The sustainable business model as a driver for change? : Exploring the utilization of Sustainable Business Model Innovation to master the sustainability agenda of established Austrian companies

Abstract

The EU is driving change through the European Green Deal, with the goal of becoming the first carbon-neutral continent by the year 2050. But how do companies translate this requirement into practice? And how does business model innovation impact the corporate sustainability agenda? The research question of this thesis is: How is the Sustainable Business Model concept used in established companies in Austria? First the author clarifies the terminology related to the BM and the concept of the sustainable business model for practical use. This includes identifying key terms and attempting to categorize them. The second step is to find out how SBM is understood in practice and how it is consciously or unconsciously integrated into sustainability activities. In addition, the author explores what measures companies are taking to implement sustainability in their business and what factors facilitate or hinder this approach. Based on the findings from theory and practice, a process is proposed to help established companies to recognize sustainability as a potential and to implement it on the BM level. The potential of the company is to be built on a shared value and the core resources of the company, which is extended by the potentials of the partners and thus to be able to take a strategic, competitive market position. This process puts the cooperation of the company with external ones in the foreground and thus enables the exchange of know-how and promotes organizational learning.