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Openness in platform ecosystems: Innovation strategies for complementary products
Journal: Research PolicyYear: 2021
Authors: Javier Cenamor and Johan Frishammar
Keywords: Platform strategy, Open innovation, Ecosystem management, Innovation, Innovation Strategies.
Openness in platform ecosystems: Innovation strategies for complementary products
Innovation strategies in complementary product markets come with a dilemma: Platform sponsors must concede third parties autonomy to innovate to make a platform successful, but a platform sponsor must also participate in the complementary product market to make the platform grow, thus acting as a competitor to third parties. We examine the performance outcomes of four innovation strategies based upon combinations of development and commercialization activities, i.e., the proprietary, outbound, inbound and third-party strategies, and their evolution over time. Data was collected from a panel of 4,857 video games for the seventh generation of video consoles in the United States. The findings contribute to research on platform strategy, open innovation, and ecosystem management by highlighting the different performance outcomes of innovation strategies that co-exist in the same platform ecosystem at the same time. The findings emphasize that decisions on appropriate innovation strategies in platform ecosystems are much more complex than they have previously been portrayed as, through the traditional dualities of open or closed, platform sponsors or third parties, or first or subsequent strategies.
Towards a theory of ecosystems
Journal: Strategic Management JournalYear: 2018
Authors: Javier Cenamor and Johan Frishammar
Keywords: Ecosystem, Platform, Strategy, Complementarity, Modularity
Towards a theory of ecosystems
The recent surge of interest in “ecosystems” in strategy research and practice has mainly focused on what ecosystems are and how they operate. We complement this literature by considering when and why ecosystems emerge, and what makes them distinct from other governance forms. We argue that modularity enables ecosystem emergence as it allows a set of distinct yet interdependent organizations to coordinate without full hierarchical fiat. We show how ecosystems address multilateral dependences based on various types of complementarities—supermodular or unique, unidirectional or bidirectional—which determine the ecosystem’s value-add. We argue that at the core of ecosystems lie nongeneric complementarities and the creation of sets of roles that face similar rules. We conclude with implications for mainstream strategy and suggestions for future research.
Research Interests and Trends
Evolution of Platform Ecosystems in Innovation-Driven Digital era.
Multihoming Patterns Across Competing Platform-Based Markets.
Strategic Governance Models in Multi-Sided Platform Ecosystems.
The Role of Network Effects in Platform Competition.
Innovation Timing Strategies in Rapidly Evolving Digital Markets.
Ecosystem Openness and Its Impact on Platform Innovation.
Developer Engagement in Platform-Based Open Innovation Systems.
Platform Maturity and Shifting Innovation Strategy Over Time.
Digital Transformation via Platform Business Models in Traditional Sectors.
User Co-Creation and Innovation in Online Ecosystems.
Superapp Ecosystems and Integration of Mini-Platform Functionalities.
Generative AI as Catalyst in Platform-Based Innovations.
Lifecycle Management Within Growing Platform Ecosystems.
Digital Trust and Participation in Open Innovation Communities.
Motivating Developers in Platform-Based Co-Innovation Initiatives.
The Role of Data in Platform Innovation Strategy.
Value Creation and Capture in Platform Innovation Networks.
Strategic Interoperability Among Competing Platform Infrastructures.