Unravelling Open Innovation Platform Evolution in Value Creation: Technology Affordances and Constraints

Considerable attention has been paid to digital platform-mediated innovation and value realization, but much less work exists to illustrate the emerging application of open innovation platforms, particularly in knowledge-intensive companies. Understanding the value creation mechanisms of platform-based open innovation is critical for firms to effectively engage in open innovation activities and enhance their performance in today’s digital age. Drawing on technology affordance and constraint theory (TACT) and based on longitudinal multiple case studies, we identify action possibilities afforded by this type of digital platforms. Specifically, we uncover four types of affordances, organizational memory affordance, product/service development affordance, collaborative affordance and opportunity discovery affordance. More importantly, we identify the phases of affordance evolution—exploitative affordance, affordance ambidexterity, and connected affordance synergies, which enriches our understanding of how platform and organization can co-evolve to cope with constraints that arise and undergird their competitive advantage through value creation and value capture activities.