From Conflict to Complexity: Extending Dynamic Capabilities into Multi-Stakeholder Ecosystems Through Value Web Strategy

Classic strategy frameworks such as Porter’s Five Forces, the Value Stick, Blue Ocean Strategy, and Platform Strategy have shaped decades of scholarship and practice. Yet they remain predominantly organization-centric, emphasizing competition, conflict resolution, or resource leverage. These models are less equipped for contemporary ecosystems where legitimacy, trust, coalition dynamics, cultural norms, and evolving narratives drive outcomes.This conceptual paper introduces Value Web Strategy, which synthesizes insights from the Resource-Based View, Dynamic Capabilities, and Playing to Win into a broader, stakeholder-centric paradigm. By articulating ten dynamics of stakeholder ecosystems, the paper argues that strategy must move from organizational competition to ecosystem stewardship, where value is co-created and legitimacy sustained across interdependent actors.Importantly, the framework is operationalized through two novel constructs: Mapping the Value Web (MAV – Minimum Acceptable Value), which identifies the baseline expectations stakeholders must have met, and Perceived Value Delivered (PVD), which captures what stakeholders believe they actually receive. Together, MAV and PVD make visible the value gaps that determine satisfaction or dissatisfaction across the ecosystem. Alongside this, the Ecosystem Value Score (EVS) provides a composite index for quantifying ecosystem health and balance. These tools move the framework from conceptual insight to practical application, enabling leaders to navigate complexity with precision.