Ecosystem

19 april 2020 by Arjen van Berkum

The real power of an ecosystem

A few years ago I was engaged by APG in the Netherlands to help them create something that was then known as the Smart Services Hub. A brilliant idea where government (the province of Limburg), business (APG, the world’s largest pension provider) and Maastricht University joint efforts to create an ecosystem of technology in the smart services. Rather quickly Accenture and Conclusion where excited to join this initiative and a next Brightlands Campus was born. The reason I am writing this blog today is because I want to share some key takeaways from this journey.

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26 april 2016 by Arjen van Berkum Leave a Comment

Psychological contract: knowing how to read between the lines

The technology driven changes in work environment and social translucence will implicate contractual relations, causing a upheaval in the concept of doing business and maintaining partnerships. Co-creation is key. The advantages of co-creation will only evolve out of perceived loyalty, because this will lead to engagement and an increase of productivity. More and more effective leadership will be defined by the degree of compassion, trust, respect, fairness, empathy and objectivity that organisations radiate. Whether it involves employees, partnerships or suppliers, the psychological contract is an important building block within any ecosystem.

We’re all familiar with ecosystems in the natural world: organisms interacting with each other and their particular environment consisting out of air, water, mineral soil, and/or other relevant elements. This doesn’t differ so much from the atmosphere of businesses in current society. Businesses need to join or create ecosystems. In the early phase of this new digital age it seemed to be about business ecosystems, but now it becomes clearer every day that a successful business doesn’t evolve around the business but around the story behind the business. In other words, about the brand. Recently I shared my vision on contract management as a strategy and why brand ecosystems are best build on the foundation of the forces of nature: the psychological contract.

1 april 2016 by Arjen van Berkum 5 Comments

Contract Management, the revolutionary pivot of brand ecosystems and partnerships

Technological developments, the holy grail of flourishing opportunities and major challenges. Disruptive brands in the consumer market like Uber, Airbnb, Spotify, Apple and Google bring change at lightning speed. Many consumers experience all kinds of changes – barring they consider it to be advantages or not – this reflects on the business world. How is technology changing social interaction? The way we maintain relationships and collaborate is influencing contractual relations and as a result the outcome of contracts. Contract management, especially the psychological contract, is defining the quality of a brand ecosystem.

12 februari 2015 by Arjen van Berkum 2 Comments

Create or join? Business ecosystem to survive the knowledge-era

We all know the industrial-era has shifted to a knowledge era. So, why do a lot of organisations still behave in the old fashion way? These days we are living in a more volatile society with an almost unpredictable economy. Still organisations are producing and delivering according their good old business model. This is reality: networking capability, software systems that have little supply chain to manage, and global open source platforms innovating around customer problems in real time. Traditional business models are becoming more and more ineffective at driving business results. Why has the greater part not followed the transition yet?

Ecosystem

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