Framework for Business Ecosystem Roles

Abstract

The advancing globalization and increasing digitization across all industries led to a much more complex and dynamic business environment. This environment is characterized by competition and coopetition. MOORE (1993) presented an approach of the business ecosystem, in which long-term-successful companies work in network structures characterized by coopetition. In this context, companies can take different roles in this business ecosystem. In the literature, there are different approaches to describe these roles. However, an all-encompassing approach is missing, and it is unclear how to classify these roles. Therefore, this research aims to develop a framework to describe the roles of a business ecosystem. Such a framework allows classifying the competitive environment of an actor within the business ecosystem. Building on this understanding, strategic decisions can be prepared and derived. To ensure the validity of the developed framework, it was applied to a current case study, the electromobility business ecosystem.