Orchestration and governance in digital platform ecosystems: a literature review and trends

Abstract

Purpose Because of the attention increasingly being focused on digital transformation, interest in business models of platform-enabled ecosystems is rising rapidly. Although there are different theoretical views on the role of ecosystems, a synthesis of research, with a focus on governance and orchestration in dynamic, multi-industry eco-systems, is lacking. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review was conducted by following a rigorous search protocol in the scholarly databases covering both journal articles and conference papers These papers were subsequently filtered, and finally, 48 relevant papers were selected for analysis. Findings The review identifies five key aspects of platform governance design that need close consideration: the meta-organisation or ecosystem design, coordination mechanisms, mechanisms for value co-creation, value appropriation mechanisms and architectural principles. To achieve balance among a set of competing demands, platform leaders need to devote adequate attention to these aspects. Practical implications Based on a literature review, the authors provide an overview of underlying theoretical views, research methods and key trends to develop a sound theoretical grounding for research on platform governance design. The paper also suggests research gaps in the existing literature and sets directions for researchers to strengthen the understanding of effective platform governance design. The paper also provides valuable information to managers in developing or leading a successful platform ecosystem. Originality/value The paper uses existing literature published in this topic and original in nature.

A Tripartite Evolutionary Game Analysis of Enterprises’ Behaviour in the Platform Ecosystem

“…If enterprises exhibit negative behaviours, then the government must bear an indirect loss of social image and the external public pressure caused by this breach of trust [22,43]. Similarly, if informal or platform-based governance is effective, it is obviously in the interest of the platform organisation, at least from a moral standpoint [10,25]. However, ineffective informal or platform-based governance might simultaneously have severe negative and indirect impacts on the platform's reputation and customer satisfaction [10,37,44].…”

“…Similarly, if informal or platform-based governance is effective, it is obviously in the interest of the platform organisation, at least from a moral standpoint [10,25]. However, ineffective informal or platform-based governance might simultaneously have severe negative and indirect impacts on the platform's reputation and customer satisfaction [10,37,44]. e following model variables are proposed based on this assumption: E i : social feedback of the government regarding internal enterprises' honest or dishonest behaviour (i � 1, 2, 3, 4).…”

“…If enterprises operate in good faith, the government will also subsidise their operating costs [11,23]. However, if enterprises breach established conditions or regulations, they will be punished by both formal and informal governance, and the platform organisation will also face the government's punishment for absence of regulation [10].…”

“…us, the rapid development of information technologies and the new business models supported by them have caused scholars from the different disciplines to focus on these platforms and their related ecosystems [8][9][10].…”

“…One is formal or government-based, such as market contracts, intellectual property, and other legally binding agreements used as a basis for collective action and decision-making [28]. Another type of governance mechanism is informal or platform-based and depends on mutual trust, agreed codes of conduct, beliefs in a shared vision, and similar cultures [10]. Both formal and informal governance approaches exist in the platform ecosystem.…”