Configuration effect of resource and capability factors on the business ecological advantage of electric vehicle enterprises

The electric vehicle enterprise is a key force in meeting net zero targets, which is related to the future of the industry. In the context of business ecosystems, electric vehicle enterprises need to build competitive advantages to seek sustainable development. However, existing research mainly uses qualitative methods to explore the construction of business ecological advantage, lacking empirical data to support the combined effects of different factors. So, based on three hundred and twelve questionnaires from electric vehicle enterprises, this study analyses the configuration effects of five factors on business ecological advantage from the perspectives of resources and capabilities using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, thereby revealing the multiple concurrent mechanisms for constructing business ecological advantage. The conclusions are as follows: firstly, resource orchestration, ecological niche, organizational creativity, organizational unlearning, and organizational resilience are not necessary conditions for constructing business ecological advantage when they work alone; Secondly, there are three paths to promote the construction of business ecological advantage, namely resource-driven value transformation, learning-driven value transformation, and resource orchestration-driven value growth. Thirdly, this study also identifies four paths that inhibit the construction of business ecological advantage, which have an asymmetric relationship with the promoting construction of business ecological advantage. This study expands the theory of business ecological advantages based on configurational thinking and uses empirical data to support the effective path of constructing business ecological advantage. And, this study provides a strategic reference for global traditional companies and new forces in car manufacturing to construct business ecological advantages.