Solution providers' open business models : A view on partner networks, customer centricity, and business model performance

Research has highlighted the importance of open business models, yet concepts which explain factors influencing the performance of open business models are quite rare. Here, we build on network theory and investigate how the structural, relational, and cognitive dimension of networks - conceptualized as the network between a manufacturing company and its external service providers - influence the performance of open business models. We study the special case of solution providers which combine their own products with externally sourced services into solutions to better meet customer needs.
A comparative case study with three successful solution providers suggests that the three network dimensions influence the performance of open business models and that the relationship is contingent on the level of customer centricity. Business models with low customer centricity need another network configuration with their partners in order to be successful than business models with high customer centricity.