The business ecosystem shares many unique features with the biological ecosystem due to its origins. Similar to the biological ecosystem, the business ecosystem also emphasizes symbiotic relationships among symbionts (i.e., participants of a business ecosystem). In this study, we have broadened and deepened our knowledge of symbiosis in a business ecosystem, focusing on how each relationship develops and evolves through the interaction between keystone species and symbionts. We have introduced the typology of symbiotic relationships and highlighted the significant role of keystone species in business ecosystems. We defined three symbiosis types based on the analysis results: mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism. The findings indicated that each relationship continuously transitions into different symbiotic relationships as the relationship between the participants changes. The results also showed that a keystone species, a leader of a business ecosystem, can contribute to the success of a business ecosystem by strategically managing their relationship with symbionts.

In this study, we investigate how companies can contribute to achieving a circular economy (CE) in the electronics industry viewed through the lens of dynamic capability. In particular, we examine how companies can contribute through idiosyncratic ecopreneurship according to dynamic capabilities with three points: the dynamic capabilities of established companies, the formation of ecopreneurship according to idiosyncratic dynamic capabilities, and the shaping of a CE through the interplay of ecopreneurship and dynamic capabilities of established companies. We conducted a case study of five leading TV manufacturers (Samsung, LG, Sony, Hisense, and TCL) to verify our conceptual framework, which we derived from a literature review. The case study shows that a company’s contribution to the CE and ecopreneurship type largely depend on a combination of dynamic capabilities and business strategies. Based on the case study results, we derived managerial implications with three points: the approach of leading companies to CE with consideration of business strategies, leveraging ecopreneurship to gain competitiveness in the market, and the influence of micro- and meso-level dynamic capabilities on a company’s contribution to CE.

To date, discussions on standards and standards-related market issues have mainly been focused on market influence, such as a company’s performance, trade, and technological innovation. Despite the fact that many studies have been conducted with a focus on technology standards, the ways in which primary actors of standards affect the market are yet to be fully investigated in extant studies. In this study, we investigate the primary actors in technology standardization by carrying out a systematic review and constructing a conceptual framework and concept maps of primary actors. Based on our analysis, we categorize primary actors, according to their roles and timing of engagement in standardization, as follows: Technology producers, standard-setters, regulators, and technology users. We illustrate each actor’s detailed actions, motives, and difficulties with concept maps that are structured based on the SAO/P model, in order to elucidate why primary actors participate in standardization and how they act to achieve their goals or resolve difficulties. Based on our findings, we derive implications in terms of the strategic management of standardization activities in the manufacturing industry.

Standards have frequently been discussed from the perspective of their influences on trade and the market; however, the nature of standards in the market has yet to attract significant attention from the technology management academy. In this article, we describe the concept of standard dynamics based on previous studies related to standards and show the interplay of standards and various factors underlying the business ecosystem. We define standard dynamics as a series of changes in the business ecosystem triggered by standard setting and revisions. Based on this, we highlight the role of standards in the business ecosystem. We conducted survival analysis on International Electrotechnical Commission standard revisions in order to take a closer look at standard revisions with a focus on potentially influential factors. Survival analysis helps us to understand the unique features of standard revision and gives managerial insights on how to respond to standardization. We also address the importance of standards for technology management in manufacturing firms, including looks at strategic participation in standardization, managing intellectual property right in connection with R&D, and tracking trends in certification. We are contributing to the research field of standards by synthesizing discussions on standards’ influence on the market as well as by highlighting the relationship among influential elements in standard dynamics.

In this study, we proposed the concept of hyper-coopetition based on an investigation of the inter-organizational relationships of chipmakers. Hyper-coopetition is distinguished from traditional coopetition by having companies in heterogeneous industries as participants, whereas traditional coopetition is a relationship between competitors in the same industry. To investigate antecedents and processes of hyper-coopetition, we established the conceptual framework of hyper-coopetition through a literature review. We conducted a case study on leading chipmakers, including Intel, Samsung, and Nvidia, to investigate antecedents and processes of the chipmakers’ hyper-coopetition. By examining hyper-coopetition, we contributed to the relevant academic field by introducing hyper-coopetition, its typology, and a new research agenda. The analysis result also brought managerial implications for companies in a rapidly changing environment.