The aim of this paper is to propose a dynamic integrated approach, based on modularity concept and on the business ecosystem approach, that exploit different eBusiness services for SMEs under an open business network platform. The adoption of this approach enables firms to collaborate locally for delivering the best product/service to the customers as well as globally by accessing international markets, interrelate directly with the customers, create relationships and collaborate with worldwide actors. The paper will be structured as following: We will start by offering an overview of the state of the art of eBusiness platforms among SME of food and tourism firms and then we discuss the main drawbacks that characterize them. The digital business ecosystem approach and the modularity concept will be described as the theoretical ground in which our proposed integrated model is rooted. Finally, the proposed model along with a discussion of the main value creation potentialities it might create for SMEs will be presented.
[1] Amit R. and Zott C., "Value creation in e-business", Strategic
Management Journal, 2001.
[2] Bakos, J. Y., "A strategic analysis of electronic marketplaces", MIS
Quarterly, vol. 15, no 3, pp. 295-310, 1991.
[3] Bakos, J.Y., "The emerging role of electronic marketplaces on the
Internet", Common ACM, vol. 41, no. 8, pp. 35-42, 1998.
[4] Baldwin CY, Clark KB., "Managing in an age of modularity", in
Managing in the Modular Age, Garud R , Kumaraswamy A , Langlois
RN (eds). Blackwell: Oxford; 149-161, 2003.
[5] Baum J.A.C., Oliver C., "Institutional linkages and organizational
mortality", Administrative Science Quarterly, vol. 36, pp. 187-218,
1991.
[6] Buhalis, D., "Information and telecommunications technologies as a
strategic tool for small and medium tourism enterprises in the
contemporary business environment", in Seaton, A., et al (Eds),
Tourism-The State of the Art: The Strathclyde Symposium, Wiley and
Sons, England, pp.254-275, 1994.
[7] Christensen, C.M. and Rosenbloom, R., "Explaining the attacker's
advantage: technological paradigms, organisational dynamics and the
value network", Research Policy 24, 233-257, 1995.
[8] Dai, Q., & Kauffman, R. J., "Business models for internet-based B2B
electronic markets", International Journal of Electronic Commerce, vol.
6, no 4, pp. 41-72, 2002a.
[9] Dargan, L., Prosser, G., "Towards an e-business strategy for SMEs in
the irish tourism industry", 31st European Small Business Seminar
Dublin, September 2001.
[10] Garud R, Kumaraswamy A., "Changing competitive dynamics in
network industries: an exploration of Sun Microsystems' open-systems
strategy", Strategic Management Journal 14(5): 351-369, 1993.
[11] Garud R, Kumaraswamy A, Langlois RN., "Managing in the modular
age: architectures, network, and organizations", in Managing in the
Modular Age, Garud R , Kumaraswamy A , Langlois RN (eds).
Blackwell: Oxford, U.K.; 1-11, 2003.
[12] Grant, R. M., "Toward a knowledge-based theory of the firm", Strategic
Management Journal, 17 (Winter Special Issue): 109-122, 1996.
[13] Grieger, M., "Electronic marketplaces: a literature review and a call for
supply chain management research", European Journal of Operational
Research, vol. 144, pp 280-294, 2003.
[14] Gulati, R., "Network location and learning: the influence of network
resources and firm capabilities on alliance formation", Strategic
Management Journal, 20: 397-420, 1999.
[15] Henderson, R.M., Clark, K.B., "Architectural innovation: the
reconfiguration of existing product technologies and the failure of
established firms", Administrative Science Quarterly, 35: 9- 30, 1990.
[16] Hoogeweegen, M., Teunissen, W.J., Vervest, P.H.M., and Wagenaar, R.,
"Modular network design: using information and communications
technology to allocate production tasks in a virtual organization",
Decision Sciences 30, 4 (Fall 1999), 1073ÔÇö1103, 1999.
[17] Kaplan, S. and Sawhney, M., "E-hubs: the new B2B marketplaces",
Harvard Business Review, vol. 3, pp. 97-103, 2000.
[18] Kogut, B., "The network as knowledge: generative rules and the
emergence of structure", Strategic Management Journal 21, pp. 405-
425, 2000.
[19] Langlois RN, Robertson PL., "Networks and innovation in a modular
system: lessons from the microcomputer and stereo component
industries", Research Policy 21(4): 297-313, 1992.
[20] Langlois RN, Robertson PL., "Commentary. In managing in the modular
age", Garud R , Kumaraswamy A , Langlois RN (eds). Blackwell:
Oxford, UK; 101-113, 2003.
[21] Moore J., "Death of competition; leadership and strategy in the age of
business ecosystems ", HarperBusiness, reprint edition, May 1997.
