IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jadmsc/v11y2021i4p119-d660228.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Digital Platform Ecosystems for Sustainable Innovation: Toward a New Meta-Organizational Model?

Author

Listed:
  • Mario Calabrese

    (Department of Management, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy)

  • Antonio La Sala

    (Department of Law and Economics of Production Activities, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy)

  • Ryan Patrick Fuller

    (College of Business Administration, California State University, Sacramento, CA 95819, USA)

  • Antonio Laudando

    (Department of Management, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy)

Abstract

This work aims to develop a conceptual model to support countries, institutions, and firms toward the accomplishment of present Agenda 2030 sustainability goals. The last two decades have seen a growing interest in sustainability. Climate change, resource scarcity, multipolarity of interests, mistrust and delegitimization of institutions are just some of the critical issues that need to be addressed. There is broad consensus on the urgency of generating further social, environmental, and economic innovation to address these challenges, reshaping global markets, and offering new spaces of action to firms and institutions. Accordingly, there also is a wide search for new models of organizing firms. Digital platforms are among those. Moreover, since digital platforms require coordination among multiple actors and interests in order to succeed, they may also be conceptualized as meta-organizations, less hierarchical than firms yet more tightly coupled than markets. However, despite the wide literature on platforms, this organizational lens seems not to have been taken into the right consideration. This conceptual work aims to fill this gap, providing a framework that clarifies why and how a digital platform ecosystem could configure a sustainable meta-organizational model, and also providing the main steps to build it.

Suggested Citation

  • Mario Calabrese & Antonio La Sala & Ryan Patrick Fuller & Antonio Laudando, 2021. "Digital Platform Ecosystems for Sustainable Innovation: Toward a New Meta-Organizational Model?," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-14, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:11:y:2021:i:4:p:119-:d:660228
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/11/4/119/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/11/4/119/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Malerba, Franco, 2002. "Sectoral systems of innovation and production," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 247-264, February.
    2. World Commission on Environment and Development,, 1987. "Our Common Future," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780192820808.
    3. Gawer, Annabelle, 2014. "Bridging differing perspectives on technological platforms: Toward an integrative framework," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(7), pages 1239-1249.
    4. Doganova, Liliana & Eyquem-Renault, Marie, 2009. "What do business models do?: Innovation devices in technology entrepreneurship," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 1559-1570, December.
    5. Bertrand Moingeon & Muhammad Yunus & Laurence Lehmann-Ortega, 2010. "Building Social Business Models: Lessons from the Grameen Experience," Post-Print hal-00528385, HAL.
    6. R. Srinivasan, 2021. "Platform Business Models," Management for Professionals, Springer, number 978-981-16-2838-2, December.
    7. van Geenhuizen, Marina & Ye, Qing, 2014. "Responsible innovators: open networks on the way to sustainability transitions," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 28-40.
    8. Cenamor, Javier & Frishammar, Johan, 2021. "Openness in platform ecosystems: Innovation strategies for complementary products," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(1).
    9. Frank Birkin & Thomas Polesie & Linda Lewis, 2009. "A new business model for sustainable development: an exploratory study using the theory of constraints in Nordic organizations," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(5), pages 277-290, July.
    10. Frederic Bartumeus & Guilherme B Costa & Roger Eritja & Ann H Kelly & Marceline Finda & Javier Lezaun & Fredros Okumu & M Megan Quinlan & Delphine C Thizy & Léa Paré Toé & Megan Vaughan, 2019. "Sustainable innovation in vector control requires strong partnerships with communities," PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(4), pages 1-5, April.
    11. Maïder Saint Jean, 2008. "Polluting emissions standards and clean technology trajectories under competitive selection and supply chain pressure," Post-Print hal-00257402, HAL.
    12. United Nations UN, 2015. "Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," Working Papers id:7559, eSocialSciences.
    13. Genus, Audley & Coles, Anne-Marie, 2008. "Rethinking the multi-level perspective of technological transitions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(9), pages 1436-1445, October.
    14. Davies, Andrew & Brady, Tim, 2000. "Organisational capabilities and learning in complex product systems: towards repeatable solutions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 29(7-8), pages 931-953, August.
    15. Okkonen, Lasse & Suhonen, Niko, 2010. "Business models of heat entrepreneurship in Finland," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(7), pages 3443-3452, July.
    16. K. J. Arrow, 1971. "The Economic Implications of Learning by Doing," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: F. H. Hahn (ed.), Readings in the Theory of Growth, chapter 11, pages 131-149, Palgrave Macmillan.
    17. Malla Mattila & Nina Mesiranta & Anna Heikkinen, 2020. "Platform-based sustainable business models: reducing food waste in food services," International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 24(4/5), pages 249-265.
    18. Evans David S., 2003. "Some Empirical Aspects of Multi-sided Platform Industries," Review of Network Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 2(3), pages 1-19, September.
    19. Kari Lukka & Eija Vinnari, 2014. "Domain theory and method theory in management accounting research," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 27(8), pages 1308-1338, October.
    20. Seelos, Christian & Mair, Johanna, 2005. "Social entrepreneurship: Creating new business models to serve the poor," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 48(3), pages 241-246.
    21. Stefan Schaltegger & Marcus Wagner, 2011. "Sustainable entrepreneurship and sustainability innovation: categories and interactions," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(4), pages 222-237, May.
    22. Andrea L. Larson, 2000. "Sustainable innovation through an entrepreneurship lens," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(5), pages 304-317, September.
    23. Frank W. Geels, 2005. "Technological Transitions and System Innovations," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 3576, March.
    24. Floortje Alkemade & Koen Frenken & Marko Hekkert & Malte Schwoon, 2009. "A complex systems methodology to transition management," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 527-543, August.
    25. Bolton, Ronan & Hannon, Matthew, 2016. "Governing sustainability transitions through business model innovation: Towards a systems understanding," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(9), pages 1731-1742.
    26. Valentina Cillo & Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli & Lorenzo Ardito & Manlio Del Giudice, 2019. "Understanding sustainable innovation: A systematic literature review," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 26(5), pages 1012-1025, September.
    27. Nick Johnstone (ed.), 2007. "Environmental Policy and Corporate Behaviour," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 12551, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Allal-Chérif, Oihab & Costa Climent, Juan & Ulrich Berenguer, Klaus Jurgen, 2023. "Born to be sustainable: How to combine strategic disruption, open innovation, and process digitization to create a sustainable business," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    2. Valentina Burksiene & Jaroslav Dvorak, 2022. "E-Communication of ENGO’s for Measurable Improvements for Sustainability," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-13, June.
    3. Sanjay Chaudhary & Puneet Kaur & Hind Alofaysan & Jantje Halberstadt & Amandeep Dhir, 2023. "Connecting the dots? Entrepreneurial ecosystems and sustainable entrepreneurship as pathways to sustainability," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(8), pages 5935-5951, December.

