IDLab seminar: The relationship between business model innovation and organizational performance in the cultural sector
On April 17, 2026, the International Laboratory of Intangible-driven Economy (IDLab) held a research seminar. Anna Daviy, Associate Professor at the Department of Management (HSE University St. Petersburg) and Junior Research Fellow at IDLab, presented the results of a study on the relationship between business model innovation and organizational performance in the cultural sector.
Most empirical studies confirming the positive impact of business model innovation on firm performance focus exclusively on the commercial sector and purely financial indicators. In this research, the focus of the research group shifted from standard small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to organizations within the cultural sector. The specificity of this sector lies in the fact that the performance of such organizations cannot be measured by financial means alone, as they inherently pursue significant social and cultural missions.
To determine exactly which outcomes (economic, social, or cultural) result from changes in value creation, delivery, and capture, the authors analyzed recently collected survey data from 370 cultural organizations. The results provided an empirical basis demonstrating the specifics of innovation implementation in the non-profit environment. Preliminary regression analysis showed that innovations in value creation and delivery have a positive and statistically significant impact on all types of outcomes—economic, social, and cultural. However, innovations in value capture were significant only for economic indicators, showing no correlation with social and cultural achievements. This confirms the hypothesis that monetization and cost optimization mechanisms in the cultural environment function differently than in traditional business and do not always directly contribute to the realization of the creative mission.
During the active discussion, seminar participants addressed the methodological aspects of the work and its further development. Specifically, Anna Daviy outlined plans to transform the current dataset into a longitudinal study through repeated surveys. Colleagues supported this initiative, recommending that future stages record the entry of new and the exit of existing organizations, rather than being limited to the initial sample. This approach will minimize survivorship bias and provide an objective picture of the evolution of business models in the cultural sector.
