer to the phenomenon of value creation both on the supply and demand side, where value is also generated on the part of customers and other stakeholders within, for example, business ecosystems; 3) the business model is becoming an increasingly important concept in the field of innovation management, strategy implementation, sustainable development taking into account social and environmental values, and social entrepreneurship; 4) it is believed that the model should be open to open innovation and should favor their commercialization; 5) inviting undefined user/customer communities to cooperate is becoming more and more important. This kind of cooperation requires building open platforms on the Internet (crowdsourcing, co-production or coopetition, open sourcing); 6) it is now believed that the ability to define and redefine an organization’s business model is one of the key competences for building the value of an organization.
Remote work has been of interest to managers since the implementation of new information and communication technologies (ICTs). During the initial period, it was treated as an employee’s privilege or ...even a luxury and as such it was not a popular practice. The COVID-19 pandemic and the intervening period have changed attitudes toward remote work, as it became a necessity for many organisations. However, in connection with its use, many new, previously unknown problems have arisen, such as: the organisation of remote work, the supervision and monitoring of work performance, and employee support. The present research was conducted using a standardised questionnaire computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) method in May–June 2021 on a population of 248 enterprises, divided into micro, small, medium-sized and large entities. The research data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic which, on the one hand, provided an exceptional opportunity to fill in the theoretical gaps that were existing in this field; however, on the other hand, it could be burdened with certain flaws due to the context of the pandemic. An enterprise’s attitude to remote work has a positive influence on the efficiency of the remote work, the control of the remote work and the remote work support, with the strongest impact exerted on the last of the factors mentioned. A better attitude to remote work influences, to the largest degree, an enterprise’s support for performing work from remote locations outside of corporate offices. Among the enterprises that were surveyed, the following were most frequently indicated as elements of such support: additional office equipment provided to an employee, remote work training, and the installation of additional computer programs. Financial support was declared by about 11% of the enterprises and it usually took the form of a remote work allowance or funds to cover the costs of purchasing equipment or paying for the Internet.
Theoretical background: Remote work has been of interest to managers since the introduction of new information and communication technologies (ICT). In the initial period, it was treated as a ...privilege of the employee, which few deserve. Therefore, this type of work was not very popular. The COVID-19 pandemic period changed the attitude towards remote work, it became a necessity for many organizations. However, its use gave rise to many new problems, which both employers and employees had to face. Post-pandemic reality poses new challenges for those interested in its further use.Purpose of the article: The aim of the article is to examine the attitude of employers to the five challenges related to remote work selected by the authors: the method of monitoring work, the level of employee support by employers, the assessment of work efficiency, work safety and data protection, and the intention to continue remote work after the pandemic.Research methods: The research was carried out using the standardized questionnaire interviews based on the CATI method. The questionnaire used in the research contained 23 closed questions of single and multiple choice, as well as 7 metric questions, allowing to identify the size, type of business, age and the structure of the company’s ownership capital. The research was carried out in the period May–June 2021 on a population of 248 entrepreneurs divided into micro, small, medium and large companies.Main findings: Remote work, in particular hybrid work, is likely to become more common in enterprises after the end of the pandemic crisis. Unfortunately, the provisions of labour law do not keep pace with the dynamics of changes in the organization of work in enterprises. Remote work poses new challenges for managers who have to deal with another, probably not yet well recognized management method. Therefore, it requires managers to develop new skills, a management style in the ICT environment oriented towards the results of work, and not time and workload. New tools for measuring work efficiency need to be developed. We also have to face the problem of trust, procrastination and many other new challenges. The model of remote work means the need to develop new internal procedures in the company, because this type of work requires a different organization of duties and tasks for employees with whom there is no physical contact. The challenge will be to strike a balance between a “tight” or “loose” organizational culture, known as “tight-loose ambidexterity”. It also seems that employers will have to assume a much larger range of responsibilities for this group of workers, ranging from a wide range of different training courses to financial support.
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