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This article examines whether holistic systems thinking in a performance measurement context can benefit business development and managerial decision-making in innovative companies utilising a business network. A single-case study examines a logistics network entity consisting of multiple companies committed to an open business ecosystem seeking to create new business opportunities and proposes a testbed simulation tool to benchmark three distinct conceptual models. The systemic approach offers both operational and strategic benefits in supporting managerial decision-making to deliver process efficiency and generate customer value. Findings conclude that holistic business perspective governs the complexity of a logistic system via deeper qualitative investigation, while hard systems thinking captures the quantitative details of the system allowing network performance optimisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The business ecosystem is a new paradigm, highly popular among researchers and practitioners. Systematic literature reviews based on bibliometric analysis of business ecosystem studies are still difficult to find. This paper aims to conduct bibliometric and visualization analyses with VOSviewer in business ecosystems. The evaluation involved 44 scientific articles on business ecosystem studies indexed by Scopus quartile Q1 - Q4 from the Google Scholar database in the last decade, namely 2010-2020. Bibliometric analysis has found the most productive publishers, the development of scientific articles, and the number of citations. While visualization with VOSviewer has found the most common terms in titles and abstracts, author collaboration, and makes it easier for researchers to find new and rarely researched topics in the business ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of provincial innovation-driven efficiency on the expansion of regional Outward Foreign Direct Investment (OFDI) flows within the context of China's economy during the period 2011 to 2020 by measuring the innovation-driven efficiency and business environment index using the DEA-Malmquist index and the combined CRITIC weighting method from the new perspective of business environment improvement. The findings reveal that: (a) There is an inverted U-shaped relationship between provincial innovation-driven efficiency and regional OFDI flows. This increase in innovation-driven efficiency can promote OFDI expansion of the region by improving its business environment. (b) The improvement of the business environments plays a significant intermediary and synergistic role in OFDI expansion driven by improved innovation efficiency. (c) The study of regional heterogeneity suggests that the central region enjoys the longest window period in terms of innovation-driven OFDI expansion, followed by the eastern region while the western region has the shortest window period. The improvement of the business environment in the western region is more effective in driving regional OFDI expansion. This conclusion remained true after the robustness test. In conclusion, this paper offers a few policy recommendations that can help Chinese capital of various kinds go global more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The COVID pandemic has prompted B2B and industrial marketing scholars to understand more about how external disruptions impact parties involved in B2B transactions. This paper aims to adopt an ecosystem perspective to conceptually classify the interactions between actors involved in B2B ecosystems. Design/methodology/approach: This conceptual paper presents a framework across multiple levels of ecosystem interactions (at micro, meso and macrolevels) to illustrate how value cocreation and knowledge flows (as mechanisms underlying B2B relationships) are related to firm performance. Findings: Based on this framework, this paper offers propositions and several research questions about the effects of disruptions and how they propagate among these essential business ecosystem elements. Originality/value: This conceptual framework underscores the vital role of relationships and interactions in shaping B2B ecosystems, especially during disruptive periods. With a greater understanding of how these interactions operate across levels (micro, meso and macro), scholars and practitioners may be better able to navigate disruptive periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to review the extant academic literature on on-demand food delivery (ODFD) services, i.e. the delivery of freshly prepared meals from restaurants to customers enabled by online platforms; second, to propose directions for future research in this field. Design/methodology/approach: This work reviews 59 papers published between 2016 and 2020. They are classified with respect to both their research methodology and the addressed themes, namely the actors involved and the activities creating value for the ODFD ecosystem. The latter was analysed by applying a framework derived from the integration of traditional models and literature about platforms/business ecosystems. Results were validated through interviews with practitioners. Findings: Due to its huge success and the significant complexities behind it, the ODFD business has been gaining the interest of academics. The authors' review highlights that (1) the perspectives of the various actors involved should be integrated, moving towards an ecosystem-based view; (2) future research should focus more on restaurant operations and their role in ODFD systems and (3) despite they have been investigated by several academic contributions, human resource management and logistics of ODFD systems still present room for further extensions, in the areas of intervention/regulation and distribution network/batching, respectively. Originality/value: This review offers insights to both academics and practitioners. On the academic side, it analyses the literature on ODFD systems, outlining directions for future research. On the managerial side, it provides a comprehensive view on the most critical value-creating activities for ODFD businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A digital servitization ecosystem (DSE) is a cooperation model based on the concept of value cocreation. However, capability asymmetry among enterprises can lead to unfair benefit distribution and hinder value cocreation and digital service transformation. This paper aims to investigate