The Impact of Customer Participation on Business Ecosystems

Abstract

The concept of business ecosystems is a new, powerful metaphor that steps forward the movement towards symbiotic and co-evolutionary business networks. The literature describes business ecosystems as economic communities comprised of a number of business entities that are closely related the one to the other with symbiotic relationships; as a result, they constantly interact and seek to co-operate to fulfill their particular goals and attain mutual benefits. In this paper we discuss the role of customers in business ecosystems. We argue that the concept of business ecosystems is focused on the needs and the roles of the producers and neglects the customers, especially the end-customers. We analyse the impact of customers’ participation as active members in business ecosystems and suggest that it intensifies their co-evolutionary character and increases their dynamism. We discuss technological aspects of customer participation in business ecosystems.