Search

Business model innovation faces multiple tests of legitimacy. Most extant research in this area has been conducted from institutional and strategic perspectives while paying insufficient attention to the perspective of evaluators. Based on the institutionalization of China's online car-hailing industry from 2012 to 2018, this paper analyzes the legitimacy judgment of the stakeholders from the perspective of evaluator categorization and explores the legitimation mechanism of business model innovation. It finds that evaluators judge the legitimacy of business models based on category cognition. Therefore, to achieve the bridging, spillover, and accumulation effects of legitimacy, the legitimation strategy of online car-hailing platforms should dynamically adapt to different evaluators, judgment models, and categorization standards. Ultimately, as quantitative changes lead to qualitative changes, the legitimation of innovative business models is achieved in this way. In this process, stakeholders categorize and evaluate online car-hailing based on prototypes and value goals, and establish a two-way interactive mechanism, which is from behavior guided by cognition to cognition given feedback by behavior. This paper combines the legitimacy judgment with category theory to explain how individual cognition drives the emergence of new categories and identifies a series of legitimacy strategies based on categorization, thus providing theoretical support and practical inspiration for exploring the legitimation of business model innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is well under way. Meanwhile, a deglobalization trend is growing, and major-countries’ competition is intensifying. In this context, there has come a debate on whether technological innovation (“key & core technology”) or business model innovation (“soft model”) should be prioritized in development. Key & core technology and soft model differ in terms of driving forces, goal orientation, nature of knowledge, imitability, and return cycles. They both are interdependent, mutually reinforcing, and evolve together. Business models are an important form of technological innovation, and technological innovation drives business model innovation, while business models support, guide, promote, and incubate technological innovation. In the field of digital economy, business model innovation occurs more frequent, intense, widespread, and disruptive, but it also brings forth new challenges. In addressing these challenges for both business model innovation and technological innovation, China should follow the principles of “guidance without participation, inclusion with regulation” and “encouragement without compulsion.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]