Har studert forretnings-økosystem: Vipps som eksempel
Nicolas Gibney disputerer for PhD-graden ved NHH 6. oktober med avhandlingen «Essays On Ecosystems in Strategy».
Take care of your ecosystem
Nicolas Gibney has been with DIG as a PhD-candidate, and he has now successfully defended his thesis on the formation and growth of ecosystems in the business sector.
- Managers must be very aware of their environment and of the other firms on which they rely, and which rely on them, because this is how they can maximize their own advantage, he finds. Ecosystems are much more than just clusters.
In his thesis he explores what distinguishes clusters from ecosystems, what motivates ecosystem formation and growth, and what mechanisms lead to ecosystem formation and growth.
Introduced in 1993
Ecosystem as a term for an organizational structure was introduced in 1993. It created some theoretical murkiness, as the boundaries of the cluster and ecosystem constructs overlapped significantly in strategy. The first difference between them is, according to Gibney, geography, where clusters must include a geographic component, whereas ecosystems may include one. The second difference is output, where clusters produce a location-bound product or innovation for innovation’s sake, whereas ecosystems focus on producing and commercializing something, which can be anything from a product to a digital service.
Gibney introduces six new conceptualizations of agglomeration to better divide and distinguish the ideas currently divided between ecosystems and clusters.
Norwegian payment solution Vipps as a case in point
Digital payment solution Vipps has seen a surge in popularity, first in Norway, then across other Nordic countries, taking a clear lead as the preferred choice for making instant mobile payments.
- I explore the initial formation of a business ecosystem in the Norwegian financial industry from the time before the ecosystem was created to the present day. I find that resource dependence theory can explain the motivations underlying ecosystem formation and that forming an ecosystem can be used as a strategy to manage resource dependence, he explains.
Dependence key to success of ecosystems
Nicolas Gibney’s work demonstrates how resource dependency is the driving force behind formation and growth of business ecosystems. He further shows that after an initial instance of path breaking, path dependence ties ecosystem actors together, and hinders their exit from the ecosystem. His work provides valuable insights into both the earliest stages of ecosystem emergence, as well as their later growth.
Be aware and know your ecosystem
What business leaders should take away from the research is that paying attention to their environments is crucial. By being aware and ready to exploit an opening, managers can maximize their own advantage, Nicolas Gibney explains.
- This includes how the firm behaves, because acting like you don't depend on anyone is a very viable strategy for reducing dependence, while being very aware of what other firms get from you, as some firms in my case study were heavily dependent on others, but the firm didn't recognize this and thus was unable to exploit it, he concludes.