Goals


The aim of this course is to familiarize Master’s students with the diversity of digital business models and their strategic, organizational, social, and environmental implications. By the end of the course, students will be able to:


  • Identify and describe key digital business models (freemium, hidden revenue, integrator, open source, peer-to-peer, razor & blade, Robin Hood, object as point of sale).
  • Critically analyze the opportunities and risks these models pose for organizations, individuals, and society.
  • Apply the studied concepts to concrete cases, including within the network of local SMEs, taking into account their resource constraints, territorial anchoring, and innovation potential.
  • Develop skills in collaborative work, oral presentation, and critical discussion within “structured academic controversy” settings.
  • Formulate strategic recommendations and fictional proposals for digital policies tailored to the Walloon context.

In sum, the course aims not only to foster analytical knowledge but also to develop practical and critical skills, preparing students to understand, evaluate, and design sustainable digital business models. 

Content

  • Lecture 1 – Introduction: Presentation of course objectives, evaluation methods, group formation, and an introduction to business model concepts, platforms, and digital value chain transformation.
  • Lectures 2 to 9 – Exploration of key models: Each session is dedicated to an in-depth analysis of a specific digital business model (freemium, hidden revenue, integrator, open source, peer-to-peer, razor & blade, Robin Hood, object as point of sale). For each model, students will examine:
  • Mechanisms of value creation and capture.
  • Opportunities for organizations and individuals.
  • Societal and environmental opportunities and risks.
  • Organizational challenges (resources, regulation, technological dependence).
  • Adaptation possibilities for Walloon SMEs.
  • Lecture 10 – Conclusion: Overview of all models, cross-cutting synthesis, integration of learning outcomes, and Q&A session.

The content is structured around real-life case studies from both international and local companies, reinforcing practical relevance and regional anchoring.

Teaching methods


 The course relies on active learning approaches and collective knowledge-building.

  • Group Work: Each week, groups of 4–5 students present a company case related to the studied model in the form of a short PowerPoint (1 slide per research question). Presentations are concise (5 minutes per group) and designed to stimulate discussion rather than provide definitive answers.
  • Structured Academic Controversy: In the second hour, students engage in a structured debate. Each student is assigned a role (explorer of organizational opportunities, explorer of societal opportunities, identifier of organizational challenges, identifier of societal risks). This guarantees diversity of perspectives, confrontation of ideas, and critical analysis.
  • Facilitation and Synthesis: The instructor’s role is to moderate debates, relaunch discussions, provide theoretical insights, and guide collective synthesis.
  • Peer Learning: Students learn as much from their own research and presentations as from their peers’ contributions.

The pedagogical objective is to foster not only knowledge acquisition but also analytical, critical, and collaborative skills essential in professional contexts.

Assessment method

Evaluation combines group work, individual performance, and active participation:


  • Final Group Report (40%): Each group submits a written report (max. 20 pages excluding appendices) synthesizing the analysis of the different models. The report evaluates students’ ability to structure, synthesize, and apply acquired knowledge. The format is flexible, but it must at least discuss:
  • Opportunities each model offers for the organization and its members.
  • Opportunities each model offers for social and environmental sustainability (impact on the society as a whole).
  • Challenges each model creates for the organization or its members (resources, regulation, dependence, etc.).
  • Risks and negative externalities each model generates for social and environmental sustainability (impact on the society as a whole).
  • Possible adaptations for local Walloon SMEs (often less capitalized, less international than major global platforms).
  • A fictional digital policy proposal intended either for the Walloon government or for a Walloon company (student’s choice).
  • Individual Oral Exam (40%): Each student undergoes an oral exam designed to verify their contribution to the report, understanding of concepts, and ability to articulate connections across models. This ensures fairness within groups.
  • Active Participation (20%): Quality of classroom engagement, during presentations and debates, is assessed throughout the semester. Criteria include preparation, relevance of contributions, responsiveness to others’ arguments, and enrichment of collective discussion.


Language of instruction

English