*Uncertainty in Digital Platforms and Ecosystems: The Dynamic Interplay
Between Knowledge Problems *Nova Southeastern University
The information systems literature has long argued that innovation
drives uncertainties in organizations. While extant research has
extensively studied knowledge problems in the traditional firm setting and
their implications on organizing and decision making, an updated
understanding is required in relation to uncertainties within digital
platforms and ecosystems, where organizational boundaries are blurred and
downstream movement is becoming more popular. To address this issue, we
explore the different dimensions of uncertainties in the digital platforms
and ecosystems by classifying them based on the knowledge problems that
dominantly contribute to their formation and the platform actors facing
such uncertainties. A higher-level uncertainty emerges as a result of the
interactions within these dimensions. In addition, the interactions evolve
in longitudinal and dynamic patterns due to the complex nature of digital
platforms and ecosystems.
From an economics perspective, platforms are special kinds of markets
that facilitate an exchange among end-users. The concept of external
platforms supplying innovative products is similar to that of multi-sided
markets in the economics literature . Both strategy and economics research
emphasize the importance of network effects. Network effects or network
externalities have been closely associated with platforms in which the
increased number of platform users has an impact on the value created for
each user . Whereas positive network effects refer to the ability of a
large, well-managed platform community to generate significant value for
each user of the platform, negative network effects indicate the
possibility that a growing, yet poorly managed, platform community can
diminish the value produced for each user . In addition, there could be the
issue of network congestion resulting from an undesired increase in the
network size. These positive or negative network effects have also been
classified as being direct, benefiting the same side of the platform, or
indirect, benefiting the platform’s cross sides .
Although industry platforms or multi-sided markets are built to exploit the
collective technological, social, and economic values via resource
optimization , some interactions among the platform actors may result in
negative externalities. According to Parker et al. negative externalities
are one of the main causes of market failure. In their view, along with
Cohen and Sundararajan , negative externalities occur when a given
interaction results in unintended spillover costs. Evans examined the
causes of negative externalities and recognized their effects on the
interacting actors. The causes he observed ranged from fraud,
misrepresentation, and other opportunistic or offensive behaviors to poor
and asymmetric information.
>From the perspective of information systems research, the majority of
platform discussions revolve around managing digital ecosystems, most
specifically a software ecosystem, where software-based platforms are open
to third-party developers . In general, platform-based businesses need to
have the “right level” of governance in order to function optimally.
Defining uncertainty as a problem of lack of knowledge implies
that it can be reduced by increasing the availability of relevant
information. Thus, theories on organizational learning and knowledge-based
views of the firm are helpful to manage uncertainty and other
knowledge-related problems . Acquiring such knowledge, however, is not an
easy process, especially in an innovation context. Innovation requires
knowledge that varies in both depth and breadth, requiring a considerable
set of knowledge components. The greater the set of knowledge components
required, the higher the expected uncertainty or variability of the
innovation outcomes .
It is essential to understand whether the knowledge problems fall
under epistemic uncertainties or ontological uncertainties. This
understanding could be achieved by paying close attention to the potential
misdiagnosis of uncertainty as another knowledge problem, which results
from the mismatch between the perceived knowledge problem and the actual
knowledge problem . Such misdiagnosis may mislead managerial decisions and
result in financial loss.
Proposition 1: *Complexity is the main factor that impacts resource,
coordination, timing, and market uncertainties faced by platform owners
within digital platforms and ecosystems*.
Proposition 2: *Equivocality is the key driver for technological and
behavioral user uncertainties in digital platforms and ecosystems*.
Proposition 3:
*Ambiguity related to the nature of platforms plays a major role in
creating the uncertainty faced by the platform regulators. *
*A path-dependent higher level of unpredictability that dynamically emerges
from the interactions between the uncertainties experienced by the
different actors in the platform ecosystem and how these actors respond to
their respective uncertainties. *, we argued that complexity,
equivocality, and ambiguity contribute to different dimensions of
uncertainty in digital platforms and ecosystems. In doing so, we explain
how the conceptualization of uncertainty is influenced by the structural
aspects of digital platforms and ecosystems. Our contribution is threefold.
First, we classify the dimensions of uncertainty in platforms and
ecosystems based on the knowledge problem that dominantly contributes to
these dimensions. Second, we conceptualize platforms and ecosystems
uncertainty as a higher level of unpredictability concerning the multiple
actors in the platform ecosystem. Third, we articulate the possible pattern
by which this uncertainty emerges from the interactions among the actors’
uncertainties and the way they choose to respond to them.
Future research may extend our classification of uncertainty dimensions by
addressing different levels to categorize uncertainties in relation to
other potential knowledge problems. In addition, we highlight several areas
for extending and enhancing our research. One important avenue for research
concerning the *complexity *of digital platforms and ecosystems. Some
unexplored questions in this domain include:
● Considering the complexity and the multilateral interdependence in
digital platforms and ecosystems, how may problems experienced by
individual actors transform into a concern for the collective community
over time?
