Project Scope

The project examines sourcing platforms. Operated by incumbent industrial firms and start-ups, industrial firms use these platforms to transact industrial goods such as raw materials and machinery. As sourcing platforms significantly reduce search costs and information ambiguities, they are of increasing strategic relevance for industrial firms and are growing rapidly. However, research on sourcing platforms is still in its infancy. The project aims to develop and validate a conceptual framework of sourcing platform strategic behavior based on insights from the academic literature as well as qualitative and quantitative analyses. With this goal, the project will challenge prevailing theoretical assumptions and offer recommendations for effective strategic choices. In addition, managers will be provided with empirically grounded insights on platform strategies. The project will also contribute to the discourse on the 'platformization' of industrial markets that are highly relevant for the Austrian and European economy.

Contact

Georg Reischauer

News

11.2024: A paper was presented at Leuphana Center for Organization and Societal Transformation Seminar.

11.2024: A paper was presented at the Digital Platform Ecosystems (DPE) Seminar

11.2024: A paper was presented at the Research in ENTrepreneurship and Small Business (RENT) Conference.

10.2024: A project member organized a panel symposium at the Strategic Management Society Conference 2024.

09.2024: The SCOSP-project has ended. The project team is very grateful for the support by the Oesterreichische Nationalbank (Austrian Central Bank, Anniversary Fund) and looks forward to further disseminate the findings generated as part of this project.

08.2024: A project member organized a panel symposium and a presenter symposium at the Academy of Management Meeting 2024. At that conference, a project member also presented a paper.

07.2024: The third-mission article "The Plurality of Digital B2B Platforms" was published.

07.2024: A project member organized a sub-theme on platforms at the European Group for Organizational Studies Colloqium 2024.

06.2024: Two papers were presented at the R&D Management 2024 Conference.

06.2024: An event was organized. At this event, project members as well as and managers provided insights on strategic choices of sourcing platforms in capital-intensive markets.

10.2023: The industry report "B2B Marketplaces for Industrial Goods in Western Countries: Facts and Figures" was released.

09.2023: A master thesis on B2B transaction platforms co-supervised by a project member was completed.

09.2023: Project members organized a panel session at the Strategic Management Society Conference 2023.

09.2023: A paper was presented at the Symplatform 2023 event.

08.2023: A paper was presented at the Academy of Management Meeting 2023. At that conference, a project member also organized a panel symposium and a presenter symposium on platforms.

07.2023: A paper was presented at the European Group for Organizational Studies Colloqium 2023. At that conference, a project member also organized a sub-theme on platforms.

06.2023: Project insights were presented at the industry event "Plattform.Macher Tage".

05.2023: A paper was presented at the International Workshop on the Sharing Economy 2023.

05.2023: A paper was presented at the Austrian Early Scholars Workshop in Management 2023.

04.2023: A paper was presented at the Strategy, Innovation, Corporate Governance, Finance, and International Business (SIIB) Early Career Researchers Conference 2023.

02.2023: A master thesis on the digital customer journey for industrial goods companies co-supervised by a project member was completed.

09.2022: Project members organized a panel session at the Strategic Management Society Conference 2022.

09.2022: A master thesis on how industrial incumbents undertake digital transformations co-supervised by a project member was completed.

08.2022: A project member organized a workshop on platforms and ecosystems at the Academy of Management Meeting 2022.

04.2022: The SCOSP-project has started. This website will provide updates on project progress and project events.

Project Publications

Holzmann, P., Engelmann, A., & Reischauer, G. (2024). “The Plurality of Digital B2B Platforms.” Digital Society Blog. URL: https://www.hiig.de/en/digital-b2b-platforms/

Engelmann, A., Reischauer, G., Gawer, A., & Hoffmann, W. H. (2023). “B2B Marketplaces for Industrial Goods in Western Countries: Facts and Figures.” Report of Project SCOSP. URL: https://short.wu.ac.at/B2B_Platforms_Industrial_Goods