Advancements in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), combined with increasingly liberalised global trading regimes, have enabled the rise of a new class of ventures that span global borders at birth. Born Global firms (BGs) have become a growing phenomenon that gained excellent interest in research for over the last few decades. Existing researches have partially studied the required capabilities that are essential to embrace the greatest internationalisation process of BGs, however, the relevance of the Value Proposition has been a rather scarce research area. This dissertation aims to make an extensive in-depth qualitative study and to reach a better understanding of VP decision-making and building processes within four Finnish and German BGs. In particular, this study strives to fill in the research gap and aspires to satisfy the research question dealing with the fact how BGs design their VP in order to pursue a sustainable and successful international expansion. Hence, three research objectives are defined to accomplish the purpose of the research. They aim to examine the critical aspects of VP, and to analyse which and how factors can influence the Value Proposition Design in BGs. The empirical investigation was based on a multiple case study strategy in order to understand and explore the dynamics and influences of the VP formulation inside existing BGs. Primary data has been collected from founders and managers of the case firms through semi-structured interviews while secondary data has been gathered in order to triangulate data and ensure the validity of the research. The empirical results show that despite the BGs challenges on building the right VP, it is crucial to emphasise and spread the uniqueness of their products benefits to spatially dispersed customers located in distinctive niche markets. Moreover, BGs perceived VP as the true essence of the strategy. Afterwards, the main influential factors such as Individual-Opportunity Nexus, technology, customers, community, competition and geographic scope have been identified, and the majestic impact of these drivers on VPs evolution has been described. Further relevant findings concern the outcome of a conscious embracement of VP that offers a clearly vision to BGs internationalisation process, and the growing attention to emotional value have been illustrated. Relevant academic and managerial implications are also outlined from these results.
Levoluzione delle tecnologie dellinformazione e della comunicazione (ICT), combinata a regimi commerciali globali sempre più liberalizzati, ha permesso la nascita di una nuova categoria di imprese in grado di espandere i confini a livello globale sin dalla loro nascita. Tali aziende, definite anche come Born Global Firms (BGs), hanno suscitato negli ultimi decenni un crescente interesse nei confronti della ricerca accademica. Le ricerche realizzate fino ad ora hanno studiato solo in parte le capacità e le competenze necessarie per permettere alle BGs di formulare e sviluppare il miglior processo di internazionalizzazione. Infatti, il ruolo della proposta di valore o Value Proposition (VP), in tale processo è stato oggetto di una limitata attenzione come area di ricerca accademica. Questa tesi si propone di effettuare un approfondito studio qualitativo e di offrire una migliore comprensione del processo decisionale della VP e dei processi di sviluppo internazionale allinterno di quattro aziende di origine finlandese o tedesca. Nello specifico, questo studio si prefigge di colmare il research gap ed aspira alla soddisfazione della research question analizzando come le BGs elaborano la propria value proposition per perseguire unespansione internazionale di successo sostenibile nel tempo. Pertanto, la ricerca mira ad esaminare gli aspetti critici della VP e ad analizzare quali fattori e in che modo possono influenzare la Value Proposition Design (VPD) di tali aziende. Lindagine empirica è basata su una analisi di molteplici casi di studio al fine di comprendere ed esplorare le dinamiche e le influenze nella formulazione della VP allinterno di BGs attive sul mercato internazionale. I dati primari sono stati raccolti attraverso interviste semi-strutturate rivolte ai fondatori e dirigenti delle imprese selezionate. Quelli secondari sono stati analizzati e catalogati al fine di ottenere la triangolazione dei dati e garantire la validità della ricerca. I risultati empirici evidenziano limportanza del promuovere e sottolineare lunicità dei vantaggi offerti dal loro prodotto destinato a clienti internazionali collocati in specifiche nicchie di mercato. Tali organizzazioni, infatti, identificano la VP come lanima della strategia aziendale. I maggiori fattori di influenza sono stati identificati ed il loro impatto sulla VPD analizzato. La ricerca ha inoltre evidenziato che una crescente attenzione verso il valore emotivo ed una maggiore consapevolezza nellavvalersi della VP può portare le BGs ad avere una visione più nitida del loro processo di internazionalizzazione. Infine, seguono rilevanti implicazioni accademiche e manageriali.
Value Proposition Design for Born Global Firms
BONISOLO, LUCA
2018/2019
Abstract
Advancements in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), combined with increasingly liberalised global trading regimes, have enabled the rise of a new class of ventures that span global borders at birth. Born Global firms (BGs) have become a growing phenomenon that gained excellent interest in research for over the last few decades. Existing researches have partially studied the required capabilities that are essential to embrace the greatest internationalisation process of BGs, however, the relevance of the Value Proposition has been a rather scarce research area. This dissertation aims to make an extensive in-depth qualitative study and to reach a better understanding of VP decision-making and building processes within four Finnish and German BGs. In particular, this study strives to fill in the research gap and aspires to satisfy the research question dealing with the fact how BGs design their VP in order to pursue a sustainable and successful international expansion. Hence, three research objectives are defined to accomplish the purpose of the research. They aim to examine the critical aspects of VP, and to analyse which and how factors can influence the Value Proposition Design in BGs. The empirical investigation was based on a multiple case study strategy in order to understand and explore the dynamics and influences of the VP formulation inside existing BGs. Primary data has been collected from founders and managers of the case firms through semi-structured interviews while secondary data has been gathered in order to triangulate data and ensure the validity of the research. The empirical results show that despite the BGs challenges on building the right VP, it is crucial to emphasise and spread the uniqueness of their products benefits to spatially dispersed customers located in distinctive niche markets. Moreover, BGs perceived VP as the true essence of the strategy. Afterwards, the main influential factors such as Individual-Opportunity Nexus, technology, customers, community, competition and geographic scope have been identified, and the majestic impact of these drivers on VPs evolution has been described. Further relevant findings concern the outcome of a conscious embracement of VP that offers a clearly vision to BGs internationalisation process, and the growing attention to emotional value have been illustrated. Relevant academic and managerial implications are also outlined from these results.È consentito all'utente scaricare e condividere i documenti disponibili a testo pieno in UNITESI UNIPV nel rispetto della licenza Creative Commons del tipo CC BY NC ND.
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14239/7375