the impact of the varying capabilities of enterprises (manufacturers, service providers and digital technology providers) on revenue distribution when these enterprises collaborate on digital servitization transformation. This analysis is performed from an ecosystem perspective to facilitate the stable development of DSEs. Design/methodology/approach: The rise of DSEs has engendered extensive literature, and the distribution of benefits within DSEs is in dire need of new mechanisms to adapt to the new competitive environment. The importance of investment contribution, digital servitization level, digitalization level, risk-taking ability, digital servitization effort level and brand awareness is determined by combining the expert scoring method and the entropy value method to determine different weights for manufacturers, service providers and digital technology providers. The Shapley value is used to design the benefit distribution mechanism for stable cooperation among DSE enterprises, thus providing a more scientific basis for the development of cooperative relationships. Findings: Digital servitization is a collaborative process that involves multienterprise activities, and it is significantly affected by digital servitization level and digitalization level. Moreover, constructing the modified Shapley value benefit distribution mechanism according to the relevant capabilities of digital servitization can promote the stable development of DSEs and value cocreation among members. Originality/value: The main contributions of this study are as follows: First, it summarizes the stability-influencing factors of DSEs on the basis of empirical and literature research on the demand for enterprise digital servitization capabilities and transformation difficulties, delves deeper into the capability composition and cooperative relationship of DSE members and combines the expert scoring method and the entropy value method to determine the weighting to design the benefit distribution mechanism. Second, it reflects system stability and development by studying the revenue distribution of DSE members, thereby expanding the ecosystem construction and business model transformation of digital servitization in the existing research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the digital era, organizations belonging to the same or different market segments come together in digital platforms that allow them to exchange. These organizations are unified within a Digital Business Ecosystem. However, the rapid growth of the number of these organizations accentuates the complexity of finding economic partners, customers, suppliers, or other organizations that can share economic interests. In our research, we propose a recommendation system that is implemented on such a digital platform, and which is based on matchmaking and hybrid supervised machine learning algorithms. In this paper, we provide a detailed analysis of the functioning of this system, the challenge encountered when processing the data which made it possible to highlight the similarities between the organizations that can be associated. Thus, we seek to improve the understanding and analysis of the data for the identification of partners in an optimal way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a distinctive strategic model (Strategic Confrontational and Collaborative Interaction Model [SCCIM]) for nonprofit organizations acting within the business ecosystem. The SCCIM maps both confrontational and collaborative strategies and tactics, thus accommodating the extensive range of nonprofit interaction alternatives toward business. Whereas confrontational and collaborative methods are well researched in the nonprofit-political realm, a comprehensive overview of these nonprofit strategies in the economic sphere is currently lacking. This research builds on both the business management and social movement literature, extending existing approaches via case analysis with a nonprofit-centric perspective, leveraging stakeholder theory. The resulting encompassing model provides a theoretical framework that may generate alternative insights for further academic research in nonprofit–business interaction. In addition, the SCCIM may be leveraged as a tool for practitioners: first, to enhance nonprofits' strategies and tactics toward business, and second, to optimize the impact of the chosen interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, a lot of research was done on how to evolve the artificial intelligence business model framework. However, one issue was still undeveloped, which was immature to understand. This has been vital for budding and progressive managers, policy decision makers, and academics alike, namely, how businesses transform and develop their AI business models framework to accomplish continuous value formation. Businesses, which achieve to make value over prolonged stages of time effectively, figure, acclimate and recommence their business models with AI technology to fuel such value formation. Sketch on verdicts from a research program on uninterruptedly budding businesses is given. This paper categorizes three perilous competences, namely, an alignment towards investigating with and manipulating innovative business openings, a well-adjusted use of properties, as well as attaining lucidity between management, ethos, and member of staff obligations, together they all decisive key maneuvering schedules. We conclude the paper by signifying the consequences for AI business model framework research and experts and by providing a tool for executives which permits them to reproduce and classify perilous problems relevant for shifting and emerging their business model to sustain value creation. In this paper, we try to explore the keys of Business Model Framework, which will revolutionize business market ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital platforms have been recently studied in the literature as their relevance and impact is increasing rapidly. The purpose of this paper is to investigate based on the available literature the business models of digital platforms, and to form some typologies for understanding them better. In this endeavour we extracted 25 cases of digital platforms through a literature review process, continued with analysing them in detail to create four taxonomies of various business models of digital platforms. Results show a large variety of business models for digital platforms, and also an evolutionary trend. We grouped the data using the business model canvas, including key partners, key activities, key resources, value proposition, customer relationships, channels, customer segments, cost structure and revenue streams, resulting in four archetypes such as: marketplace, social community, software ecosystem and digital product. Future research may test qualitatively the evolution of a business model within each category, but also the Software Ecosystem model is studied from a managerial perspective, as it has only been explored from the information systems lens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Despite the constantly increasing number of publications in the field of business ecosystems, there are indications that a precise definition that appropriately captures the business ecosystem mindset is not yet available. