Managing SMEs’ Collaboration Across Organizational Boundaries Within a Regional Business Ecosystem

TY - CHAP

T1 - Managing SMEs’ Collaboration Across Organizational Boundaries Within a Regional Business Ecosystem

AU - Radziwon, Agnieszka

AU - Bogers, Marcel

PY - 2018/2/12

Y1 - 2018/2/12

N2 - Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often engage in relationships with external partners that complement their activities in innovating their products and services in order to maintain their market share in a competitive landscape. In this chapter, we present a case that focuses on SMEs' perspective on managing and organizing intercompany collaboration within a regional business. We explore how purposefully managed mutual knowledge flows across organizational boundaries applied by SMEs contribute to the development of the ecosystem they are immersed in. Our key findings include insights into the advantages offered by being embedded within regional ecosystem boundaries, such as low transaction costs and reduced risks of opportunistic behaviors, environmental opportunities for external knowledge sourcing, or increase of the sphere of influence. We also highlight accompanied challenges, such as low autonomy and control over the partners, and indicate shared issues and responsibilities crucial for further ecosystem development. As a conclusion, we offer a set of recommendations both for managers and policymakers concerning general organizational requirements and governing structures.

AB - Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) often engage in relationships with external partners that complement their activities in innovating their products and services in order to maintain their market share in a competitive landscape. In this chapter, we present a case that focuses on SMEs' perspective on managing and organizing intercompany collaboration within a regional business. We explore how purposefully managed mutual knowledge flows across organizational boundaries applied by SMEs contribute to the development of the ecosystem they are immersed in. Our key findings include insights into the advantages offered by being embedded within regional ecosystem boundaries, such as low transaction costs and reduced risks of opportunistic behaviors, environmental opportunities for external knowledge sourcing, or increase of the sphere of influence. We also highlight accompanied challenges, such as low autonomy and control over the partners, and indicate shared issues and responsibilities crucial for further ecosystem development. As a conclusion, we offer a set of recommendations both for managers and policymakers concerning general organizational requirements and governing structures.

M3 - Book chapter

SN - 978-981-3230-96-5

SP - 213

EP - 248

BT - Researching Open Innovation in SMEs

A2 - Vanhaverbeke, Wim

A2 - Frattini, Federico

A2 - Roijakkers, Nadine

A2 - Usman, Muhammad

PB - World Scientific

ER -