Navigating Ecosystem Architectural Innovations: Impacts on Suppliers and Complementors
Abstract:
Ecosystem architectural innovations reshape the interdependencies between lead firms, suppliers, and complementors, influencing their innovation strategies and performance. This project examines how ecosystem members respond to these disruptions. First, complementors face performance shortfalls when architectural innovations alter technological interactions, but alignment with the ecosystem leader—through technological and flow synchronization—helps mitigate these effects. Second, suppliers’ specialization toward the lead firm’s technology is conditioned by their network positions, with brokers face adaptation challenges. Furthermore, supplier-complementor alliances provide critical downstream knowledge that moderates both complementor adaptation and supplier specialization. Using empirical insights from Apple’s ecosystem, this synthesis highlights how architectural innovations drive ecosystem evolution, shaping strategic decisions and value creation across multiple interdependent actors.
主讲人介绍：Sali Li (PhD University of Utah) is a Moore Professor at the Sonoco International Business Department at the Darla Moore School of Business. He is also a Rugman Fellow at University of Reading. His current work explores how digital platform ecosystems innovate, iterate, and internationalize. Professor Li teaches Global Strategy and Negotiation courses in the MBA, PhD, and Executive Education programs and has received several teaching awards. His work has been published or is forthcoming in: Academy of Management Review, Harvard Business Review, Journal of Business Venturing, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Management, Journal of Management Studies, Organization Science, Strategic Management Journal, etc. His research on the internationalization of digital innovation was awarded the Rugman Prize by the Academy of International Business. Professor Li’s research has also won the Lazardis Award for Journal of Business Venturing’s Best Paper of the Year in 2020, Temple/AIB Best Paper Award at Academy of International Business, and the GWU-CIBER Best Paper Award on Emerging Markets at Academy of Management. In addition, he also serves as a consulting editor at Journal of International Business Studies, and an associate editor of Journal of World Business.