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The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize the business model (BM) from a knowledge-based view (KBV), to interpret its nature and knowledge structure and to investigate the relationship between its imitability and the erosion of firm’s competitive advantage.

Based on a systematic literature review, this study builds an integrated framework to explicate the nature and structure of the BM from a KBV. Moreover, on the analysis of two contrasting cases, the argument concerning the relationship between BM imitability and its strategic value is proposed, analyzed and supported.

The main finding of this study is that a BM can be viewed as a structured knowledge cluster that contains explicit and implicit parts. Its imitation is a dynamic process of knowledge diffusion across firm boundaries. Ceteris paribus, with a lower proportion of implicit knowledge, a BM is more likely to be imitated and the adopter’s competitive advantage is more likely to be eroded, and vice versa.

The proposed framework could provide managers with a deeper understanding of the nature and structure of the BM and help potential adopters develop a successful entry strategy by avoiding BMs that seem profitable but are incapable of maintaining competitive advantage.

As a complement to previous studies, the research conceptualizes the BM as a “structured knowledge cluster” to explicate its nature and knowledge structure from a KBV. The implicit part of the BM is explored, and its importance for the adopter’s competitive advantage is discussed and verified.

The purpose of this study is to conceptualize the paradigm of meaningful innovation (MI) by exploring the theoretical basis, identifying its core concepts and key processes, and supporting it with evidence from leading world-class enterprises.

Based on a systemic literature review on the evolution of innovation paradigms, this study builds a conceptual framework to explicate the core concepts and process of MI. Moreover, a horizontal embedded case study of GREE electric appliances is conducted to further enrich, refine and support the proposed framework.

The main finding of this study is that MI could be regarded as a process of integrating innovation elements (resources, capabilities, systems, etc.) with internal and external innovation meaning to obtain outcomes with both economic value and social significance. As a “long-termism” paradigm with meaning identification and conversion as its core, MI is driven by the collaboration of “deductive mechanism” and “reflective mechanism.”

Based on the previous studies concerning innovation paradigms on the internal and external meaning, this paper proposes an integrated framework of MI. In this framework, enterprises can consider internal and external meanings through deductive and reflective mechanisms, to better coordinate resources, capabilities, institutions, markets and other factors to achieve higher innovation performance.

The purpose of this paper is to study the inhibition effect of Tween‐40 on the corrosion of cold rolled steel (CRS) in 1.0‐8.0 M HCl over the temperature range of 20‐50°C. It also aims to make an attempt to correlate both thermodynamic parameters and kinetic parameters with the inhibition effect.

The inhibition efficiencies of Tween‐40 are investigated by weight loss and potentiodynamic polarization methods.

Tween‐40 acts as a good inhibitor in 1.0 M HCl, and inhibition efficiency increases with the inhibitor concentration, while it decreases with HCl concentration and temperature. The adsorption of inhibitor on the CRS surface obeys the Langmuir adsorption isotherm equation. The inhibition effect is satisfactorily explained by both thermodynamic and kinetic parameters. Polarization curves show that Tween‐40 is a mixed‐type inhibitor in hydrochloric acid.

The experimental data have been treated with adsorption theory and kinetic equations successfully. Both the thermodynamic and kinetic parameters can be obtained, and used in explaining the inhibition effect satisfactorily.