HOW DO ORCHESTRATORS ORCHESTRATE? THE EVOLUTION OF INTER-FIRM MODULARITY AND IMPLICATIONS ON THE ARCHITECTURAL SETUP OF ECOSYSTEMS
Type
conference contribution
Date Issued
2025-07-29
Author(s)
Abstract
The supply-side architecture of complex systems has been conceptualized as a source of both value creation and capture. While previous literature suggests that higher multilateral interdependencies between the actors in such systems increase the complexity of orchestration, less is known about architectural consequences. In this paper, we explore architectural control in the collaboration between the orchestrator and prospective complementors by studying ecosystem separability. This empirical study is the first to quantitatively investigate the evolutionary orchestration of complex inter-firm collaboration architectures with high multilateral interdependencies. Drawing from our novel dataset on 30 ecosystems across ten of the largest industries worldwide over a time period of 20 years, we employ a multinomial logit regression. Our results suggest that for each unit increase in ecosystem separability, the odds of the form of collaboration with a prospective complementor to be a joint venture (JV) are 9.6 times higher than the baseline of a nonhierarchical form of collaboration. Counterintuitively, this effect is marginal and not significant for the M&A deal outcome. We also find support that the odds of the form of collaboration with a prospective complementor to be a JV are dampened as the prospective complementor contributes to a module that is new to the ecosystem. Our research challenges ecosystem literature and extends General Modular Systems Theory with implications for theory and practice.
Language
English (United States)
Keywords
ecosystems
inter-firm collaboration
modularity
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Event Title
Academy of Management Annual Conference
Event Location
Copenhagen, DK
Event Date
July 2025
Contact Email Address
alexander.goeritz@unisg.ch
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AOM_2025.pdf
Type
Main Article
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Format
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