The Platform Organization: Translation of a Management Concept into Strategy and Structure

This research project builds upon our past research on the emergence, diffusion, and adaptation of management concepts and forms of organizing. However, a novel phenomenon is being investigated: the platform concept and its various translations in organization contexts. In this research project, we are exploring the role of the platform concept for organizational change processes. We study the phenomenon in three arenas: organization and management research, in popular management press, and in one concrete organization (a German mobility company) that is undergoing a strategic transformation process. By investigating the platform concept on the field-level and the organizational level we aim at extending our knowledge on the translation of management concepts in general and widening our understanding of the platform concept in particular. Moreover, our research contributes to the strategy development process of our case company.