Business network orchestration in digital ecosystems

The ongoing evolution of interorganizational information systems (IOS) into industry-wide systems (IIOS) or digital ecosystem platforms raises new questions for researchers and practitioners alike, in particular the question of how organizations can gain advantage of these new ecosystems by orchestrating their business network. In an empirical study of the Dutch insurance industry, we use network theory and interorganizational systems theory to show that participation in a digital ecosystem leads to organizations orchestrating their network position into a larger portfolio of suppliers as well as a more differentiated portfolio of suppliers. A more differentiated supplier portfolio in turn leads to superior organizational performance.