The Myths and Realities of Business Ecosystems

Before determining an ecosystem strategy, organizations must first shift to a new perspective and way of thinking.

Jack Fuller, Michael G. Jacobides, and Martin Reeves

February 25, 2019

In annual reports, the term ecosystem occurs 13 times more frequently now than it did a decade ago.¹ But like any buzzword, it’s often overapplied. The term has been used to refer to everything from a country (“China is the second strongest ecosystem…”) to a support function (“the HR ecosystem”), a portfolio of products (“the Darico ecosystem is made up of 5 products”), and even a bundle of services intended to make people happy (“a happiness ecosystem”).²

Behind this semantic overstretch, however, ...