Version 1
: Received: 4 August 2023 / Approved: 4 August 2023 / Online: 7 August 2023 (10:42:19 CEST)
How to cite:
Soto R., A.C. Digital Platforms That Do Well and Do Good. Platform Architecture for Sustainability. Preprints2023, 2023080467. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202308.0467.v1
Soto R., A.C. Digital Platforms That Do Well and Do Good. Platform Architecture for Sustainability. Preprints 2023, 2023080467. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202308.0467.v1
Soto R., A.C. Digital Platforms That Do Well and Do Good. Platform Architecture for Sustainability. Preprints2023, 2023080467. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202308.0467.v1
APA Style
Soto R., A.C. (2023). Digital Platforms That Do Well and Do Good. Platform Architecture for Sustainability. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202308.0467.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Soto R., A.C. 2023 "Digital Platforms That Do Well and Do Good. Platform Architecture for Sustainability" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202308.0467.v1
Abstract
The rise of multi-sided digital platforms has transformed the global economy, enabling individuals and companies to create, deliver, and capture value through innovative connections and network effects. While scholars have studied the core strategy concepts and proposed platform architectures, less attention has been paid to the long-term sustainability of these platforms. This paper addresses this gap by examining the relationship between sustainability and platform architecture. Specifically, it asks what mechanisms characterize digital platforms for sustainability, and whether there are design choices that optimize the business model for sustainability. Using a mixed-methods approach that draws on platform literature, business models, and sustainable innovation, the paper develops an integrative framework to identify elements and design choices in platform businesses which support sustainability outcomes. The framework is then used to classify the business models of the identified platforms, revealing specific design choices for platform architecture that can optimize their business models for sustainability. This contribution to existing literature provides an artifact that allocates key decisions on value creation, delivery, and capture that are key to platforms and includes an additional layer to optimize them for long-term sustainability. As digital platforms continue to drive the economy, this research is relevant not only to platform practitioners, but also to policy makers and society at large.
Keywords
Digital platforms; sustainability; business model design; business models for sustainability
Subject
Business, Economics and Management, Business and Management
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