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to provide a consensus definition of business ecosystems. Design/methodology/approach: Using structured content analysis, this paper examines a total of 43 definitions in terms of their core components. Findings: The results indicate that the existing definitions focus only on single components, e.g. "network of actors," thereby omitting other essential components, such as "cocreated value proposition" or "shared fate." Consequently, it seems appropriate to develop a consensus definition that combines the perspectives of the academic and practitioner communities. Originality/value: The proposed definition is more comprehensive than the prevailing definitions and represents a synthesis of previous considerations on business ecosystems. Such a definition will support researchers in developing a sound business ecosystem theory that will guide practitioners in the efficient design and management of business ecosystems in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circular economy promotes a transition away from linear modes of production and consumption to systems with circular material flows that can significantly improve resource productivity. However, transforming linear business models to circular business models posits a number of financial consequences for product companies as they need to secure more capital in a stock of products that will be rented out over time and therefore will encounter a slower, more volatile cash flow in the short term compared to linear direct sales of products. This paper discusses the role of financial actors in circular business ecosystems and alternative financing solutions when moving from product‐dominant business models to Product‐as‐a‐Service (PaaS) or function‐based business models. Furthermore, the paper demonstrates a solution where state‐of‐the‐art artificial intelligence (AI) modeling can be incorporated for financial risk assessment. We provide an open implementation and a thorough empirical evaluation of an AI‐model, which learns to predict residual value of stocks of used items. Furthermore, the paper highlights solutions, managerial implications, and potentials for financing circular business models, argues the importance of different forms of data in future business ecosystems, and offers recommendations for how AI can help mitigate some of the challenges businesses face as they transition to circular business models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper aims to identify the factors, components, and key aspects that significantly contribute to the establishment of a sustainable business ecosystem through a comprehensive bibliometric analysis. By analysing prominent publications, we seek to describe coherent strategies with an expected impact. Our objectives encompass exploring trends from both theoretical perspectives, such as predictions by scientists, and empirical perspectives, including figures derived from studies. We outline several secondary objectives that guide our step-by-step approach. Firstly, we identify defining elements of a sustainable business environment based on insights from specialized literature. Secondly, we categorize ecosystems into different types, such as economic, digital, ecological, and entrepreneurial, providing further elaboration later in the paper. Thirdly, we present an updated understanding of the dynamic evolution of ecosystems and their components. This includes examining the influence of digital advancements and digitalization on the business environment, as well as the opportunities and threats they generate. Of particular importance is the role of universities as a significant landmark within the business ecosystem. We discuss the university's involvement in technological and informational transfer to ensure sustainability, focusing on the levers through which universities consolidate and stimulate the business ecosystem. To achieve our objectives, we employ bibliometric analysis, utilizing the VOSviewer software, which offers valuable insights for constructing diagnostic schemes and development models tailored to specific business environment challenges. The research methodology relies on the VOSviewer software for processing academic publication databases. To align with the theme and purpose of this study, we selected the SCOPUS database for its implicit certification of superior academic quality in the publications it contains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A shift in supply management is underway. Nonlinear connections of buyers and sellers in business ecosystems challenge conventional supply management practice. Digital technologies and network connectivity lower the costs of connecting and collaborating with loosely related external parties. This paper aims to explore how this challenges conventional purchasing and supply management (PSM) practice. Design/methodology/approach: This paper builds on the extended case research method. It is based on a theoretical conceptualization, which is explored through a case study. Findings: The authors find that both supply management's contribution to value creation, value appropriation and collaborative interfaces change with the emergence of multifaceted business systems. Research limitations/implications: The paper is developed within a specific industrial context, and the findings are not directly transferrable to other contexts. However, the authors believe that on an analytical level, there is value in transferring the insights into other manufacturing contexts. Practical implications: Managers must challenge the taken-for-granted thinking that follows from