Sustainable Relational Business Models

This chapter conceptualises how the performance of sustainable relational business models can be assessed and reinforced through the interconnected dimensions of efficiency, effectiveness, and resilience. Efficiency concerns the optimal use of resources, maximising the output with the minimal input and waste; effectiveness captures the achievement of shared strategic and sustainability goals; and resilience underscores the ability to withstand disruptions and uncertainty, be flexible, and adapt over time. Drawing on insights from research on business models, sustainability, and inter-organisational relationships, the chapter juxtaposes the three performance dimensions of sustainable relational business models and provides practical implications for managers, guiding the performance that supports sustainable value creation. It argues that only by embracing this multi-dimensional view can firms build truly robust, future-ready, sustainable relational business models.