Swiss Beer Inspires Innovation in Traditional Industries
How audience heterogeneity impacts the fate of organizations: the case of the beer boom and the development of the beer industry in Switzerland
Project Description
This study aims to provide insights into how the heterogeneity of audience members – meaning shareholders, consumers and experts – influences the emergence and development of a new market. By focusing on the craft beer market in Switzerland, which has witnessed remarkable dynamics over the last 10 years, the project analyzes how audience heterogeneity, in both individual and collective dimensions, influences entrepreneurial decisions and outcomes such as the founding of organizations, the types of organizations founded, new products, and innovative business models.
The number of breweries in Switzerland grew from fewer than 100 in 2000 to more than 1200 in 2021. Because of this exponential growth and the strong relationship between producers and audience members, the Swiss beer industry offers important opportunities for research.
The study’s two main objectives are:
- To develop a better understanding of how audience differences drive the emergence of an industry.
- To shed light on how differences in audiences influence dynamic aspects of an industry, for example organizational change, organizational learning, and the closure of enterprises.
To achieve these goals, this project relies on qualitative and quantitative data sources. The qualitative stage helps create a clear understanding of the variations across audience members and the process of how the industry emerged and evolved over the last decade. Quantitative analyses are used to understand the implications of such heterogeneity among audience members on the emergence of, and dynamics within, the industry.
