Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show how different business model innovations (BMIs) help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the food and beverage industry to navigate turbulent and uncertain environments such as the coronavirus economic crisis (COVID-19).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopts an in-depth case study approach and uses a dynamic business modeling (DBM) approach to analyze how a pioneer craft brewery in Switzerland implemented innovative actions undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Findings

The paper offers a novel framework describing three processes helping SMEs to implement innovations in their business model (BM) to respond in an effective way to crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The first process refers to SMEs' ability to leverage readily available resources and allows SMEs to rapidly use their current knowledge to react to the changing environment amid the crisis. The second process points at SMEs' ability to transform existing resources into novel products or solutions. Finally, by mobilizing distant resources from their network, SMEs can obtain new resources and knowledge that facilitate the implementation of major changes in their BM.

Originality/value

Unlike previous studies, this research adopts a cause-and-effect perspective to make explicit how SMEs' BM changes affect strategic resources, key drivers and processes, thereby impacting performance. The analysis of the multiple reinforcing and balancing feedback loops resulting from the DBM approach can help SME entrepreneurs learn how and what changes are required in their BM to effectively face turbulent times, such as the COVID-19 crisis. From such an analysis, it emerged that the ability of SMEs to effectively implement innovations amid a crisis depends in large part on their collaborations with business partners and their ability to use and transform internal and external knowledge. In addition, as the future evolution of the COVID-19 crisis is still ongoing and uncertain, this study offers a unique perspective for SMEs in the food and beverage industry as the situation unfolds rather than after the fact.

中文翻译：

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商业模式创新能否帮助食品和饮料行业的中小企业应对危机？COVID-19期间一家瑞士啤酒厂的发现

目的

本文的目的是说明不同的商业模式创新（BMI）如何帮助食品和饮料行业的中小企业（SME）渡过动荡和不确定的环境，例如冠状病毒经济危机（COVID-19）。

设计/方法/方法

本文采用了深入的案例研究方法，并使用动态业务建模（DBM）方法来分析瑞士的一家精酿啤酒厂如何实施在COVID-19大流行期间采取的创新行动。

发现

本文提供了一个新颖的框架，描述了三个过程，可帮助中小型企业在其商业模式（BM）中实施创新以有效应对危机，例如COVID-19大流行。第一个过程是指中小型企业利用现有资源的能力，并使中小型企业能够迅速利用其现有知识来应对危机中不断变化的环境。第二个过程指出了中小企业将现有资源转化为新颖产品或解决方案的能力。最后，通过动员网络中的远程资源，中小型企业可以获得新的资源和知识，以促进其BM的重大变更的实施。

创意/价值

与以前的研究不同，本研究采用因果关系来明确中小企业的BM变化如何影响战略资源，关键驱动因素和流程，从而影响绩效。DBM方法所产生的多个强化和平衡反馈回路的分析可以帮助中小型企业企业家了解如何以及如何对其BM进行更改，以有效面对动荡的时代，例如COVID-19危机。从这样的分析中可以看出，中小企业在危机中有效实施创新的能力在很大程度上取决于它们与商业伙伴的合作以及他们使用和转化内部和外部知识的能力。此外，由于COVID-19危机的未来发展仍在持续且不确定，