The 3 Layers of Analysis
The CON3 paradigm
Business can be analyzed in terms of Context, Content and Concept. We can use an analogy with movies, for which the story would be the "abstraction" of reality.
- The Context consists in the historical time, the place and the environment where the action takes place.
- The Content consists in the characters and the material elements involved in the story.
- The Concept consists in the personalities of the characters, the properties of material element, and the way they interact.
A story is defined by the 3 layers: Context, Content and Concept. These layers, although linked together for a specific story, could be changed independently, leading to different stories (a similar action can take place in a different time, or be played by different characters, or the same characters can adopt different personalities and interact differently etc.).
The same happens with businesses:
- A- The Context consists in the framework in which the business stands.
- B- The Content consists in the nature of the elements that are involved in the business.
- C- The Concept consists in the properties of the business elements and the way they interact.
Context, Content and Concept are three distinct layers of the business model: the same Content and Concept can be adopted in a different Context; in a given Context, a different Concept can apply to the same Content; in a given Context, the same Concept can apply to a different Content. Of course, each layer has an impact on the business.
Very often, the BM is used in the restrictive sense of its Concept layer. Although the Concept layer is often the most interesting part, especially when comparing two different organizations, the BM, as an abstraction of business, also requires the two other layers.
CON3 vs. 7 Blocks
The correspondence between Context, Content & Concept on one side, and the 7 Blocks on the other, is not direct. Although some Blocks may be strongly related to Content (such as Structure) for example, or other to Concept (such as Manner), the correspondence is not exclusive. Each one of the 7 Blocks can somehow be described at the same time in terms of Context, Content & Concept.
