This study investigates the value implications for an incumbent business ecosystem when an innovation is newly introduced. We theorize the different entrance modes and pathways through which the innovation can join the value co-creation structure of an incumbent ecosystem. We further theorize how the innovation entrance can affect the value appropriation arrangements among innovators and various incumbent ecosystem actors. The automobile ecosystems and Google's initial announcement of its autonomous cars serve as our empirical context. Applying our theories, we first qualitatively prescribe Google's potential actions and predict their value implications on the incumbent automobile ecosystem. Then, through an event study, we empirically validate the predictions. We observe that, on average, the incumbent actors of the automobile ecosystem benefited from Google's announcement. Moreover, car manufacturers particularly benefited from Google's attempted entry, arguably because they held critical gatekeeping positions along Google's entrance pathway. Car component manufacturers, but not other incumbent actors, were also able to benefit because of their tight integration with the gatekeepers. Our theoretical development and empirical exploration contribute to the emerging literature on ecosystem strategies by highlighting the dynamics and value implications when innovations are introduced into incumbent business ecosystems.

本研究调查了在新引入创新时对现有商业生态系统的价值影响。我们对不同的进入模式和途径进行了理论化，创新可以通过这些进入模式和途径加入现有生态系统的价值共创结构。我们进一步理论化了创新入口如何影响创新者和各种现有生态系统参与者之间的价值分配安排。汽车生态系统和谷歌最初发布的自动驾驶汽车是我们的实证背景。应用我们的理论，我们首先定性地规定谷歌的潜在行动，并预测它们对现有汽车生态系统的价值影响。然后，通过事件研究，我们从经验上验证了预测。我们观察到，平均而言，汽车生态系统的现任参与者从谷歌的公告中受益。此外，汽车制造商特别受益于谷歌的尝试进入，可以说是因为它们在谷歌的进入路径上占据了关键的守门位置。汽车零部件制造商，但不是其他现任参与者，也能从中受益，因为他们与守门人的紧密结合。我们的理论发展和实证探索通过强调创新被引入现有商业生态系统时的动态和价值影响，为生态系统战略的新兴文献做出了贡献。的入口通道。汽车零部件制造商，但不是其他现任参与者，也能从中受益，因为他们与守门人的紧密结合。我们的理论发展和实证探索通过强调创新被引入现有商业生态系统时的动态和价值影响，为生态系统战略的新兴文献做出了贡献。的入口通道。汽车零部件制造商，但不是其他现任参与者，也能从中受益，因为他们与守门人的紧密结合。我们的理论发展和实证探索通过强调创新被引入现有商业生态系统时的动态和价值影响，为生态系统战略的新兴文献做出了贡献。