Coopetition and Ecosystems: Case of Amazon.com

Business and innovation ecosystems involve complex interdependencies among various actors. The concept of ecosystem is useful for analyzing strategies in which competitors are also considered as complementary partners. To make this explicit, we use SEAM – a visual modeling method that builds on the enterprise architecture discipline. Using an example of Amazon Marketplace, we illustrate how value is created for the ecosystem leader (i.e., the company that “structures” the coopetitive ecosystem environment, and often provides a connectivity-enabling platform), and for other actors (who capture value from participation in this structure). Implications for research, practice and future studies are also provided.