How manufacturers make decision of digital service collaboration in ecosystem: a niche selection perspective

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate how manufacturers make collaborative decisions in the ecosystem in the context of digital servitization. Design/methodology/approach Constructing an inframarginal analysis mathematical model to transform the ideal ecological niche choice of firms into solving the problem of maximizing the utility of firms, exploring the service boundary conditions of digital service business under the ideal ecological niche choice and focusing on the effects of niche factor, digital technology input and transaction efficiency on the boundary decision. Findings The boundaries of digital services business are in dynamic change, and changes are influenced by a combination of niche factor, digital technology input and transaction efficiency. Businesses focusing on a single niche and fully collaborative business delivery models are more in line with the trends under the digital service transformation. Originality/value Analyzing ecosystem participants’ cooperative decision-making on digital services from the perspective of ecological niche strategy selection. The study enriches the research on firm niche theory as well as service boundary decision theory in servitization transformation and provides theoretical guidance and management suggestions for firms to construct appropriate service boundaries to achieve synergistic and stable development of service ecosystems in the process of digital servitization transformation.