The DOI matches its Crossref record; 59 of the 59 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Generativity Tension and Value Creation in Platform Ecosystems
Abstract
Platform-based technology ecosystems are new forms of organizing independent actors’ innovations around a stable product system. This collective organization is proving superior to traditional, vertically integrated systems in many sectors because of greater “generativity”—the ecosystem’s capacity to foster complementary innovation from autonomous, heterogeneous firms—which extends the usage scope and value of the platform to users. However, greater generativity can also lead to greater variance in the way ecosystem members’ contributions satisfy users’ needs, and it could potentially hinder the ecosystems’ value creation. We draw on collective action theory to examine generativity’s impact on user satisfaction and the mechanisms driving it. We argue that products enhancing user satisfaction contribute to a collective, shared asset, the platform system reputation, from which all participants benefit. Thus, generativity has both a positive (system reputation) and negative (free-riding) effect on the ecosystem members’ incentives for developing products that enhance user satisfaction. We argue that the negative free-riding effect prevails as the platform system matures and competition with alternative platform systems increases. Using data from the video game industry, we find supportive evidence for the free-riding effect, which generates an average loss in total revenue for first-rate games of about $36.5 million and a drop of about 3.3% in the console’s market share. By identifying the conditions that exacerbate free riding in platform ecosystems, our study contributes to the understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of platform ecosystems. It also highlights one feedback mechanism governing collective action in ecosystems and its implications for value creation.
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In the citing paper
“Accordingly, digital platform ecosystems commonly draw on consumer ratings of product quality as a measure indicating the value the platform offering has for its users (Cennamo & Santaló, 2019;Kircher & Foerderer, 2024).”
From What role do data network effects play for multihoming complements? An empirical analysis of platform complementors’ strategies for consumer value creation (2025) · cites this paper as Cennamo & Santaló, 2019
In the citing paper
“As they design their digital product, complementors in platform ecosystems face a trade-off between value creation and value capture in their strategic decisions (Cennamo & Santaló, 2019;Jacobides et al., 2024).”
From What role do data network effects play for multihoming complements? An empirical analysis of platform complementors’ strategies for consumer value creation (2025) · cites this paper as Cennamo & Santaló, 2019
In the citing paper
“Platforms alter how customers access and utilize products and services by extending their value and functionalities (Cennamo & Santaló, 2019).”
From Digital platform ecosystems in flux: From proprietary digital platforms to wide-spanning ecosystems (2023) · cites this paper as Cennamo & Santaló, 2019
In the citing paper
“Consequently, DPEs are likely to consist of a mix of complementors either being exclusively engaged or seeking to multi-home in competing ecosystems to boost sales (Cennamo & Santaló, 2019).”
From Digital platform ecosystems in flux: From proprietary digital platforms to wide-spanning ecosystems (2023) · cites this paper as Cennamo & Santaló, 2019
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Metadata
- Authors
- Cennamo, C., & Santaló, J.
- Affiliations
- Bocconi University (IT)
- Department of Strategy, IE Business School, 28006 Madrid, Spain
- Venue
- Organization Science
- Published
- 2019-05
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 617-641
- ISSN
- 1047-7039 (ISSN-L)
- 1526-5455
- OpenAlex
- W2946420406
- Cited by
- 408
- References
- 58
- Citations by year
- 2026: 63 · 2025: 77 · 2024: 79 · 2023: 63 · 2022: 56 · 2021: 46 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 6
- FWCI
- 48.40
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Organization Science (publishedVersion)
- Archivio istituzionale della Ricerca - Bocconi (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Digital Platforms and Economics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Marketing › Service and Product Innovation
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Science Applications › Open Source Software Innovations
- Keywords
- platform ecosystems, generativity, value creation, free-riding, user satisfaction, collective action theory, complementary innovation, video game industry
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