Business Models, Symbionts and Business Ecosystem: A Case Study from E-commerce Industry in China

The essence of a business model defines a transaction structure that involves stakeholders. This article examines the transactional features that exist between stakeholders, such as relationships and form. We also introduce the new concept of “symbiont” and analyze the aggregation of the focal firm’s and stakeholders’ business models. By proposing this innovative concept, we seek to bridge the gap between the macro Business Ecosystem and micro Business Model, and as such expand our ideas about business models. The concept of “symbiont” in the business model that we have created provides a shared coordination system for different business models under the same business ecosystem, making direct comparison between them possible. Moreover, it allows us to analyze a focal firm’s business model from a micro perspective, which may clarify how to precisely and scientifically restructure or reform the focal firm based on the anatomic picture of the company. To explain this theory, our research focuses on China’s E-commerce industry.