A business ecosystem perspective on partner alignment for sustainability : A case study in the construction industry

Abstract: Purpose The purpose of the study is to understand how partner alignment can be created in a business ecosystem to work towards sustainability in the construction industry. The following research questions will therefore be studied: RQ1. What incentives are important for the subcontractors in a business ecosystem to reach partner alignment in a construction context? RQ2. What factors are required to create norms in the business ecosystem to reach partner alignment in a construction context? RQ3. How can the relationship between incentives and norms in a business ecosystem affect partner alignment in a construction context? Method Through a qualitative, abductive, single case study, we aimed to find answers to the research questions presented above. The data collection was completed in three different waves, where the second phase was where the main data was collected through 25 semi-structured interviews. We aimed to understand the current situation in the first wave, understand the subcontractors view in the second wave and validate the result in the third wave. The analysis of the data was completed through a thematic analysis, where we transcribed and coded the data with themes mainly originated from the previously studied literature. Findings Our findings resulted in two frameworks showing (1) recommendations important to perform in diverse stages of a collaboration in order to use incentives and norms in the best way possible. The aim is to reach partner alignment in a business ecosystem in the construction industry and thereby influence the subcontractors to work towards sustainability. Further, it is shown in framework number (2) how both incentives and norms have an important role, where incentives are important for short-term motivation to confirm good behavior and will be significant in the beginning of a relationship. Norms on the other hand, evolve over time and clarify an expected behavior, but the implementation should still start in the beginning of the collaboration.  Theoretical implications We contribute to the literature by applying the ecosystem concept in the construction industry, where a project-based partnering structure has previously dominated. Further, we create a greater understanding for what is required to achieve aligned partners in a construction context and how the combination of incentives and norms can contribute to this. Lastly, we give a more thorough analysis of the interaction between incentives and norms and how they relate to each other.  Managerial implications We provide managerial guidelines of how to establish partner alignment and encourage subcontractors in a business ecosystem to work with sustainability. We provide recommendations of motivation drivers, in terms of incentives and norms, and drivers significant to implement in certain phases of a collaborative setting. We further describe the relationship between incentives and norms, and state that incentive confirms good behavior and creates short-term motivation, while norms clarifies an expected behavior.  Keywords Partner alignment, business ecosystem, collaborative strategies, sustainability, construction, incentives, norms, shared values