Between cooperation and competition : the benefits of collective strategies within business ecosystems. The example of the software industry
Mardi, 25 janvier 2011
The emerging notion of business ecosystems can be linked to several older theoretical notions : firms networks, alliances, collective strategies etc…Indeed, business ecosystems are based on the idea that several companies will collaborate to improve their offer. However, this concept is distinguishable from previous notions according to its specific dynamics : leadership emphasis, keystone organizations role, co-evolution, co-opetition, change in competitive rules, capacity of development for an open-source community, diversity of players, convergence of industry, role of information technologies, and common fate.
These several characteristics lead to a paradigmatic change in the interfirm relationships’ understanding. Thereby, it is necessary to renew the available theoretical tools. An analysis of these relationships in terms of business ecosystems seems more apropriate. In order to understand the interest of a reflection in terms of business ecosystems, we will study the examples of Linux, Microsoft and SAP. These cases will illustrate the different dynamics and emphasize the importance of business ecosystems in the success of companies from the software industry.
G. Gueguen, E. Pellegrin-Boucher et O. Torrès (2006), « Between cooperation and competition: the benefits of collective strategies within business ecosystems. The example of the software industry », EIASM, 2nd Workshop on coopetition strategy, Milan, Italy, September 14-15, 2006