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Theories and Methods of Science of Science

The Categorization of Digital Platform-based Ecosystems: Exist⁃ ing Literature and Future Directions 

Jiao Hao1 , Yang Jifeng1 , Bai Ying2 

（1.Business School, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100086, China; 2.Economic & Technology Research In⁃ stitute, State Grid Shandong Electric Power Company, Jinan 250022, China）

Abstract: In the era of the digital economy, the value creation of enterprises increasingly  hinges on the digital platform-based ecosystem in which they operate. There is an organic inter⁃ action between the internal physical architecture and social structure of the digital platformbased ecosystems, and these, in turn, co-evolve with the external environment. Undertaking re⁃ search on the categorization of digital platform-based ecosystems is helpful in addressing the  core issue of "the boundaries of digital platform-based ecosystems". It simplifies the complexity  of digital platform-based ecosystems, aids platform participants in devising purposeful strategic  designs and actions, and assists regulatory authorities in crafting more targeted policies. There⁃ fore, based on the theoretical construction methodology, we first employ a typological research  approach to distill the logical starting points of existing categorizations of digital platform-based  ecosystems—based on structure and process perspectives. The structure perspective focuses on  categorizing according to the stable elements and existent units that constitute the digital  platform-based ecosystem, including its activity units, actors, connectivity content, and loca⁃ tional hierarchies. The process perspective highlights categorization based on the interactions, development, and evolutionary processes among the constituents, activity units, and structural el⁃ ements of the digital platform-based ecosystem, including its emergence, collaboration and gov⁃ ernance processes, and value creation and distribution. On this basis, this paper constructs a  classification framework for digital platform-based ecosystems. Firstly, from a monistic perspec⁃ tive, this study categorizes them according to the type of service object into consumer Internet  and industrial Internet; according to the scope of participants into unilateral and multilateral  digital platform-based ecosystems; according to the core function into transactional and innova⁃ tive digital platform-based ecosystems. Secondly, by integrating the structure and process per⁃ spectives, we propose a categorical matrix framework for the unfolding of digital platform-based  ecosystems. Based on the pairwise combinations of relational structures (hierarchy structure, market structure) and activity processes (transaction process, innovation process) of digital  platform-based ecosystems, we outline a matrix including four specific types: regulated transac⁃ tional, leading innovative, free transactional, and open innovative digital platform-based ecosys⁃ tems, and detail the differentiated characteristics of their relational structures, activity processes, applicable scenarios, and development challenges. Finally, this study presents a research out⁃ look on the emergence of diverse categories within digital platform-based ecosystems, aiming to  provide insights with more theoretical granularity for the practical application of digital platform based ecosystems. 

Key words: digital platform-based ecosystems; the current state of research; categorization; platform enterprise