A Technique for Tracking Business Model Renewal

Ever since the first calls for development of applicable methods to study business model evolution (Pateli & Giaglis 2004), not much progress has been made. This paper proposes a suitable technique to track the evolution of a firm’s business model. The technique is based on a systematic content analysis of available information that is normally disclosed to the public by firms listed on a stock exchange. The technique relies on the activitybased view of the business model and uses the value chain concept and the typology of business model change to structure collected data. While certainly not without limitations, the technique is useful for longitudinal studies of business model evolution conducted retrospectively.