Strategic Business Development

Résumé du document

Question 1:
In the course you have been introduced to different approaches to consultancy work and you worked in a group with a consultancy-like business development task. Based on the literature and the group task, answer the following questions.

?A) Briefly describe and reflect upon how consulting was presented in the course literature and by the guest lecturers. Clarify and discuss the differences/similarities between different descriptions.

B) In your case work you acted similar to a consultant. Now relate the literature to your efforts: What characterized your approach to consulting? If you had the chance to do it again which approach would you then use and why?

C) Think about yourself as a consultant. What different skills, knowledge, attitudes etcetera does the literature suggest that you need to possess/perform to be good at consulting? Describe and reflect upon what you possess currently and what you need to develop. How do you think you can improve yourself? Link also to the guest lectures.

Length of the answer: between 2 and 3 pages.

Question 2
In the course you have been introduced to different views on business models and business model
innovation. Based on the literature and the case attached, answer the following questions:

A) The firm described in the case has two different business models: one for "witkeys" and the other for "clients". Describe these two business models using one of the several views presented during the course and motivate your choice of view.
Discuss which of these two business models you think Zhubajie.com's team should consider as the main one.

B) What parts of the main business model can you see as potential problems in relation to the English-speaking markets. Why is that?
What should Zhubajie.com innovate in its business model in order to address those weaknesses and why?

C) As sustainability issues increase so thus the need for companies to have sustainable business models. In what ways is Zhubajie.com's business model sustainable? Base your choices on, at least, Bocken et al., (2014).
In case the firm decides to become more sustainable, exemplify two different views on business model innovation that they could use to identify what to do and how to do it! Motivate your choices. Reflect on the differences between these two views both in theory and when applied to the case.

Extraits

[...] Teece, D.J. (2010) “Business Models, Business Strategy and Innovation”, Long Range Planning, 43(2‐3), 172–194 See the plagiarism case referred to in the supporting document As long as the monetary reward is high enough to elicit 'true' behavior on behalf of Witkey bidder. [...]

[...] The two concepts blend in with the consulting group providing what the client considers to be the right solution to the issue at hand. At the same time, management can use the consultants' recommendations as a validation of their initial strategic outlook. This may not be desirable however, since following Johansson (2017) consultants need to anticipate their clients' needs, and so the proposed business plan may not contribute actual advice, but serve mainly as a rubber stamp to prior management decisions. [...]

[...] By contrast, the interaction between the consultants and Sigr management can yield some knowledge formation and transfer to the firm's benefit. Indeed, it can be argued that the consultants' value creation for the company resides in the interaction and feedback they get from meeting with Sigr, rather than data analysis and business plan recommendations it derives from it. 1.C. Despite the body of literature discussed in the previous questions, there is some merit to the argument that the consultant is essentially viewed by its business clients as a purveyor of knowledge, if not expertise. [...]

[...] The M-Witkey monetizes the information compiled from the other categories. The Witkey business plan for a company like Zhubajie is twofold: first, it matches clients with agents able to attend to their needs, and the company collects in the process consumer data that can be used later on for data analysis and/or sold to data-provider. In essence, Zhubajie monetizes the social-media aspect of the transaction between clients and Witkeys. The second is a finance operation, as Zhubajie holds on to the monetary reward paid by the client in the time interval following the bidding process between the competing Witkeys. [...]

[...] The importance of innovative business plans should not be hampered by risk aversion to unforeseeable results due to changes with respect to reliable or familiar strategies and choices. Sosna & al (2010) illustrate this point with the example of a Spanish company, whose innovation generated significant growth and margins, even as its main product remained unchanged. The authors argue that the learning experience from a trial-by- error based innovative business plan yields far more benefits to the company, in comparison with the status-quo. It should be made clear that an innovative business plan does not call for reckless strategies on behalf of the company. [...]