Sociomateriality as a theoretical lens for understanding digital platforms: Integration of architectural and managerial perspectives

Abstract

Digital platforms research is divided into two streams namely, the architectural/information technology stream, and the management/economics stream. Despite several calls to merge them, research efforts remain limited. Examining digital platforms' architecture can provide valuable insights into the management of platform organizations, but management scholars have been inattentive to the "digitality" inherent in platforms, resulting in a research gap. This conceptual work addresses that gap by showing how three types of digital architectures (viz. Ancillary, Additive, and Autonomous) influence four types of value-offerings of a platform (viz. Applications, Physical products, Services, and Content) and their implications for the engagement of users and complementors in the platform's business model. Using sociomateriality theory, it shows how the sociomaterial properties of digital architectures (represented by their “openness” and “generativity”) result in three distinct architectural roles that have significant implications for a platform's management of four different value-offerings. In doing so, it uncovers a significant relationship between digital architectures (i.e., I.T.) and business models (i.e., Management), thereby identifying the connection between the two diverse platform research streams and introducing a framework for management scholars to examine the “digitality” of platforms. More importantly, it reveals the critical role of a platform's digital architecture in determining the products/services, business models and governance mechanisms for a platform business, and develops several propositions for future research.