Self-Organization and Governance in Digital Platform Ecosystems: An Information Ecology Approach
研究了数字平台生态系统中自上而下控制与自下而上自组织的相互作用，识别出三种互动模式，提出软权力作为有效治理机制，对平台治理理论有重要扩展。
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.