Economies of Scale Versus Small Is Beautiful: A Business Model Approach Based on Architecture, Principles and Components in the Beer Industry
Abstract
This article defines business models for sustainability as contested and contextual, and provides a novel framework in terms of the architecture of the business, its principles and components for the analysis of such models. With this framework, a preliminary comparison using the engaged scholarship methodology is made between microbreweries and large multinational brewers. It is concluded that defining and determining comparative sustainability performance based on different business models results in ambiguities and contradictions that are not readily resolved, but a key determinant in the broad definition of business sustainability in the brewing sector is the degree of localism that the business model exhibits.
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There is one work applying the pattern-based approach for circular economy [25]; however, it is still conceptual and generic.
“There is one work applying the pattern-based approach for CE [25]; however, it is still conceptual (i.e., lacking clarity about how the implementation of the framework could occur in practice) and generic (i.e., lacking sectorial specificity or contextualization, which is relevant for CE [26]).”
From Configuring New Business Models for Circular Economy through Product–Service Systems (2019) · cites this paper as [26]
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A review and typology of circular economy business model patterns
Lüdeke‐Freund, F., Gold, S., & Bocken, N. M. P. (2019) · Journal of Industrial Ecology · doi:10.1111/jiec.12763 · Cited by 1,256 · see citing works
Configuring New Business Models for Circular Economy through Product–Service Systems
P. P. Pieroni, M., C. McAloone, T., & C. A. Pigosso, D. (2019) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su11133727 · Cited by 150 · see citing works
“Inspired by aspirations in Management and Design Sciences of promoting ‘impactful’ academic research, which is able to demonstrate the contribution made ‘to’ and ‘with’ business [26,27], this research adopts action research (AR) as methodology.”
BackgroundMethod
- Authors
- Wells, P.
- Affiliations
- Cardiff University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Wells, Peter
- ORCID
- Wells, Peter
- Venue
- Organization & Environment
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2015-06-25
- Volume
- 29
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 36-52
- ISSN
- 1086-0266 (ISSN-L)
- 1552-7417
- OpenAlex
- W1581378677
- Cited by
- 93
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 19.61
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Organization & Environment (publishedVersion)
- ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (acceptedVersion)
- ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Sustainable Supply Chain Management
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Environmental Sustainability in Business
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Management of Technology and Innovation › Sustainability and Innovation in Business
- Keywords
- business models, sustainability, economies of scale, small business, microbreweries, brewing industry, localism, business model architecture, engaged scholarship
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