Healthiness of a Business Ecosystem;Its Structure and the Role of IT

In a customer-driven economy, single-business level analysis may not be sufficient. A large number of loosely interconnected participants who depend on one another for their mutual effectiveness and survival make up a business ecosystem. A business ecosystem is a holistic view of vital flows and relationships that sustain business activity. Businesses need to understand their physical condition in a business ecosystem to evaluate their capabilities. This paper defines the healthiness of business ecosystems in order to understand their competitiveness. It can give business an actionable guide. Healthy ecosystem means a business environment that has had four capabilities to survive. IT plays a leading part in healthy business ecosystem. It looks into business strategies and the role of IT in business ecosystems.