By bringing together elements of a radical new approach to the firm based on a biological metaphor of the ecosystem, this unique book extends the limits of existing theories traditionally used to investigate business networks.

Contents: Foreword Aldo Romano Preface Michael Hobday Introduction Angelo Corallo, Giuseppina Passiante and Andrea Prencipe PART I: DIGITAL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEMS: THEORETICAL UNDERPINNINGS 1. The Business Ecosystem as a Multiple Dynamic Network Angelo Corallo 2. The Paradigm of Structural Coupling in Digital Ecosystems Paolo Dini and Francesco Nachira PART II: THE ORGANIZATIONAL DIMENSION OF DIGITAL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEMS 3. The Quest for New Organizational Forms: The Strange Case of Open Source Software Communities Robert M. Grant 4. From a National to a Metanational Ecosystem: Harnessing the Value of Global Knowledge Diversity Peter J. Williamson PART III: EMPIRICAL STUDIES ON DIGITAL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEMS 5. Network of Relationships in the Indian Software Industry: A Novel Business Ecosystem? J. Ramachandran and Sourav Mukherji 6. The Growing Volatility of the Global Economy from a Complex System Perspective Chuan-Leong Lam 7. China and the New Economy: A Case of Convergence? Max Boisot and John Child PART IV: TOOLS AND FRAMEWORKS FOR DIGITAL BUSINESS ECOSYSTEMS 8. The Management of Intellectual Property in the Digital Business Ecosystem Puay Tang and Jordi Molas-Gallart 9. MAP-STEPS: A Framework for Opportunity Assessment and Development of a Sustainable Business Model for eBusiness Swapan Kumar Majumdar 10. Tools and Frameworks for Digital Business Ecosystems Erik Brynjolfsson, John Quimby, Glen Urban, Marshall Van Alstyne and David Verrill 11. Enabling the Flexible Enterprise – RFID and Smart Devices Robert Laubacher Index