Taming complexity: communication management in innovation ecosystems
Nikunen, Tytti (2023)
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023060116877
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023060116877
Tiivistelmä
In the past two decades, the organizational innovation and development activities have increasingly shifted from internal practices towards open collaboration and knowledge sharing. This has opened new opportunities for collaboration in innovation ecosystems, which are emerging forms of meta-organizational entities where different actors can jointly solve challenges and generate products and services that exceed the capabilities of any individual organization.
The work in innovation ecosystems is based on voluntary cooperation and common goals. Existing research indicates that the communication plays a key role in successful ecosystem orchestration, but knowledge over ecosystems’ communication management practices is either non-existent or not publicly available. This thesis explores the ecosystem communication management through qualitative multiple case study conducted within a selected group of innovation ecosystems. Data related to ecosystem management, communication, and strategies was collected via semi-structured interviews and analysed through thematic content analysis.
Previous research suggests that the ecosystems are characterized by elementary uniqueness, and the findings of this thesis support this observation. The ecosystems are forming their own ways of working based on what is most beneficial for the ecosystem actors. The case study revealed that the ecosystem coordinator has a significant role in creating ecosystem’s practices and operating models. Communication is acknowledged as a key-element in ecosystems’ success, but the communication management in studied innovation ecosystems is rather intuitive and non-systematic. Clear connection between communication actions and strategic targets does not exist.
The study contributes to existing literature by illustrating the connection between the previously recognized ecosystem dynamics and structures and practical communication activities. As a novel contribution to existing research, this study presents an ecosystem communication process that can be used as communication management tool in innovation ecosystems. The tool is based on defining the ecosystem specific features and their effect on communication emphasis, and mapping communication actions in terms of focal elements related to ecosystem success, which are high level of mutual trust, coherency, and favourable stakeholder relationships.
The work in innovation ecosystems is based on voluntary cooperation and common goals. Existing research indicates that the communication plays a key role in successful ecosystem orchestration, but knowledge over ecosystems’ communication management practices is either non-existent or not publicly available. This thesis explores the ecosystem communication management through qualitative multiple case study conducted within a selected group of innovation ecosystems. Data related to ecosystem management, communication, and strategies was collected via semi-structured interviews and analysed through thematic content analysis.
Previous research suggests that the ecosystems are characterized by elementary uniqueness, and the findings of this thesis support this observation. The ecosystems are forming their own ways of working based on what is most beneficial for the ecosystem actors. The case study revealed that the ecosystem coordinator has a significant role in creating ecosystem’s practices and operating models. Communication is acknowledged as a key-element in ecosystems’ success, but the communication management in studied innovation ecosystems is rather intuitive and non-systematic. Clear connection between communication actions and strategic targets does not exist.
The study contributes to existing literature by illustrating the connection between the previously recognized ecosystem dynamics and structures and practical communication activities. As a novel contribution to existing research, this study presents an ecosystem communication process that can be used as communication management tool in innovation ecosystems. The tool is based on defining the ecosystem specific features and their effect on communication emphasis, and mapping communication actions in terms of focal elements related to ecosystem success, which are high level of mutual trust, coherency, and favourable stakeholder relationships.