Who Does What? Evolving Division of Responsibilities in a B2B Platform

To remain vital, a digital platform ecosystem requires governance. In the extant literature a platform ecosystem typically has a single focal actor who is responsible for the governance. We conducted a case study in heavy industry to understand how the responsibilities of a focal actor in governing a business-to-business platform ecosystem are shared and how they change. We observe the division of responsibilities and their changes as configurations. We conclude that the focal actor’s responsibilities in a platform ecosystem are more multifaceted than the established view where a single actor has a stable set of responsibilities. The division of responsibilities in an ecosystem is subject to actor strategies and their positions in the supply chain. Thus, the strategic moves in an ecosystem are not made by a single actor but by multiple focal actors with multiple strategies.