How does the discovery of entrepreneurs’ “WHY”, following Simon Sinek’s method, help maintain consistency in the business model?

Details

Supervisors

Hermans, Julie

Faculty

Louvain School of Management

Degree label

Master [120] : ingénieur de gestion, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

To answer this question, the thesis follows an exploratory approach. The first section of this thesis is a literature review about the topic. The objective is to assess the literature linked to the research question to define and structure the key concepts. The first part is dedicated to exploring the concept of business model, its components and the traditional canvases used to structure it. This will highlight the virtual absence of purpose in companies' business models and associated tools. Logically, the next part presents the concept of purpose, focusing on its prevalent role in the business sphere and explaining how it impacts organizations. The ultimate part is devoted to reviewing Simon Sinek’s work. I will dig into his first book, “Start with Why” which precisely defines the “WHY”, as well as describing the Golden Circle tool and its components. We will see how the features of this tool makes it relevant to address the research question. Next, comes the empirical part of this thesis, which will answer the research question. For this, I worked on three case studies, interviewing three young entrepreneurs working in the media and audiovisual sector. This section is first composed of the methodology, which aims to detail the method used to collect and analyze the necessary data. Then, I will present the data collected in the workshops, per individual. Afterwards, I will perform a data analysis thanks to both intra-company and inter-company analytical framework. This will lead us to a discussion, linking the theoretical background of this research and the finding. I will end this thesis with the opportunities and limits uncovered around the topic and summarize a conclusion to address the research question.