[22] Nachira, F., "Towards a network of digital business ecosystems
fostering the local development", Bruxelles, Discussion paper, 2002.
[23] Nachira F., Dini P., Nicolai A., "A network of digital business
ecosystem for Europe: roots, processes and perspectives", European
Commission, Information Society and Media, pp.1-18, 2007.
[24] Ordanini, A., & Pol, A., "Informediation and competitive advantage in
D2B digital marketplaces", European Management Journal, vol. 19, no
3, pp. 276-285, 2001.
[25] Orton, J.D. & K.E. Weick, "Loosely coupled systems: a
reconceptualization", Academy of Management Review 15(2), 203-223,
1990.
[26] Pollock, A. and Benjamin L., "Shifting sands: the tourism ecosystem",
in Transformation DesticorpLtd., 2001.
[27] Poon, S., & Swatman, P., "An exploratory study of small business
internet commerce issues", Information and Management, vol. 35, pp. 9-
18, 1999.
[28] Raisch, W. D., "The e-marketplace: strategies for success in B2B ecommerce",
New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001.
[29] Sanchez, R, and Mahoney T.J., "Modularity, flexibility, and knowledge
management in product and organization design," Strategic Management
Journal, Vol. 17 (winter special issue), 63-76, 1996.
[30] Schilling, M.A., "Toward a general modular systems theory and its
application to interfirm product modularity", Academy of Management
Review, Vol. 25 No.2, pp.312-34, 2000.
[31] Segev, A., Gebauer, J., & Fäber, F., "Internet-based electronic markets",
EM - International Journal of Electronic Markets, vol. 9, no 3, pp. 138-
146, 1999.
[32] Turban, E., King, D., Lee, J., Warkentin, M., & Chung, H. M.,
"Electronic commerce - a managerial perspective", Upper Saddle River,
New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2002.
[33] Van Heck, E., Vervetst, P., "Smart business networks", Communications
of the ACM Volume 50, Issue 6, 2007.
[34] Venkatraman, N., Henderson, J., "Real strategies for virtual organizing",
Sloan Management Review 40(1), pp. 33-48Weick, K. E. (1976).
Education systems as loosely coupled systems. Administrative Science
Quarterly, 21. 1_19, 1998.
[1] Amit R. and Zott C., "Value creation in e-business", Strategic
Management Journal, 2001.
[2] Bakos, J. Y., "A strategic analysis of electronic marketplaces", MIS
Quarterly, vol. 15, no 3, pp. 295-310, 1991.
[3] Bakos, J.Y., "The emerging role of electronic marketplaces on the
Internet", Common ACM, vol. 41, no. 8, pp. 35-42, 1998.
[4] Baldwin CY, Clark KB., "Managing in an age of modularity", in
Managing in the Modular Age, Garud R , Kumaraswamy A , Langlois
RN (eds). Blackwell: Oxford; 149-161, 2003.
[5] Baum J.A.C., Oliver C., "Institutional linkages and organizational
mortality", Administrative Science Quarterly, vol. 36, pp. 187-218,
1991.
[6] Buhalis, D., "Information and telecommunications technologies as a
strategic tool for small and medium tourism enterprises in the
contemporary business environment", in Seaton, A., et al (Eds),
Tourism-The State of the Art: The Strathclyde Symposium, Wiley and
Sons, England, pp.254-275, 1994.
[7] Christensen, C.M. and Rosenbloom, R., "Explaining the attacker's
advantage: technological paradigms, organisational dynamics and the
value network", Research Policy 24, 233-257, 1995.
[8] Dai, Q., & Kauffman, R. J., "Business models for internet-based B2B
electronic markets", International Journal of Electronic Commerce, vol.
6, no 4, pp. 41-72, 2002a.
[9] Dargan, L., Prosser, G., "Towards an e-business strategy for SMEs in
the irish tourism industry", 31st European Small Business Seminar
Dublin, September 2001.
[10] Garud R, Kumaraswamy A., "Changing competitive dynamics in
network industries: an exploration of Sun Microsystems' open-systems
strategy", Strategic Management Journal 14(5): 351-369, 1993.
[11] Garud R, Kumaraswamy A, Langlois RN., "Managing in the modular
age: architectures, network, and organizations", in Managing in the
Modular Age, Garud R , Kumaraswamy A , Langlois RN (eds).
Blackwell: Oxford, U.K.; 1-11, 2003.
[12] Grant, R. M., "Toward a knowledge-based theory of the firm", Strategic
Management Journal, 17 (Winter Special Issue): 109-122, 1996.
[13] Grieger, M., "Electronic marketplaces: a literature review and a call for
supply chain management research", European Journal of Operational
Research, vol. 144, pp 280-294, 2003.
