Research on time-value-oriented business model innovation path in life services enterprises and its impact on customer perceived value

The paper addresses increasing consumer time scarcity in the digital economy and rising demands for immediacy in life services. Businesses with high-touch characteristics face challenges as time becomes a key determinant of consumer behavior, prompting firms to incorporate customers’ time-value demands into business model innovation. Despite many attempts (e.g., Meituan’s instant delivery, Didi’s “saving time for life,” HaiDiLao’s online reservations), a systematic time-value-oriented innovation path and its impact on customer perceived value remain unclear. The study asks: How should a time-value-oriented business model innovation path be designed in life service enterprises? Is it reasonable and does it enhance customer perceived value? Building on business model innovation theory focusing on value proposition, key processes, core resources, and transaction methods, the study explores practical innovation paths via six typical companies (Hema, JD.com, HaiDiLao, Meituan, SF Express, Didi) and empirically tests whether these paths improve customer perceived value.

Prior research conceptualizes business model innovation through element-based frameworks (three-, four-, five-, six-, and nine-element models), with consensus that value creation arises from changes in value proposition, key processes, core resources, and transaction methods. Drivers operate at external (national strategy, institutions, competition, customer demand, market orientation, technology, value networks) and organizational levels (decision perspectives, resources and capabilities, managerial cognition, top management, CSR, organizational characteristics, learning). Business model innovation can enhance capabilities, reduce costs, increase competitive advantage, and improve performance, but value realization depends on creating and matching customer perceived value. The gap identified is limited research on specific business model innovation paths explicitly oriented to the value of time and their linkage to customer perceived value. Based on literature on value propositions, process innovation, core resources (technology, branding, supply chain), and transaction methods (omnichannel, mobile payment), the paper posits four hypotheses that time-value-oriented innovations in each element enhance customer perceived value.

The research proceeded in two stages: case-based path construction and an empirical survey. Case analysis: Six representative Chinese life service enterprises (Hema Fresh, JD.com, HaiDiLao Hotpot, Meituan, SF Express, Didi Global) were selected for their strong time-value characteristics across catering, retail, transportation, and express delivery. Three data sources were collected: (1) secondary data from internet sources, industry reports, media, and academic databases (CNKI, CQVIP); (2) official information (corporate disclosures, annual reports, executive speeches, interviews); and (3) user reviews from firms’ platforms. Six researchers coded textual data using NVIVO to extract commonalities and distill innovation paths into three levels across the four elements (value proposition, key processes, core resources, transaction methods). Path components were then summarized into a conceptual model (Fig. 1) and detailed with examples and practices from the six firms. Empirical survey: A questionnaire was constructed to assess whether time-value-oriented innovations increase customer perceived value across four dimensions. The instrument adapted traditional perceived value and service satisfaction scales and aligned items to the four dimensions: value proposition (Q1–Q3), key processes (Q4–Q7), core resources (Q8–Q11), and transaction methods (Q12–Q14). Responses used a 7-point Likert scale (1=strongly disagree to 7=strongly agree). After a pretest to refine items, the final survey was distributed via field surveys, email, and online platforms (Questionnaire Star). Of 1,280 distributed questionnaires, 1,156 valid responses remained after excluding missing data, straight-lining, and too-short completion times (effective rate: 90.31%). Sample characteristics: 42.9% male, 57.1% female; age: under 25 (44.8%), 26–35 (26.2%), 35–46 (12.5%), over 45 (16.5%); education: high school and below (4.1%), college (8.0%), undergraduate (61.9%), master’s or above (26.0%). Reliability and validity: Cronbach’s alpha for all four dimensions exceeded 0.8, indicating satisfactory internal consistency. KMO=0.967 and Bartlett’s test p=0.000 supported structural validity. Data analysis used SPSS and Excel. Additional analyses included frequency distributions of scores and independent-sample t-tests comparing the six firms across dimensions.

