Sustainable International Business Models in a Digitally Transforming World

The forces of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA) in today’s world are shaping businesses and calling into question the wisdom of existing business models. VUCA challenges businesses to digitalize and transform in ways they had not contemplated before. This book looks at how successful businesses have revitalized and innovated their business models. It illustrates through cases how these businesses have adapted to new forms of globalization through the lens of Business Model Innovation (BMI) theories in a digital world.

This book’s chapters are divided into three sections. The first section examines the existing literature, the second section focuses on business processes and behaviour, and lastly the third section presents four case studies of sustainable international businesses from sectors such the fashion and digital services industry. Paying attention to business decisions and outcomes, the contributors critically examine which theories and practices would be most applicable for a digitally transforming world.

This book provides insights that will interest researchers and academics in the fields of sustainable business, organizational change, and digital transformation, amongst others. Its observations into sustainable digital transformation may also interest business leaders and consultants.

Anshuman Khare is Professor in Operations Management at Athabasca University, Canada. He joined Athabasca University in January 2000. He is an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow and has completed two post-doctoral terms at Johannes Gutenberg Universität in Mainz, Germany. He is also a former Monbusho Scholar, having completed a postdoctoral assignment at Ryukoku University in Kyoto, Japan. He has published a number of books and research papers on a wide range of topics. His research focuses on environmental regulation impacts on industry, just-in-time manufacturing, supply chain management, sustainability, cities and climate change, online business education, etc. He is passionate about online business education. Anshuman serves as the Editor of IAFOR Journal of Business and Management, Associate Editor of International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education published by Emerald and is on the Editorial Board of International Journal of Applied Management and Technology.

Arto Ojala is a Professor of International Business in the School of Marketing and Communication at the University of Vaasa, Finland. He is also an Adjunct Professor in Software Business at the Tampere University, Finland. His areas of research include topics such as global digital business, international entrepreneurship, and business models. His articles have been published in Information Systems Journal, Journal of World Business, Journal of Systems and Software, Journal of Cleaner Production, IEEE Software, and IT Professional, among other academic venues. He holds a PhD in economics from the University of Jyväskylä. In his doctoral thesis, he investigated Finnish software firms’ foreign market entries and operations in the Japanese market. He is additionally an editor-in-chief of the Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems.

William W. Baber has combined education with business throughout his career. Currently he is teaching and researching negotiation and business models as an Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Management, Kyoto University. He has also taught as a visiting professor at University of Vienna and University of Jyväskylä. Additional experience includes economic development in the State of Maryland and supporting business starters in Japan. He is the lead author of the textbook Practical Business Negotiation and co-editor of Transforming Japanese Business. Recent articles include Transition to Digital Distribution Platforms and Business Model Evolution as well as Identifying Macro Phases across the Negotiation Lifecycle. Negotiation simulations include Mukashi Games and Pixie and Electro Car Merger, both available through TheCaseCentre.org.