Orchestrating a digital platform ecosystem to address societal challenges: A robust action perspective

Authors

Atta Addo, Department of Digital Economy, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Surrey Center of Digital Economy (CODE), University of Surrey, Guildford UK

Document Type

Research Article

Abstract

Orchestration of digital platform ecosystems has been well examined in the context of markets and the private sector where an orchestrator is a resourceful firm exploiting commercial opportunities in an industry. However, little is known about how it occurs when a government organization orchestrates to address societal challenges. We build upon the construct of “robust action”—identified with chess masters who play to advance a broad strategy while simultaneously maintaining flexibility—to explain how orchestration by a government organization might overcome initiation, stabilization, expansion, and meta-governance challenges through digital platform-enabled participative architecture, multivocal inscriptions, and distributed experimentation. Evidence for our theoretical framework is drawn from empirical studies of the Aadhaar, a platform ecosystem orchestrated to address multiple societal challenges stemming from identity and its management.

DOI

10.1177/02683962221088333

Recommended Citation

Addo, Atta (2022) "Orchestrating a digital platform ecosystem to address societal challenges: A robust action perspective," Journal of Information Technology: Vol. 37: Iss. 4, Article 3.
DOI: 10.1177/02683962221088333
Available at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/jit/vol37/iss4/3