Self-Organization and Governance in Digital Platform Ecosystems: An Information Ecology Approach

Martin Engert; Andreas Hein; Likoebe M. Maruping; Jason Bennett Thatcher; Helmut Krcmar

doi:10.25300/misq/2024/18413

Self-Organization and Governance in Digital Platform Ecosystems: An Information Ecology Approach

Martin Engert¹; Andreas Hein²; Likoebe M. Maruping³; Jason Bennett Thatcher^4,5; Helmut Krcmar¹

¹ Technical University of Munich, School of Computation, Information and Technology Munich, Germany · ² University of St. Gallen, Institute of Information Systems and Digital Business St. Gallen, Switzerland · ³ Georgia State University, J. Mack Robinson College of Business Atlanta, GA, U.S.A. · ⁴ Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, U.S.A. · ⁵ Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, Manchester, U.K.

MIS Quarterly 2025

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 self-organization 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.

DOI: 10.25300/misq/2024/18413
Volume: 49 (1)
Pages: 91-122
Language: en
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