• The study identifies a time-value-oriented business model innovation path comprising four elements: (1) Value proposition: time-value proposition, continuous innovation of time-value concept, and building time-value competitive advantage; (2) Key processes: efficient operation of time-oriented standardized processes, greater convenience than competitors, and balancing time value with service quality; (3) Core resources: leveraging big data and brand advantages, integrating resources with partners, and establishing unique supply chain systems; (4) Transaction methods: integrating online/offline transactions, flexible and comprehensive payment options, and continuously updating convenient payment methods. - Empirical results show high customer recognition across all four innovation dimensions. Mean scores (n=1,156): transaction methods=5.819; key processes=5.753; core resources=5.728; value proposition=5.718. The overall average across four dimensions was 5.755. Standard deviations ranged 1.011–1.169, indicating data centered around the mean. - Score distributions: Percentage of customers scoring above 4 points by dimension: value proposition 89.01%; key processes 89.35%; core resources 90.39%; transaction methods 91.43%, indicating broad recognition that such innovations enhance customer perceived value. - All four hypotheses (H1–H4) are supported: time-value-oriented innovations in value proposition, key processes, core resources, and transaction methods are associated with enhanced customer perceived value. - Cross-company differences: Consumers rated SF Express and JD.com highest overall; Meituan and Didi lower. Overall average perceived value: SF Express=6.133; JD.com=5.949; HaiDiLao=5.761; Hema Fresh=5.759; Meituan=5.526; Didi=5.441. For transaction methods, SF Express had the highest average (6.104); Hema Fresh, JD.com, and HaiDiLao followed; Meituan and Didi were lower, partly due to proprietary payment systems affecting transaction speed. In key processes and core resources, JD.com (M≈6.020 & 5.950) and SF Express (M≈6.210 & 6.095) scored highly, reflecting investments in next-day delivery and algorithmic optimization. In value proposition, JD.com (M≈5.974) and SF Express (M≈6.121) led, embedding time-saving propositions in consumers’ minds. - Industry heterogeneity: Express delivery (e.g., SF Express) achieved the strongest perceived improvements, consistent with consumers’ high valuation of fast and secure delivery; ride-hailing (Didi) had lower perceived value due to higher consumer involvement and perceived waiting without value-added services. - Descriptives (Table 4): Minimum=1.0, maximum=7.0 across dimensions; averages and SDs as above.

The findings confirm that designing business model innovation explicitly around the value of time can enhance customer perceived value. By aligning value propositions with time-saving benefits, engineering time-oriented standardized processes, leveraging data, brand, and supply chain resources, and simplifying transactions through omnichannel and mobile payments, firms reduce customer waiting, improve convenience, and increase satisfaction. This addresses the research questions by providing a concrete, multi-element innovation path and empirical evidence that such a path is effective. Managerial implications include: - Value proposition: Emphasize and continuously innovate a clear time-value proposition and differentiation versus competitors. - Key processes: Standardize and optimize processes for time efficiency while maintaining service quality; leverage algorithms, intelligent assignment, and streamlined logistics to outperform competitors on convenience and speed. - Core resources: Strengthen big data capabilities, branding, and unique, end-to-end supply chain systems; integrate with upstream and downstream partners for networked collaboration and efficiency. - Transaction methods: Continue integrating online/offline channels and enhance payment diversity, convenience, flexibility, and security to remove temporal/spatial barriers in transactions. Firms should dynamically track evolving time-value demands and co-create value with customers via feedback platforms and real-time data, enabling continuous business model innovation, risk reduction, and improved resilience. The results are relevant across life service industries but exhibit heterogeneous impacts, indicating the need for industry-specific tailoring of the time-value emphasis.

This study proposes and empirically validates a time-value-oriented business model innovation path for life service enterprises, demonstrating that innovations in value proposition, key processes, core resources, and transaction methods significantly enhance customer perceived value. Contributions include: (1) a structured, practice-informed path that integrates time-value across four business model elements; (2) empirical evidence (n=1,156) supporting positive customer-perceived impacts across all elements; and (3) insights into inter-industry heterogeneity, with express delivery showing the strongest uplift. Future research directions include: expanding firm-level data to strengthen generalizability; jointly evaluating business model innovation with customer expectations to quantify impacts on firm performance and perceived value; extending analysis to broader consumer samples; and exploring industry-specific uniqueness in time-value-oriented paths.

The study’s limitations include: (1) Case scope: Only six representative life service firms were analyzed for path construction; broader firm samples are needed to verify and extend the framework. (2) Evaluation scope: The survey emphasizes customer perceived value; future work should jointly assess firm performance outcomes and customer expectations to parse the influence of each innovation dimension. (3) Generalizability and industry specificity: Broader consumer samples and deeper exploration of industry-specific pathways are needed to capture heterogeneity across different life service sectors.