Optimal Distinctiveness and Apps’ Participation on Mini-programs Platforms

Platforms have become an important meta-organization to orchestrate re-sources and coordinate interests in the digital economy. Market positioning is crucial for value creation and value capture by platform complementors. Based on the theory of Optimal Distinctiveness, this paper examines the relationship between Apps’ positioning and their participation in Mini-Program (MP) platform. Unlike traditional digital platforms, APP needs to make decisions on positioning in light of both the platform owner and other apps within the same category on the platform. The paper finds that the more similar the APP is to the MP platform owner, the more inclined it is to participate in the platform, and the more similar it is to the positioning of other APPs within the same category of the MP platform the more inclined it is to participate in the platform. In addition, complementors with high reputation tend to have stronger relationships between positioning similarity and participation decision, complementors with better relationship with the platform owner tend to have weaker relationships between positioning similarity and participation decision. This paper deepens the understanding on the behavior and decision-making by platform complementors, and provides practical implications for complementors to make correct platform selection decisions. Please polish the paragraph.