Business Ecosystems: Strategizing in a Connected World

This comprehensive book provides decision-makers with clarity in navigating business ecosystems. It covers the history and drivers of ecosystem emergence and explores key concepts like complementarity and modularity. Various archetypes, including business, innovation, and platform ecosystems, are examined. The book details the design, set-up, and growth of successful ecosystems, including roles, building strategies, and growth levers.Further sections focus on ecosystem orchestration and participation, emphasizing the balance between engagement depth and breadth, cooperation and competition, trust and control, and openness and closedness. Ecosystem management within firms is addressed, covering leadership, commercial functions, communication, financial planning, risk management, legal compliance, and IT. Insights into assessing ecosystem performance, failure, and competition are provided. The book concludes with a discussion on the future of ecosystem evolution, environmental and social impacts, and how ecosystems are transforming work and management practices. This book is an essential resource for executives in the ecosystem-driven business landscape.

About the Author

Markus Kreutzer is a Professor of Strategic and International Management at EBS Universität in Germany. Prof. Kreutzer's research and teaching revolve around inter-organizational strategy making (including ecosystems), sustainable organizational growth, organizational control, strategic renewal and adaptation, and business model innovation. Prof. Kreutzer served as the Dean of EBS Business School from 2017 to 2019.

Erwin Hettich is an Assistant Professor of Strategy and Management and Head of the Strategy Lab at the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland). In the latter role, he integrates academic knowledge with entrepreneurship and strategic execution. He holds a doctorate from the University of St. Gallen and Harvard Business School (USA). Throughout his career, Prof. Hettich has held leadership roles across various sectors, focusing on strategy, venturing and building ecosystems. His current research explores the implications of machine intelligence for strategic management. He advises startups and established companies on strategy and business development.

Pia Kerstin Neudert is a Project Leader at Commerz Business Consulting and an External Lecturer of Management studies at EBS Universität. Dr. Neudert completed a doctorate at EBS Universität in 2022. Dr. Neudert's research focuses on ecosystems, particularly the interaction between new ventures and established firms, as well as ecosystem building. Before her PhD studies, Dr. Neudert held various roles in commercial functions at the Lufthansa Group, including Senior Manager Joint Venture & Partner Sales, EMEA.