The effect of knowledge collaboration on business model reconfiguration

Abstract

This study examines whether and to what extent the presence and intensity of knowledge collaboration across different partners affects business model reconfiguration (BMR). We build on the business model (BM) literature and operationalize BMR by introducing the presence and intensity of collaboration and firm size effects as main explanatory factors in affecting the propensity of incremental and radical BMR. We analyze a large sample of UK firms during 2002–2014 to capture the effect of knowledge collaboration and firm size on BMR. Positively incremental forms of BMR will be influenced by the presence and intensity of knowledge collaboration, while radical forms of BMR are affected by the intensity of collaboration with customers and the collaboration with suppliers by large firms. Furthermore, firms of different sizes do not equally benefit from knowledge collaboration with suppliers for both incremental and radical BMR, while they do equally benefit from collaboration with other partner types.