[14] Gulati, R., "Network location and learning: the influence of network
resources and firm capabilities on alliance formation", Strategic
Management Journal, 20: 397-420, 1999.
[15] Henderson, R.M., Clark, K.B., "Architectural innovation: the
reconfiguration of existing product technologies and the failure of
established firms", Administrative Science Quarterly, 35: 9- 30, 1990.
[16] Hoogeweegen, M., Teunissen, W.J., Vervest, P.H.M., and Wagenaar, R.,
"Modular network design: using information and communications
technology to allocate production tasks in a virtual organization",
Decision Sciences 30, 4 (Fall 1999), 1073ÔÇö1103, 1999.
[17] Kaplan, S. and Sawhney, M., "E-hubs: the new B2B marketplaces",
Harvard Business Review, vol. 3, pp. 97-103, 2000.
[18] Kogut, B., "The network as knowledge: generative rules and the
emergence of structure", Strategic Management Journal 21, pp. 405-
425, 2000.
[19] Langlois RN, Robertson PL., "Networks and innovation in a modular
system: lessons from the microcomputer and stereo component
industries", Research Policy 21(4): 297-313, 1992.
[20] Langlois RN, Robertson PL., "Commentary. In managing in the modular
age", Garud R , Kumaraswamy A , Langlois RN (eds). Blackwell:
Oxford, UK; 101-113, 2003.
[21] Moore J., "Death of competition; leadership and strategy in the age of
business ecosystems ", HarperBusiness, reprint edition, May 1997.
[22] Nachira, F., "Towards a network of digital business ecosystems
fostering the local development", Bruxelles, Discussion paper, 2002.
[23] Nachira F., Dini P., Nicolai A., "A network of digital business
ecosystem for Europe: roots, processes and perspectives", European
Commission, Information Society and Media, pp.1-18, 2007.
[24] Ordanini, A., & Pol, A., "Informediation and competitive advantage in
D2B digital marketplaces", European Management Journal, vol. 19, no
3, pp. 276-285, 2001.
[25] Orton, J.D. & K.E. Weick, "Loosely coupled systems: a
reconceptualization", Academy of Management Review 15(2), 203-223,
1990.
[26] Pollock, A. and Benjamin L., "Shifting sands: the tourism ecosystem",
in Transformation DesticorpLtd., 2001.
[27] Poon, S., & Swatman, P., "An exploratory study of small business
internet commerce issues", Information and Management, vol. 35, pp. 9-
18, 1999.
[28] Raisch, W. D., "The e-marketplace: strategies for success in B2B ecommerce",
New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001.
[29] Sanchez, R, and Mahoney T.J., "Modularity, flexibility, and knowledge
management in product and organization design," Strategic Management
Journal, Vol. 17 (winter special issue), 63-76, 1996.
[30] Schilling, M.A., "Toward a general modular systems theory and its
application to interfirm product modularity", Academy of Management
Review, Vol. 25 No.2, pp.312-34, 2000.
[31] Segev, A., Gebauer, J., & Fäber, F., "Internet-based electronic markets",
EM - International Journal of Electronic Markets, vol. 9, no 3, pp. 138-
146, 1999.
[32] Turban, E., King, D., Lee, J., Warkentin, M., & Chung, H. M.,
"Electronic commerce - a managerial perspective", Upper Saddle River,
New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2002.
[33] Van Heck, E., Vervetst, P., "Smart business networks", Communications
of the ACM Volume 50, Issue 6, 2007.
[34] Venkatraman, N., Henderson, J., "Real strategies for virtual organizing",
Sloan Management Review 40(1), pp. 33-48Weick, K. E. (1976).
Education systems as loosely coupled systems. Administrative Science
Quarterly, 21. 1_19, 1998.
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:63569", author = "Valentina Ndou and Laura Schina and Giuseppina Passiante and Pasquale Del Vecchio and Marco De Maggio", title = "Toward an Open Network Business Approach", abstract = "The aim of this paper is to propose a dynamic integrated approach, based on modularity concept and on the business ecosystem approach, that exploit different eBusiness services for SMEs under an open business network platform. The adoption of this approach enables firms to collaborate locally for delivering the best product/service to the customers as well as globally by accessing international markets, interrelate directly with the customers, create relationships and collaborate with worldwide actors. The paper will be structured as following: We will start by offering an overview of the state of the art of eBusiness platforms among SME of food and tourism firms and then we discuss the main drawbacks that characterize them. The digital business ecosystem approach and the modularity concept will be described as the theoretical ground in which our proposed integrated model is rooted. Finally, the proposed model along with a discussion of the main value creation potentialities it might create for SMEs will be presented.
", keywords = "component, Complexity; Digital Business Ecosystem, e Business Platforms, Modularity, Networks.", volume = "4", number = "10", pages = "2114-6", }