linear supply management practices and start rehearsing the role of PSM when dealing with supplies from business ecosystem lead firms. Originality/value: This research takes up a novel issue, highly relevant for PSM practitioners as well as for theory. To the best of the authors' knowledge, nothing has been written about the colliding business logics of conventional PSM and that of business ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to uncover the main capabilities that a luxury hotel needs to develop when functioning as the orchestrator of a local gastronomic business ecosystem. Design/methodology/approach: Given the limited attention previous literature has placed on the role of luxury hotels as orchestrators in luxury gastronomic business ecosystems, this paper adopts a qualitative approach, i.e. the exploratory analysis of a single case study: the Italian high-end hotel Borgo Egnazia. Findings: The paper highlights the main capabilities developed by the orchestrator: relational, combinative and promotional capabilities. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is among the first studies to explore what capabilities are needed by a company to orchestrate a destination that builds its product and service offerings upon the local food culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital transformation capability (DTC), as an important capability to use digital technology to innovate business and management models, enables retailers reduce costs, and enhance production. It is the main driving force for restructuring the business ecosystem of retailers. To develop the DTC of retailers, an index system is required to provide capability standards. Hence, the construction of an index system for retailers' DTC is of important research value. However, there are few studies on the DTC of retailers, and no representative capability model or index system has been formed. Therefore, based on the definition of related concepts of DTC and literature review, this paper puts forward the research proposition of "index system for retailers' DTC", aiming to build an operable and applicable index system. According to the research process of the Delphi method, the present paper constructs an index system for retailers' DTC through two rounds of expert consultations. The proposed system consists of three primary indices (e.g., technological change capability), 11 secondary indices (e.g., digital infrastructure) and 41 tertiary indices (e.g., datacenter), offering a capability development standard for the digital transformation of retailers. The research results also provide a reference for the digital transformation of retailers in the real world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, we have witnessed many startup companies across the world gain a new capability in expanding their scope of businesses in terms of area of coverage and diversity of products/services offered very quickly. This capability is achieved through a well-orchestrated collaboration in offering attractive values to customers. One common thing that startups apply to generate value is by integrating values offered by their collaborators with values generate through a digital enabler so that customers can easily access and enjoy the integrated values. Customers appreciate integrated values accessed through a digital enabler. In addition, they also enjoy a growing value option that giving them plenty of choices in one basket offered by a digital enabler. The objective of this paper is to introduce a business ecosystem framework that can be used to construct and explain any business ecosystem, especially digital marketplace business ecosystems and their core expansion strategies. This paper offers a new paradigm in viewing digital marketplace or digital platform through a tandem concept digital enabler and values integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular business models (CBMs), such as product-service systems, are rapidly gaining traction in light of a transition to a more circular and sustainable economy. The authors call for a new approach to inform and guide the development and adoption of these CBMs. The main reason is that different actors in the service ecosystems or networks linked to these business models—such as firms, customers, and governmental bodies—may be reluctant to join or even impede the transition to a circular economy. Based upon an abductive analysis of 133 CBM papers with the Motivation-Opportunity-Ability (MOA) framework as organizing structure, the authors theorize about how to achieve "circular economy engagement" (i.e., an actor's disposition to embrace CBMs). Specifically, they highlight and illustrate the role of (1) signaling and convincing as motivation-related practices, (2) matching and legitimizing as opportunity-related practices, and (3) supporting and empowering as ability-related practices. The authors provide illustrative cases for each of these practices along with a discussion of the theoretical and practical implications and the remaining challenges—all with the key aim to push the transition to a circular economy forward. Graphical Abstract [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open strategy is a widely discussed research area, including the themes of organization design, open innovation, and open business models. However, the contextual perspective to analyse this concept is scarce. This paper addressed this issue by providing a framework highlighting a set of drivers that may affect transparency and inclusiveness as dimensions of open strategy and proposed these drivers by exploring the context of the creative industries representing the activities that differ in their business ecosystem. However, they are very similar in some respects (e.g., generating ideas, imagination, copyrights, intellectual property). These similarities make it interesting to bring the CI as the context for investigating industry factors that impact the strategy's opening to understand the drivers that may hinder or foster its implementation. The authors believe the proposed framework could guide the decision-making process by providing the unfavourable and conducive drivers that might affect open strategy implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Business modeling tools are crucial for designing and implementing successful business models. However, there exist instances--which we refer to as the design of ecosystemic business models--in which developing a business