SMEs' Approaches for Digitalization in Platform Ecosystems

Maren Gierlich, Ronny Schüritz, Malte Volkwein, Thomas Hess

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperResearchpeer-review

Abstract

Changing market dynamics and the rising influence of digitalization increase the demand for digital offerings. Companies innovate their business models and pool their competences in ecosystems to manage digital transformation successfully. In contrast to influential global players, small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) face a different starting position. Due to their limited resources and weak integration in networks, their potential cannot be fully exploited yet. We take an explorative, qualitative research approach to investigate how roles in ecosystems and digitalization approaches of SMEs are related. The findings are based on eleven in-depth interviews with experts. The analysis suggests that the SMEs' roles in ecosystems set the frame for digitalization approaches. Depending on the role, different stages of digitalization are accessible and higher stages can be reached by strategic development in the ecosystem. The work contributes to the understanding of the construct “ecosystems” and its applicability in the context of SMEs' and their digitalization.

Original languageEnglish
Publication date2019
Publication statusPublished - 2019
Externally publishedYes
Event23rd Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems: Secure ICT Platform for the 4th Industrial Revolution, PACIS 2019 - Shaanxi Guesthouse, Xi’an, China
Duration: 8 Jul 201912 Jul 2019
Conference number: 23
http://www.pacis2019.org/

Conference

Conference23rd Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems: Secure ICT Platform for the 4th Industrial Revolution, PACIS 2019
Number23
LocationShaanxi Guesthouse
Country/TerritoryChina
CityXi’an
Period08/07/201912/07/2019
Internet address

Keywords

  • Digital strategy
  • Digitalization
  • Explanatory case study
  • Platform ecosystem
  • Small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs)

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