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What are business ecosystems made of? - A methodological framework for research on ecosystem microstructures based on social network analysis and event data
KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Real Estate and Construction Management, Real Estate Business and Financial Systems.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-7559-4761
KTH, School of Architecture and the Built Environment (ABE), Real Estate and Construction Management, Real Estate Business and Financial Systems.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5371-1445
(English)Manuscript (preprint) (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Understanding of business environments is a universal managerial problem, and the ecosystem theory has provided useful conceptualization for making sense of the logic of business and innovation in complex environments. Still, the use of the concept in empirical research has proven to be a methodological challenge, much due to the lack of methodological development, especially related to ecosystem microstructures, quantitative methods, and comparative research. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to address the shortcomings in the ecosystem methodology by developing a methodological framework for understanding ecosystems based on their microstructures. For this, we propose and operationalize a methodological framework that is based on Social Network Analysis and event data, such as financial transaction data. The central features of the framework are flows between actors that form actor-level -networks, and system-level network structures that emerge from these microfoundations. An argument is made that the network structures can be analyzed using Social Network Analysis methods and metrics. Based on an analysis of a network of 2 buyers and 412 suppliers, the operationalization illustrates how ecosystem-level properties, such as actor roles, interdependency, and business goals, emerge from bilateral ties between buyers and sellers. The benefits of using event data for ecosystem analysis are that data is comprehensive, and analysis methods are scalable, efficient, and possible to automate. Therefore, the methodology enables quantitative and comparative research, and efficient analysis of ecosystem microstructures. Such improvements in the cost–benefit ratio related to ecosystem analysis may have wide implications for research and practice in the future.

Keywords [en]
business ecosystem, innovation ecosystem, entrepreneurial ecosystem, platform ecosystem, methodology, research methods, business development, Social Network Analysis, digitalization, real estate, built environment
National Category
Business Administration
Research subject
Business Studies
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-309388OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-309388DiVA, id: diva2:1641416
Note

QC 20220317

Available from: 2022-03-01 Created: 2022-03-01 Last updated: 2022-06-25Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Digitalization, sustainability, and ecosystems: An application of social network analysis to the real estate sector
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Digitalization, sustainability, and ecosystems: An application of social network analysis to the real estate sector
2022 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Societies today have increasing economic, social, and environmental needs for their built environments. The performance of the built environment depends largely on urban development, with the role of digital technologies therein being a long-standing research topic. The extant literature, however, has focused less on the organizational capabilities, such as absorptive capacity, that are needed for new technology adoption and organizational change. The capabilities of real estate owners, who are key decision makers throughout the built environment life cycle, have also, surprisingly, been neglected. 

The purpose of this thesis is to increase the understanding of digitalization and sustainability in the built environment. To this end, this thesis presents the results of an empirical study of the capabilities of real estate owners, technology suppliers and industry associations in the context of a business ecosystem within the Swedish real estate sector. The findings show that real estate actors have developed new organizational capabilities related to digitalization and within collaborations inside the business ecosystem overall. For example, real estate owners have invested in R&D labs and business development functions that are atypical within the sector. These new capabilities may contribute to digitalization and sustainability within the built-environment sector more broadly. Nevertheless, many structural issues characteristic of a fragmented sector remain. 

Additionally, this thesis contributes to ecosystem theory and its methodology and to the built environment research methodology. The literature on the use of social network analysis methods in ecosystem and built environment research is reviewed, with the conclusion that social network analysis methods have great research potential despite being rarely used. Furthermore, formal concept analysis of ecosystem concepts is conducted, and a methodological framework for understanding ecosystems as multilevel structures that consist of flows between ecosystem actors and emergent system-level properties is presented. The introduction of new theories and methods in the built environment literature is important, as digitalization and sustainability transcend traditional organizational and technological boundaries. 

Abstract [sv]

Samhällen har idag ökande ekonomiska, sociala och miljömässiga behov av sina byggda miljöer. Den byggda miljöns prestanda beror till stor del på stadsutveckling, där den digitala teknikens roll är ett mångårigt forskningsämne. Den befintliga litteraturen har dock fokuserat mindre på de organisatoriska förmågor, såsom absorptiv kapacitet, som behövs för att ta i bruk ny teknik och organisatorisk förändring. Förmågan hos fastighetsägare, som är viktiga beslutsfattare under hela den bebyggda miljöns livscykel, har också, överraskande nog, försummats. 

Syftet med denna doktorsavhandling är att öka förståelsen för digitalisering och hållbarhet i den byggda miljön. För detta ändamål presenterar denna avhandling resultaten av en empirisk studie av fastighetsägares, teknikleverantörers och branschorganisationers förmåga i ett affärsekosystem inom den svenska fastighetssektorn. Resultaten visar att fastighetsaktörer har utvecklat nya organisatoriska förmågor relaterade till digitalisering och inom samarbeten inom affärsekosystemet överlag. Till exempel har fastighetsägare investerat i forskning och utveckling -labb och affärsutvecklingsfunktioner som är atypiska inom sektorn. Dessa nya förmågor kan bidra till digitalisering och hållbarhet inom den byggda miljösektorn bredare. Ändå kvarstår många strukturella frågor som är karakteristiska för en fragmenterad sektor. 

Dessutom bidrar denna doktorsavhandling till ekosystemteorin och dess metodik och till forskningsmetodik för byggd miljö. Litteraturen om användningen av sociala nätverksanalysmetoder inom ekosystem- och byggmiljöforskning granskas, med slutsatsen att sociala nätverksanalysmetoder har stor forskningspotential trots att de sällan används. Vidare genomförs formell begreppsanalys av ekosystemkoncept, och ett metodiskt ramverk för att förstå ekosystem som flernivåstrukturer som består av flöden mellan ekosystemaktörer och emergenta systemnivåegenskaper presenteras. Införandet av nya teorier och metoder i den byggda miljölitteraturen är viktigt, eftersom digitalisering och hållbarhet överskrider traditionella organisatoriska och tekniska gränser. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Stockholm, Sweden: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 2022. p. 112
Series
TRITA-ABE-DLT ; 225
Keywords
absorptive capacity, built environment, business development, business ecosystem, dynamic capabilities, digitalization, entrepreneurial ecosystem, facility management, Formal Concept Analysis, innovation ecosystem, literature review, methodology, platform ecosystem, property technology, real estate, research methods, Social Network Analysis, sustainability
National Category
Business Administration
Research subject
Business Studies
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-309392 (URN)978-91-8040-155-5 (ISBN)
Public defence
2022-03-24, Kollegiesalen Brinellvägen 8, KTH Campus, registration for online or physical participation - https://www.kth.se/form/disputation-olli-vigren, Stockholm, 13:00 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Note

QC 20220302

Available from: 2022-03-02 Created: 2022-03-01 Last updated: 2022-06-25Bibliographically approved

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