Does the combination of sustainable business model patterns lead to truly sustainable business models? Critical analysis of existing frameworks and extensions

Business models can be created by combining business model patterns. The use of patterns can stimulate creativity of entrepreneurs and support the design of innovative business models for sustainability. In this article, we analyze the frameworks on sustainable business model (SBM) patterns, which can be mainly classified along the three dimensions of the triple bottom line (TBL): economic, environmental, and social. Furthermore, we introduce the concept of “truly sustainable business models” by drawing on contingency and system theory. We observe that the simple application of the frameworks of business model patterns by combining economic, environmental, and social business model patterns for sustainability into one single business model does not necessarily lead to a truly sustainable business model. Therefore, the combination of patterns along the TBL seems a necessary, but not sufficient condition for achieving true sustainability, and hence, the mere reliance on SBM patterns in business model design can be misleading to entrepreneurs. Our conceptual work advances research related to frameworks on SBM patterns by identifying three critical levels for the analysis of whether a business model is truly sustainable or not. The first level is inherent to the business model as a system; the second is related to the larger system, in which the business model is embedded; and the third is about the contingency factors that can impact the sustainability effectiveness of the business model over time.