Ecology of competition

May/June 1993

This article looks at the role of information services in at each stage in the corporate life cycle – birth, expansion, maturity, and renewal. Using the concept of "business ecology" (interacting systems consisting of companies, their customers and suppliers, and other players in the business environment), it explores and charts how information services can support both competitive and cooperative activities at each growth stage.

Competition vs. cooperation: a paradox resolved?
At the same time we see an increasing interest in our seminars on competitive intelligence, we also observe an increasing number of articles in the business press on strategic alliances, customer/supplier networks, virtual organizations and other manifestations of cooperation. How can this apparent paradox be resolved? We found a plausible resolution in a recent issue of the Harvard Business Review in which author James Moore compares business relationships to a biological ecosystem. Highlights of that article appear below.

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