Diversity in Digital Platform Ecosystems: Purposes, Governance, and Outcomes

EasyChair Preprint no. 10836

Abstract

In this paper we investigate digital platform ecosystems from an organizational and managerial perspective. We conceptualize digital ecosystems as a distinct organizational form, which presents new challenges for governance. Our main interest is to understand why digital platform ecosystems are established, as well as which governance mechanisms are used, and which outcomes can be identified in commercial and non-commercial (collaborative) ecosystems. In this paper we present some preliminary results from an exploratory quantitative study. First, we find that there is a great diversity; ecosystems are created for many purposes, both for commercial interests, problem solving, data sharing and other purposes. Second, we find that there is a distinctive difference between commercial and non-commercial ecosystems, both regarding the governance mechanisms used and the outcomes of the ecosystems. Overall, we offer an extended and nuanced view of digital platform ecosystems, highlighting that digital platform ecosystems can generate value beyond economic ones and prove beneficial to a larger audience

Keyphrases: digital platform, Digital Platform Ecosystem, ecosystem, governance mechanisms

@Booklet{EasyChair:10836,
  author = {Karen S. Osmundsen and Carolina Costabile and Bendik Bygstad and Jon Iden and Tom Roar Eikebrokk},
  title = {Diversity in Digital Platform Ecosystems: Purposes, Governance, and Outcomes},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint no. 10836},

  year = {EasyChair, 2023}}