IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/stratm/v45y2024i9p1791-1821.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Porting learning from interdependencies back home: Performance implications of multihoming for complementors in platform ecosystems

Author

Listed:
  • Francisco Polidoro
  • Wei Yang

Abstract

Research Summary Recognizing the role of complementors in creating value in interdependent platform ecosystems, strategy research has recently started to examine performance heterogeneity across complementors. However, research has thus far focused on the performance implications of dynamics unfolding within a particular ecosystem. We take a step toward exploring influences that arise beyond the focal ecosystem by focusing conceptually on multihoming. We argue that multihoming to another platform produces learning benefits that enhance a complementor's performance on the home platform, especially when dealing with a high level of interdependencies and having greater similarity to other complements. We find supportive evidence in our analysis of open‐source software platforms between 2012 and 2018 and discuss implications for research on platform ecosystems, multihoming, and open‐source software. Managerial Summary Prior studies viewed multihoming as an important strategy for complementors in platform ecosystems. However, little is known about the extent to which such expansion affects the performance of complementors on their home platforms. This study investigates this issue using data on software package complementors in a variety of platforms housed in GitHub, the world's largest repository of open‐source software. The findings show that following multihoming, a complementor experiences a performance improvement in the home platform even when compared to the performance change observed during the same period for another complementor with similar attributes but that remains in single‐homing. These findings underscore the strategic implications of multihoming as a significant driver of performance heterogeneity across complementors in platform ecosystems.

