Ecosystem Management Capability: A Microfoundational Perspective. Case Study Research with Australian Superannuation Firms
- Publication Type:
- Thesis
- Issue Date:
- 2025
Open Access
Copyright Clearance Process
- Recently Added
- In Progress
- Open Access
This item is open access.
Business ecosystems have gained increasing prominence in management research, driven by shifts in customer expectations, accelerating innovation cycles, digitisation, and the blurring of traditional industry boundaries. While existing research has focused largely on digital platform ecosystems – examining network effects, governance structures, and technology-driven value creation – there is limited understanding of how ecosystems function in traditional service sectors. In particular, the role of individual actors and microfoundational capabilities in enabling alignment and value integration remains underexplored.
This dissertation addresses these gaps through an in-depth qualitative study of two Australian superannuation fund ecosystems. Applying constructivist grounded theory, it develops a Threshold Model of Ecosystem Alignment that conceptualises the microfoundations and mechanisms that enable ecosystem alignment, complementarity, and sustained value creation.
The findings contribute to ecosystem theory by extending its application to regulated, service-based domains and highlighting the multilevel dynamics that shape ecosystem outcomes. Identified enablers and mechanisms are discussed considering existing ecosystem theory and research, as well as their contribution to understanding the role of individuals in ecosystem research and theory.
The thesis offers theoretical and practical insights for managing complex service ecosystems and proposes future research directions to quantify the relationships between microfoundations, alignment mechanisms, and ecosystem performance.
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: