--- An executive summary of a CFFO research study ---
To compete successfully in the digital age, companies must be able to shape and leverage an increasingly complex network of internal and external stakeholders, which constitute their "Business Ecosystem." This means new challenges for leadership, strategy, and organization.
To gain insights into how large organizations deal with this challenge, we conducted a series of in-depth interviews with global thought leaders and top executives as well as a global survey among senior leaders that focused on understanding the strategic and organizational capabilities it takes to act successfully within ecosystem networks. The responses point to existing capability gaps and offer perspectives on how to close such gaps.
The first part of the paper summarizes 12 key issues that need to be on the agenda of organizations if they want to lead within the context of business ecosystems. The second part reports the results of the survey, covering topics such as:
- Organizing for Business Ecosystem Management
- Current Practices Related to Business Ecosystem Management
- Collaboration With External Players
- Barriers to Successful Business Ecosystem Management
- Business Ecosystem Leadership Capabilities
- Interventions to Strengthen Business Ecosystem Leadership
- The Role of L&D and Organizational Development
Selected quotes from Executives who participated in the project
"Everybody wants to dominate the ecosystem, everybody wants to be the spider in the net. The challenge is to find our right spot in those ecosystems - a spot where nobody is going to be better than you, and you can't be made redundant." (Business Unit CEO, Global Insurance Corporation)
"We may soon find ourselves on the fringe as 'dumb hardware provider' instead of calling the shots as the orchestrator of a complex supplier universe." (Board Member, Global Car Manufacturer)
"People say that when you want to invest in a start-up, have a look at the team. This golden rule also applies to other partners. It's just more complex to find the right people in a big company (Senior Executive, Global Mobility Ecosystem Provider)
"We now see a massive shift to much shorter durations and less bilateralism. How do you do a partnership in this context? For traditional businesses, this will be a big challenge - not just on the digital front " (CEO, Global Energy Corporation)
About the author
Roland Deiser is a Drucker Senior Fellow and the Founder and Director of the Center for the Future of Organization at the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University.
About the Center for the Future of Organization
The Center for the Future of Organization (CFFO) is an independent Think Tank at the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University. Its mission is to serve as a global hub for applied research and practical discourse on new paradigms of Leadership and Organization with special regards to the role of digital technologies as drivers of competitive advantage. In the tradition of Peter Drucker, the Center works across disciplines, combining conceptual depth with practical applicability and ethical responsibility. More at www.futureorg.org.
