Collaborative knowledge sharing and knowledge generation in Multi Business Model Innovation processes - A three-dimensional Knowledge Ecosystem

This paper is part of a series of papers aimed at creating knowledge about Multi Business Model Innovation (MBMI) Process Management in a special designed Business Lab with the purpose to develop a framework for facilitating university students (and Businesses) in doing Multi Business Model Innovation according to the MBMI concept developed by professor Peter Lindgren (Lindgren & Jørgensen, 2012); (Lindgren & Rasmussen, 2013); (Lindgren, 2016, 2017, 2018). The research includes Master Engineering students at Aarhus University Herning doing MBMI in three Business Labs during a business case competition. Twenty students worked in three mixed teams with their business cases for three days in the Labs and were observed by 360-degreee cameras to explore what kind of interpersonal verbally and non-verbally communication processes appear and could be relevant for a Process Manager. The Process Managers seem to facilitate the MBMI processes and the students team work in a three-dimensional guidance continuum by communicating through different types of comments, e.g. comments regarding their work processes, provocative comments, and investigating, praising and guiding comments. Yet mostly through open and investigative questions. Moreover, the Process Managers use body language in an active, smiling and happy way that creates a positive, comfortable atmosphere with positive emotions in the Labs. Finally, the Process Managers use the MBMI B-Lab and tools to show the students how the infrastructure and the tools can help them structure, analyse and create knowledge (new BM’s) through the BMI case work.