Not the way it used to be: B2B interactions in the era of ecosystems
Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing
ISSN: 0885-8624
Article publication date: 24 October 2023
Issue publication date: 8 May 2024
Abstract
Purpose
The COVID pandemic has prompted B2B and industrial marketing scholars to understand more about how external disruptions impact parties involved in B2B transactions. This paper aims to adopt an ecosystem perspective to conceptually classify the interactions between actors involved in B2B ecosystems.
Design/methodology/approach
This conceptual paper presents a framework across multiple levels of ecosystem interactions (at micro, meso and macrolevels) to illustrate how value cocreation and knowledge flows (as mechanisms underlying B2B relationships) are related to firm performance.
Findings
Based on this framework, this paper offers propositions and several research questions about the effects of disruptions and how they propagate among these essential business ecosystem elements.
Originality/value
This conceptual framework underscores the vital role of relationships and interactions in shaping B2B ecosystems, especially during disruptive periods. With a greater understanding of how these interactions operate across levels (micro, meso and macro), scholars and practitioners may be better able to navigate disruptive periods.
Keywords
Citation
Gustafson, B., Pomirleanu, N. and John-Mariadoss, B. (2024), "Not the way it used to be: B2B interactions in the era of ecosystems", Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Vol. 39 No. 4, pp. 757-765. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-03-2023-0180
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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