Exploring sustainable business modeling processes and toolkits

Abstract

Sustainable business models can help organizations gain long-term financial benefits and contribute positively to the environment and society. However, there is relatively little practice-based knowledge on how to design sustainable business models. This thesis explores different processes and toolkits to design a sustainable business model in theory and practice. The applicability of these processes and toolkits in practice are also discussed.

In the thesis, first, the literature on sustainable business modeling processes and toolkits is reviewed. Second, semi-structured interviews with business designers are conducted to identify the sustainable business modeling process in practice. Third, this process and selected toolkits are applied in the case project to evaluate their applicability.

This thesis indicates specific implementation gaps in processes and toolkits between theory and practice. Specifically, the findings highlight the reasons for the differences between the processes identified from the literature and the interviews, the challenges in designing a sustainable business model, and the applicability gaps of selected processes and toolkits in a case project. Organizations can reflect on the findings to form their design approaches in their business environments.