● How is collective sensemaking in the context of digital platforms and
ecosystems different from sensemaking in the traditional organizational
context?
*Ambiguity *in digital platforms is another critical area that requires
further investigation by incorporating the regulators’ perspectives. Here
are a few suggested questions:
● How can digital platforms introduce and apply appropriate scaling
strategies while managing ambiguity levels for users and regulators?
● What are the effects of regulators’ ambiguities on the potential growth
of platforms and ecosystems?
● How can regulators institutionalize an adaptive set of regulations
governing the dynamic digital platforms and ecosystems?
*Equivocality *in the context of digital platforms is also in a position
for future research The following questions provide an initial proposal in
that direction:
● What is the effect of equivocality among actors of the platform and
ecosystem on the collective value creation and capture?
● How can the platform owner manage the equivocality problem among the
actors of the platform and ecosystem?
K Rajaram IRS 19 10 23
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Markendeya Yeddanapudi <[email protected]>
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2023 at 07:54
Subject: The Spectrum of Paradigms
To: ggroup <[email protected]>, thatha patty <
[email protected]>, <[email protected]>,
Satyanarayana Kunamneni <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>,
viswanatham vangapally <[email protected]>, Ramamurti PV <
[email protected]>, Rajaram Krishnamurthy <[email protected]>,
Rangarajan T.N.C. <[email protected]>, Kunamneni Satyanarayana <
[email protected]>, Ramu S <[email protected]>, Deepali Hadker <
[email protected]>, Krishnamacharyulu Nanduri <
[email protected]>
--
*Mar*The Spectrum of Paradigms
A Paradigm is the connecting perception base, to which new experiences will
be connected to, to achieve additional perception and understanding.
Without a paradigm to connect to, there can be no understanding and its
conversion into perception. Every experience of life becomes a paradigm.
Paradigm building is living.
Heat means the movement of molecules and atoms in a piece of matter or in a
place. The study of the movement of molecules and atoms is the subject
matter of Thermodynamics. Now we are living on earth because of the
particular needed Thermodynamic situation. If the temperature rises to say
just 800c, we cannot live. But there can be life forms which need that
particular heat situation. To those life forms the whole gamut of paradigms
and understanding will be very different, and the resulting emotions of
life cannot be understood by us. And we cannot understand and conceptualize
the lives and understandings of say, the life forms in hot lava.
The electromagnetic waves are everywhere, and the variety of
photon-synthesis is simply infinite. The contours of emotional dynamics
must be infinite in number, if we succeed in numbing the variety into a
number. Every life form basically is a photon-synthesized form. The energy
needed to live depends on the flow of photons in you. You are a
manifestation of the curvature of space-time, which means, the
gravitational pull of the electromagnetic waves into you. You are connected
to the cosmos. You can live only as long as you can photon-synthesize.
Where the electromagnetic waves are at their natural speed of light, there
can be no photon synthesis, the situation of the vast vacuum, the
volume-less infinity. Only when some of them are in gravitational capture
and slow down, they become subjects with all sorts of predications,
paradigms of predications etc.
The vacuum must be eager to get curved by gravitation and create the
photon-synthesis or consciousness and notice of consciousness. The gigantic
vacuum is potential consciousness, which gains consciousness when a subject
to be conscious about is created, by the curvature creation of space-time.
A natural development of the subject Thermodynamics must be
Paradigm-dynamics. Then the subject Thermodynamics enters into the studies
of Consciousness-dynamics.
Now what is the Thermodynamic situation in you, when you are happy, when
you are in rapture or as is the case today when you are unhappy and plagued
by the foolish lesson that you have to accept uncertainty and probability,
as the basic property of everything? Every word, phrase, clause and
sentence, touches feelings and emotions and so have Thermodynamic
consequences.
Imagine the emotional dynamics in the whole universe, governed by
Thermodynamics.
And can we diagnose feelings and moods on the basis of the readings of the
Thermometer? Can it be used in Cognition studies? Cognition, feelings,
emotions, understandings, paradigms…, all is related to electromagnetism,
the basic property of the Universe. And where are these electromagnetic
waves going at the speed of light? Wherever they are curved and captured by
gravitation, they create the manifestations of gravitation. There must be
voyages of feelings and cognition in the universe. Can we relate to them
with technology or relate to them mechanically?
Is there no place at all for the approach of our great Maharishis,
Mahamunis, Spiritualists, etc, who strive to expand their reach and horizon
of consciousness, without using any machine? But that approach needs, free
Nature, without human tampering.
As it is we are in the frenzy for technology, more and more technology, for
machines which cannot feel. The very basic faculty of paradigm building is
taken over by machines.
YM
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