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Boundary Morphing: Causes, Consequences, and Architectural Levers

Amrit Tiwana¹; Stephen K. Kim²

¹ University of Georgia · ² Iowa State University

We study how app competitiveness evolves through intertemporal shifts between proprietary code and platform-sourced functionality. We introduce the novel mechanism of boundary morphing—apps expanding their boundaries by adding proprietary code or contracting them by increasing platform-sourced functionality—by integrating transaction cost economics (TCE) with platforms theory. Using seven years of data from over 600 AndroidOS apps, we show that platform specificity and market uncertainty drive boundary contraction, while frequent updates counterintuitively catalyze boundary expansion. App modularity—acting as a shift parameter—reshapes this calculus, enabling boundary expansion amid uncertainty and rapid updates. We contribute: (1) boundary morphing as a mechanism to straddle synergy-differentiation tradeoffs, (2) IS-native insights in a TCE scaffold to explain morphing, and (3) modularity’s role in reshaping it. Together, these findings explain how apps morph boundaries as an architectural lever to stay competitive.

DOI

10.1080/07421222.2025.2520179

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