Constructing business models around identity: Tensions in architectural firms

Marina Bos-De Vos; Leentje Volker

Constructing business models around identity: Tensions in architectural firms

Marina Bos-De Vos^*, Leentje Volker

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

4 Citations (Scopus)

174 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Architectural firms experience difficulties to establish healthy and sustainable business models as they have to reconcile the often-competing value systems that they are based upon. Organizational members continuously negotiate professional values and beliefs with the firm's commercial goals, resulting in identity-strategy struggles. This study adopts a 'work lens' to investigate the reciprocal tensions between identity and strategy in 17 business model design workshops with members of architectural firms. Observational data show that practitioners collaboratively construct their business models around professional values, thereby strengthening organizational identity but constraining innovation in their business models. The research contributes to the literature on strategic management of architectural firms by articulating how professional aspects of identity enable and constrain practitioners to shape and be shaped by their strategic actions and decisions.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Association of Researchers in Construction Management, ARCOM - 33rd Annual Conference 2017, Proceeding
Editors	Paul W Chan, C J Neilson
Publisher	Association of Researchers in Construction Management (ARCOM)
Pages	491-500
Number of pages	10
ISBN (Electronic)	9780995546318
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2017
Externally published	Yes
Event	33rd Annual ARCOM Conference 2017 - Cambrige, United Kingdom Duration: 4 Sept 2017 → 6 Sept 2017 Conference number: 33 http://www.arcom.ac.uk/conf-intro.php

Conference

Conference	33rd Annual ARCOM Conference 2017
Abbreviated title	ARCOM 2017
Country/Territory	United Kingdom
City	Cambrige
Period	4/09/17 → 6/09/17
Internet address	http://www.arcom.ac.uk/conf-intro.php

Keywords

Business model
Identity tensions
Strategy-as-practice
Value creation

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ARCOM_2017_Bos_de_Vos_Volker_publishedFinal published version, 176 KB

Cite this

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title = "Constructing business models around identity: Tensions in architectural firms",

abstract = "Architectural firms experience difficulties to establish healthy and sustainable business models as they have to reconcile the often-competing value systems that they are based upon. Organizational members continuously negotiate professional values and beliefs with the firm's commercial goals, resulting in identity-strategy struggles. This study adopts a 'work lens' to investigate the reciprocal tensions between identity and strategy in 17 business model design workshops with members of architectural firms. Observational data show that practitioners collaboratively construct their business models around professional values, thereby strengthening organizational identity but constraining innovation in their business models. The research contributes to the literature on strategic management of architectural firms by articulating how professional aspects of identity enable and constrain practitioners to shape and be shaped by their strategic actions and decisions.",

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author = "{Bos-De Vos}, Marina and Leentje Volker",

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booktitle = "Association of Researchers in Construction Management, ARCOM - 33rd Annual Conference 2017, Proceeding",

publisher = "Association of Researchers in Construction Management (ARCOM)",

note = "33rd Annual ARCOM Conference 2017, ARCOM 2017 ; Conference date: 04-09-2017 Through 06-09-2017",

url = "http://www.arcom.ac.uk/conf-intro.php",

}

Bos-De Vos, M & Volker, L 2017, Constructing business models around identity: Tensions in architectural firms. in PW Chan & CJ Neilson (eds), Association of Researchers in Construction Management, ARCOM - 33rd Annual Conference 2017, Proceeding. Association of Researchers in Construction Management (ARCOM), pp. 491-500, 33rd Annual ARCOM Conference 2017, Cambrige, United Kingdom, 4/09/17.

Constructing business models around identity: Tensions in architectural firms. / Bos-De Vos, Marina; Volker, Leentje.
Association of Researchers in Construction Management, ARCOM - 33rd Annual Conference 2017, Proceeding. ed. / Paul W Chan; C J Neilson. Association of Researchers in Construction Management (ARCOM), 2017. p. 491-500.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

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T1 - Constructing business models around identity

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AU - Bos-De Vos, Marina

AU - Volker, Leentje

N1 - Conference code: 33

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N2 - Architectural firms experience difficulties to establish healthy and sustainable business models as they have to reconcile the often-competing value systems that they are based upon. Organizational members continuously negotiate professional values and beliefs with the firm's commercial goals, resulting in identity-strategy struggles. This study adopts a 'work lens' to investigate the reciprocal tensions between identity and strategy in 17 business model design workshops with members of architectural firms. Observational data show that practitioners collaboratively construct their business models around professional values, thereby strengthening organizational identity but constraining innovation in their business models. The research contributes to the literature on strategic management of architectural firms by articulating how professional aspects of identity enable and constrain practitioners to shape and be shaped by their strategic actions and decisions.

AB - Architectural firms experience difficulties to establish healthy and sustainable business models as they have to reconcile the often-competing value systems that they are based upon. Organizational members continuously negotiate professional values and beliefs with the firm's commercial goals, resulting in identity-strategy struggles. This study adopts a 'work lens' to investigate the reciprocal tensions between identity and strategy in 17 business model design workshops with members of architectural firms. Observational data show that practitioners collaboratively construct their business models around professional values, thereby strengthening organizational identity but constraining innovation in their business models. The research contributes to the literature on strategic management of architectural firms by articulating how professional aspects of identity enable and constrain practitioners to shape and be shaped by their strategic actions and decisions.

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KW - Identity tensions

KW - Strategy-as-practice

KW - Value creation

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BT - Association of Researchers in Construction Management, ARCOM - 33rd Annual Conference 2017, Proceeding

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Y2 - 4 September 2017 through 6 September 2017

ER -

Constructing business models around identity: Tensions in architectural firms

Abstract

Conference

Keywords

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