Suggested Citation

  • Francisco Polidoro & Wei Yang, 2024. "Porting learning from interdependencies back home: Performance implications of multihoming for complementors in platform ecosystems," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(9), pages 1791-1821, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:bla:stratm:v:45:y:2024:i:9:p:1791-1821
    DOI: 10.1002/smj.3601
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.3601
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1002/smj.3601?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jan W. Rivkin & Nicolaj Siggelkow, 2003. "Balancing Search and Stability: Interdependencies Among Elements of Organizational Design," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 49(3), pages 290-311, March.
    2. Tania Babina & Alex Xi He & Sabrina T Howell & Elisabeth Ruth Perlman & Joseph Staudt, 2023. "Cutting the Innovation Engine: How Federal Funding Shocks Affect University Patenting, Entrepreneurship, and Publications," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 138(2), pages 895-954.
    3. Carmelo Cennamo & Hakan Ozalp & Tobias Kretschmer, 2018. "Platform Architecture and Quality Trade-offs of Multihoming Complements," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 29(2), pages 461-478, June.
    4. Liang Chen & Pengxiang Zhang & Sali Li & Scott F. Turner, 2022. "Growing pains: The effect of generational product innovation on mobile games performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(4), pages 792-821, April.
    5. Sarah Miller & Norman Johnson & Laura R Wherry, 2021. "Medicaid and Mortality: New Evidence From Linked Survey and Administrative Data," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 136(3), pages 1783-1829.
    6. Matthew Blackwell & Stefano Iacus & Gary King & Giuseppe Porro, 2009. "cem: Coarsened exact matching in Stata," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 9(4), pages 524-546, December.
    7. Mo Chen & Aseem Kaul & Brian Wu, 2019. "Adaptation across multiple landscapes: Relatedness, complexity, and the long run effects of coordination in diversified firms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(11), pages 1791-1821, November.
    8. Yuchen Zhang & Jingjing Li & Tony W. Tong, 2022. "Platform governance matters: How platform gatekeeping affects knowledge sharing among complementors," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(3), pages 599-626, March.
    9. Ron Adner & Rahul Kapoor, 2010. "Value creation in innovation ecosystems: how the structure of technological interdependence affects firm performance in new technology generations," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(3), pages 306-333, March.
    10. Rahul Kapoor, 2018. "Ecosystems: broadening the locus of value creation," Journal of Organization Design, Springer;Organizational Design Community, vol. 7(1), pages 1-16, December.
    11. Constance E. Helfat, 2000. "Guest editor's introduction to the special issue: the evolution of firm capabilities," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(10‐11), pages 955-959, October.
    12. Rahul Kapoor & Shiva Agarwal, 2017. "Sustaining Superior Performance in Business Ecosystems: Evidence from Application Software Developers in the iOS and Android Smartphone Ecosystems," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(3), pages 531-551, June.
    13. Francisco Polidoro & Charlotte Jacobs, 2024. "Knowledge diffusion in nascent industries: Asymmetries between startups and established firms in spurring inventions by other firms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(4), pages 807-845, April.
    14. Daniel A. Levinthal, 1997. "Adaptation on Rugged Landscapes," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 43(7), pages 934-950, July.
    15. Callaway, Brantly & Sant’Anna, Pedro H.C., 2021. "Difference-in-Differences with multiple time periods," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 225(2), pages 200-230.
    16. Jonathan T. Eckhardt, 2016. "Welcome contributor or no price competitor? The competitive interaction of free and priced technologies," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(4), pages 742-762, April.
    17. Iacus, Stefano & King, Gary & Porro, Giuseppe, 2009. "cem: Software for Coarsened Exact Matching," Journal of Statistical Software, Foundation for Open Access Statistics, vol. 30(i09).
    18. Feng Zhu & Qihong Liu, 2018. "Competing with complementors: An empirical look at Amazon.com," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(10), pages 2618-2642, October.
    19. Kevin Boudreau, 2010. "Open Platform Strategies and Innovation: Granting Access vs. Devolving Control," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 56(10), pages 1849-1872, October.
    20. Yanhui Wu & Feng Zhu, 2022. "Competition, Contracts, and Creativity: Evidence from Novel Writing in a Platform Market," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(12), pages 8613-8634, December.
    21. Helfat, Constance E. & Raubitschek, Ruth S., 2018. "Dynamic and integrative capabilities for profiting from innovation in digital platform-based ecosystems," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(8), pages 1391-1399.
    22. Venkatesh Shankar & Barry L. Bayus, 2003. "Network effects and competition: an empirical analysis of the home video game industry," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(4), pages 375-384, April.
    23. Cameron D. Miller & Puay Khoon Toh, 2022. "Complementary components and returns from coordination within ecosystems via standard setting," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(3), pages 627-662, March.
    24. Hui Li & Feng Zhu, 2021. "Information Transparency, Multihoming, and Platform Competition: A Natural Experiment in the Daily Deals Market," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 67(7), pages 4384-4407, July.
    25. Levinthal, Daniel A, 1998. "The Slow Pace of Rapid Technological Change: Gradualism and Punctuation in Technological Change," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 7(2), pages 217-247, June.
    26. Vivianna Fang He & Phanish Puranam & Yash Raj Shrestha & Georg von Krogh, 2020. "Resolving governance disputes in communities: A study of software license decisions," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(10), pages 1837-1868, October.
    27. Joon Mahn Lee & Rahul Kapoor, 2017. "Complementarities and Coordination: Implications for Governance Mode and Performance of Multiproduct Firms," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(5), pages 931-946, October.
    28. Kevin J. Boudreau & Lars B. Jeppesen, 2015. "Unpaid crowd complementors: The platform network effect mirage," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(12), pages 1761-1777, December.
    29. Natalie Burford & Andrew V. Shipilov & Nathan R. Furr, 2022. "How ecosystem structure affects firm performance in response to a negative shock to interdependencies," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(1), pages 30-57, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Constance E. Helfat & Aseem Kaul & David J. Ketchen & Jay B. Barney & Olivier Chatain & Harbir Singh, 2023. "Renewing the resource‐based view: New contexts, new concepts, and new methods," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(6), pages 1357-1390, June.
    2. Van Dyck, Marc & Lüttgens, Dirk & Diener, Kathleen & Piller, Frank & Pollok, Patrick, 2024. "From product to platform: How incumbents' assumptions and choices shape their platform strategy," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(1).
    3. Joost Rietveld & Melissa A. Schilling & Cristiano Bellavitis, 2019. "Platform Strategy: Managing Ecosystem Value Through Selective Promotion of Complements," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(6), pages 1232-1251, November.
    4. Alexandra Elena Carst & Yimei Hu, 2024. "Complementors as ecosystem actors: a systematic review," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 74(4), pages 2579-2635, December.
    5. Jan Frederic Nerbel & Markus Kreutzer, 2023. "Digital platform ecosystems in flux: From proprietary digital platforms to wide-spanning ecosystems," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 33(1), pages 1-20, December.
    6. Jacobides, Michael G. & Cennamo, Carmelo & Gawer, Annabelle, 2024. "Externalities and complementarities in platforms and ecosystems: From structural solutions to endogenous failures," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(1).
    7. Shi, Xianwei & Liang, Xingkun & Luo, Yining, 2023. "Unpacking the intellectual structure of ecosystem research in innovation studies," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(6).
    8. Cenamor, Javier & Frishammar, Johan, 2021. "Openness in platform ecosystems: Innovation strategies for complementary products," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(1).
    9. Tommy Pan Fang & Andy Wu & David R. Clough, 2021. "Platform diffusion at temporary gatherings: Social coordination and ecosystem emergence," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(2), pages 233-272, February.
    10. Puay Khoon Toh & Shiva Agarwal, 2023. "The option value in complements within platform‐based ecosystems," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(2), pages 576-609, February.
    11. Jiatao Li & Liang Chen & Jingtao Yi & Jiye Mao & Jianwen Liao, 2019. "Ecosystem-specific advantages in international digital commerce," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 50(9), pages 1448-1463, December.
    12. Yuchen Zhang & Jingjing Li & Tony W. Tong, 2022. "Platform governance matters: How platform gatekeeping affects knowledge sharing among complementors," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(3), pages 599-626, March.
    13. Baldwin, Carliss Y. & Bogers, Marcel L.A.M. & Kapoor, Rahul & West, Joel, 2024. "Focusing the ecosystem lens on innovation studies," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(3).
    14. Spaniol, Matthew J. & Rowland, Nicholas J., 2022. "Business ecosystems and the view from the future: The use of corporate foresight by stakeholders of the Ro-Ro shipping ecosystem in the Baltic Sea Region," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 184(C).
    15. Xuelin Chen & Dongmei Zhou & Ziying Zhan & Ruoyu Lu, 2023. "When Do You Enter? Entrepreneurial Firms’ Entry Timing and Product Performance in the Digital Platform Market," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-18, March.
    16. Tobias Kretschmer & Aija Leiponen & Melissa Schilling & Gurneeta Vasudeva, 2022. "Platform ecosystems as meta‐organizations: Implications for platform strategies," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(3), pages 405-424, March.
    17. Thomas, Llewellyn D.W. & Autio, Erkko & Gann, David M., 2022. "Processes of ecosystem emergence," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    18. Reiter, Andreas & Stonig, Joachim & Frankenberger, Karolin, 2024. "Managing multi-tiered innovation ecosystems," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(1).
    19. Andreas Hein & Maximilian Schreieck & Tobias Riasanow & David Soto Setzke & Manuel Wiesche & Markus Böhm & Helmut Krcmar, 2020. "Digital platform ecosystems," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 30(1), pages 87-98, March.
    20. Fabian Schueler & Dimitri Petrik, 2022. "Objectives of platform research: A co-citation and systematic literature review analysis," Papers 2202.08822, arXiv.org.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:stratm:v:45:y:2024:i:9:p:1791-1821. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/0143-2095 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.