model requires simultaneous consideration of both one's own business model and that of ecosystem partners. In these instances, standard business modeling tools focusing on representing business models in isolation may be inadequate. Based on a real-world example of a business ecosystem from the maritime logistics industry, we highlight five significant design challenges for ecosystemic business models. We then reflect on and discuss the extended role of the business model as an instrument for inter-organizational alignment, and draw out three implications for business modeling tools. The objective of this paper is to deduce implications and functional design requirements for business modeling tools from a conceptual perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interest in business ecosystems has grown exponentially over the last decade. This article focuses on the operational benefits of business ecosystems by investigating how embeddedness in business ecosystems influences supply chain competence. Specifically, it considers the mediating effect of external knowledge capacities (i.e. absorptive, desorptive and connective capacity). Data from 271 European firms in business ecosystems was collected to test the paper's hypotheses using regression analysis with bootstrapping. Results indicate that business ecosystem embeddedness does not in itself improve supply chain competence. Rather, the relationship is explained through (i) absorptive and desorptive capacity as direct mediators; and (ii) connective capacity, which enhances supply chain competence indirectly by improving external knowledge retention for absorptive and desorptive capacity. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper to demonstrate benefits of being embedded in business ecosystems other than in terms of innovation. Newly validated scales for business ecosystem embeddedness and connective capacity are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Despite the recent surge of interest in the concept of business ecosystem its nature remains poorly understood, with various conceptualizations developed in separate streams of literature. The aim of the paper is to develop an integrated perspective on ecosystems that would help managers better understand changing organizational landscape and inform strategic decision making. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is built on a narrative conflict between the conceptualizations of business ecosystem as either firm environment or governance structure, and on discrepancy in treatment of coordination and other strategic interactions. We first map out the conceptual landscape of the topic, comparing ecosystems with alternative arrangements (industries, and markets and hierarchies, respectively). Then we introduce and apply the concept of strategic interactions as a novel theoretical perspective to design an integrated framework of business ecosystems. Findings: Firm-level strategic interactions (competition, cooperation and coordination) taking place in the ecosystem (viewed as a form of environment) can and should get into strategic interactions with ecosystem-level coordination mechanisms (ecosystem as a governance structure), affecting on the one hand competitiveness of individual members of the ecosystem and the whole structure, and, on the other, boundaries of the ecosystem. Research limitations/implications: Propositions concerning the interface between firm-level strategic interactions and ecosystem-level governance open up new lines of inquiry for management and organizational scholars and computer scientists, and invite their cooperation, e.g. in algorithmic governance. Practical implications: Richer understanding of the nature of ecosystems helps managers make better informed strategic decisions concerning the nature of relations with other organizations. Originality/value: The paper presents new theoretical arguments on the hybrid nature of ecosystems. It emphasizes an increased role of coordination in strategy and ecosystem development and calls for its wider coverage by strategy scholars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the operation effect of farmer cooperatives, this paper combines the intelligent data sampling technology to analyze the ecological circle operation mode of farmer cooperatives. Moreover, this paper strives to promote the ecosphere business model, accelerate regional development, build agricultural pastoral complex projects and in-depth study TI-ADC modeling, error estimation, mismatch compensation, and other technologies, and carry out engineering realization. In addition, this paper uses technology to analyze intelligent data and builds a system structure based on the actual needs of the farmer cooperative ecosphere management. Finally, this paper analyzes the structure and flow of the data processing layer. The test results show that the ecosystem business model of farmer cooperatives based on intelligent data sampling technology proposed in this paper has good results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotion recognition (ER) is an important part of building an intelligent human-computer interaction system and plays an important role in human-computer interaction. Often, people express their feelings through a variety of symbols, such as words and facial expressions. A business ecosystem is an economic community based on interacting organizations and individuals. Over time, they develop their capabilities and roles together and tend to develop themselves in the direction of one or more central enterprises. This paper aims to study a multimodal ER method based on attention mechanism. It analyzes the current emotional state of consumers and the development direction of enterprises through multi-modal ER of human emotions and analysis of market trends, so as to provide the most appropriate response or plan. This paper firstly describes the related methods of multimodal ER and deep learning in detail, and briefly outlines the meaning of enterprise strategy in the business ecosystem. Then, two datasets, CMU-MOSI and CMU-MOSEI, are selected to design the scheme for multimodal ER based on self-attention mechanism. Through the comparative analysis of the accuracy of single-modal and multi-modal ER, the self-attention mechanism is applied in the experiment. The experimental results show that the average recognition accuracy of happy under multimodal ER reaches 91.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]