Conflict-Engineered Platforms: Harnessing Contradictions for Strategic Renewal

While most research seeks to resolve or avoid conflict (see Ochinanwata et al., 2023; Chen & Sun, 2021), real-world ecosystems often thrive on paradox and contradiction—think of open vs. closed platform debates, or conflicting institutional logics. This idea posits that platforms could deliberately introduce or highlight conflicts to accelerate learning, innovation, and strategic renewal. For instance, alternating between competing governance models, or fostering rival sub-ecosystems, could create productive tension and prevent stagnation. By integrating conflict theory with strategic management and platform design, this research would develop frameworks and empirical tests for “conflict-engineered” strategies, expanding the toolkit for platform resilience and adaptability.

References:

1. The institutional impact on the digital platform ecosystem and innovation. Chinedu Ochinanwata, P. Igwe, Dragana Radicic (2023). International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research.
2. DETERMINANTS OF PLATFORM ECOSYSTEM HEALTH: AN EXPLORATION BASED ON GROUNDED THEORY. Yun Chen, Yaowu Sun (2021). Journal of Business and Economic Management.