- Trial lecture starts at 10.15
- Public defence starts at 12.00
The title of the trial lecture is "The role of companies in sustainability transformations"
Assessment committee:
- Head of committee: Professor Magnus Hellström
- Professor Satu Teerikangas, University of Turku, Finland
- Professor Rupert J. Baumgartner, Graz University, Austria
Supervisors in the doctoral work:
- Professor Tor Helge Aas, UiA
- Professor John Arngrim Hunnes, UiA
Summary of thesis
With growing social and environmental challenges globally, firms are increasingly expected to transform prevailing practices and become more sustainable. Yet, achieving sustainable transformation remains challenging, particularly for established firms. Changing an existing business model can be inherently difficult, and many companies fail during this sustainable transformation process. While extant research has focused on changing the existing business model, an emerging body of literature has highlighted business model diversification—the concurrent operation of multiple business models—as an alternative path to achieve sustainable transformation.
However, business model diversification research remains fragmented and conceptually ambiguous, and offers limited insight into how firms manage sustainable transformation.
This dissertation addresses these gaps by improving the conceptual foundations and exploring how firms manage sustainable transformation through business model diversification. Drawing on a critical realist approach, the thesis comprises three interconnected papers: a systematic literature review and two qualitative, exploratory single-case studies.
Paper A consolidates existing knowledge and clarifies the theoretical and conceptual foundations of business model diversification, providing a basis for future research and practice.
Paper Bexplores the contradictory demands that arise during the transition to a business model portfolio that incorporates sustainable business models, and highlights the important role of bridging and segmenting mechanisms in navigating this process.
Paper C explores knowledge transfer in an organization managing sustainable business models alongside an existing business model. The study finds that business model diversification creates an environment for knowledge transfer, which can cultivate the capabilities needed to manage sustainable transformation.
Together, the findings in this dissertation advance the theoretical understanding of business model diversification as a distinct and promising path to achieving sustainable transformation and offer valuable practical insights for managers navigating this process.
What to do as an online audience member
The disputation is open to the public. To follow the trial lecture and the public defence online, register on Zoom.
We ask online audience members to join no earlier than 10 minutes in advance. After these times, you can leave and rejoin the meeting at any time.
Opponent ex auditorio:
Deadline for the public to pose questions is during the break between the two opponents. Questions ex auditorio can be submitted to disputation chair.
Questions?
- gunvor.guttormsen@uia.no
- Phone
- +47 38 14 16 48