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Small Businesses Participating in Digital Platform Ecosystems - A Descriptive Literature Review

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Digital Transformation (PLAIS EuroSymposium 2023)

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Abstract

The emergence of digital multi-sided platforms has disrupted day-to-day business in many industries. Nowadays, many small businesses participate in digital platform (DP) ecosystems and act as value creators or complementors. Investigating the small business perspective does not have a rich tradition in platform research yet. In response, this paper presents a systematic literature review (SLR) analyzing the thematic points of focus and highlighting new avenues for information systems and small business research. We find that objectives related to digital transformation, digital strategy- and business model-development, and DP adoption are fundamental topics in the conjunction of small business and DP ecosystems. Based on the findings, an agenda for future research is developed, including propositions for practice-oriented and human-centered approaches fostering sustilience, innovation capabilities and digital leadership competencies in small businesses facing DP ecosystem participation.

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  1. Department of Business and Management, Brandenburg University of Applied Sciences, Magdeburger Str. 50, 14770, Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany

    Lukas R. G. Fitz & Jochen Scheeg

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  1. University of Gdansk, Sopot, Poland

    Jacek Maślankowski

  2. University of Gdansk, Sopot, Poland

    Bartosz Marcinkowski

  3. University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

    Paulo Rupino da Cunha

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Fitz, L.R.G., Scheeg, J. (2023). Small Businesses Participating in Digital Platform Ecosystems - A Descriptive Literature Review. In: Maślankowski, J., Marcinkowski, B., Rupino da Cunha, P. (eds) Digital Transformation. PLAIS EuroSymposium 2023. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, vol 495. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43590-4_3

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