    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. Matthew P. Johnson & Stefan Schaltegger, 2020. "Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development: A Review and Multilevel Causal Mechanism Framework," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 44(6), pages 1141-1173, November.
    2. Jeremy Hall & Marcus Wagner, 2012. "Integrating Sustainability into Firms' Processes: Performance Effects and the Moderating Role of Business Models and Innovation," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 183-196, March.
    3. Maria Rosa De Giacomo & Raimund Bleischwitz, 2020. "Business models for environmental sustainability: Contemporary shortcomings and some perspectives," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(8), pages 3352-3369, December.
    4. Shi, Xianwei & Liang, Xingkun & Luo, Yining, 2023. "Unpacking the intellectual structure of ecosystem research in innovation studies," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(6).
    5. María Huertas González-Serrano & Vicente Añó Sanz & Rómulo Jacobo González-García, 2020. "Sustainable Sport Entrepreneurship and Innovation: A Bibliometric Analysis of This Emerging Field of Research," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-26, June.
    6. Florian Lüdeke‐Freund, 2020. "Sustainable entrepreneurship, innovation, and business models: Integrative framework and propositions for future research," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 665-681, February.
    7. Steve Elliot, 2013. "A Transdisciplinary Exploratory Model of Corporate Responses to the Challenges of Environmental Sustainability," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(4), pages 269-282, May.
    8. Esben Rahbek Gjerdrum Pedersen & Wencke Gwozdz & Kerli Kant Hvass, 2018. "Exploring the Relationship Between Business Model Innovation, Corporate Sustainability, and Organisational Values within the Fashion Industry," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 149(2), pages 267-284, May.
    9. Denise Fischer & Malte Brettel & René Mauer, 2020. "The Three Dimensions of Sustainability: A Delicate Balancing Act for Entrepreneurs Made More Complex by Stakeholder Expectations," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 163(1), pages 87-106, April.
    10. Bixiang Shi & Fangcheng Tang & Fenfen Wei, 2022. "The Path Constitution of Platform Evolution: An Organizational Momentum View," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-22, July.
    11. Inoue, Yuki, 2021. "Indirect innovation management by platform ecosystem governance and positioning: Toward collective ambidexterity in the ecosystems," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    12. Mara Del Baldo, 2018. "Sustainability and CSR orientation through “Edutainment” in tourism," International Journal of Corporate Social Responsibility, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 1-14, December.
    13. Manning, Stephan & Reinecke, Juliane, 2016. "A modular governance architecture in-the-making: How transnational standard-setters govern sustainability transitions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 618-633.
    14. Leen Gorissen & Karl Vrancken & Saskia Manshoven, 2016. "Transition Thinking and Business Model Innovation–Towards a Transformative Business Model and New Role for the Reuse Centers of Limburg, Belgium," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(2), pages 1-23, January.
    15. Dominika Wruk & Achim Oberg & Jennifer Klutt & Indre Maurer, 2019. "The Presentation of Self as Good and Right: How Value Propositions and Business Model Features are Linked in the Sharing Economy," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 159(4), pages 997-1021, November.
    16. Bonfanti, Angelo & De Crescenzo, Veronica & Simeoni, Francesca & Loza Adaui, Cristian R., 2024. "Convergences and divergences in sustainable entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship research: A systematic review and research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    17. Rosca, Eugenia & Bendul, Julia C., 2019. "Value chain integration of base of the pyramid consumers: An empirical study of drivers and performance outcomes," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 162-176.
    18. Kuhmonen, Tuomas, 2017. "Exposing the attractors of evolving complex adaptive systems by utilising futures images: Milestones of the food sustainability journey," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 214-225.
    19. Gianluca Elia & Alessandro Margherita & Claudio Petti, 2020. "Building responses to sustainable development challenges: A multistakeholder collaboration framework and application to climate change," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(6), pages 2465-2478, September.
    20. Anja Gaudig & Bernd Ebersberger & Andreas Kuckertz, 2021. "Sustainability-Oriented Macro Trends and Innovation Types—Exploring Different Organization Types Tackling the Global Sustainability Megatrend," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-19, October.

    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:gam:jadmsc:v:11:y:2021:i:4:p:119-:d:660228. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.