Information AnalyticsÌýÌýÌýÌý
Engert, Martin; Hein, Andreas; Maruping, Likoebe M.; Thatcher, Jason Bennett; Krcmar, Helmut.ÌýÌýÌýÌýMIS Quarterly.ÌýMar2025, Vol. 49 Issue 1, p91-122.ÌýÌýÌýÌýSelf-organization and governance in digital platform ecosystems: An information ecology approach.ÌýÌýÌýÌýEngert, Martin; Hein, Andreas; Maruping, Likoebe M.; Thatcher, Jason Bennett; Krcmar, Helmut. Self-organization and governance in digital platform ecosystems: An information ecology approach. MIS Quarterly.ÌýMar2025, Vol. 49 Issue 1, p91-122.ÌýÌýÌýÌý
This research investigates the interplay of top-down control and bottom-up self-organization within digital platform ecosystems (DPEs), focusing on the formation and management of complementor coalitions. Although these coalitions can increase a DPE's generativity, they can also threaten its integrity. We investigate this tension by employing information ecology (IE) theory, which allows us to examine complementor coalitions as holons that navigate between self-assertiveness and integration within the structural hierarchies of DPEs. Utilizing an inductive, embedded case-study approach, we analyze the interplay between top-down control exerted by platform owners and the bottom-up selforganization of complementors in two enterprise software platform ecosystems. Our findings identify three distinct interaction modes—mandated, supported, and autonomous self-organization—each presenting hierarchical trade-offs between platform owner control and complementor autonomy. Our findings extend the prevalent owner-centric theory of platform governance by highlighting the significant impact of bottom-up self-organization on the governance and evolution of DPEs. We propose an integrated theory that accommodates these new dynamics, suggesting soft power as an effective governance mechanism. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the complexities in governing DPEs and offers practical insights for managing top-down control and bottom-up self-organization in the evolving landscape of enterprise software DPEs.ÌýÌýÌýÌý
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