Resellers – Key to the long tail conquest : A case study of How to create value for resellers participating in electric vehicle charging platform ecosystems
Heinonen, Elina (2022-04)
Heinonen, Elina
04 / 2022
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2022042730968
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2022042730968
Tiivistelmä
The recent rapid increase of electric vehicles on the roads poses a challenge: how to expand the charging infrastructure at the same pace? While governmental bodies incentivize EV purchases and impose restrictions on internal combustion engine vehicles, the demand for public and privately owned charging infrastructure is surging. A colorful set of EV charging companies are all facing the same challenges with their expansion plans, and reseller models just might provide relief to this burning problem.
The aim of this study is to: 1) build understanding of electric vehicle (EV) charging platform eco- system roles; 2) define the role of a reseller; 3) apply the implications of EV charging platform context to the value creation for the resellers participating in the platform; 4) to explain the value creation mechanisms of the case company for their resellers. The study combines two major research streams, platform ecosystems and value creation, with the specific context of an EV charging platform.
The empirical data was collected with 14 semi-structured interviews with the case company representatives and the reseller partners of the focal firm. The data was analyzed using Gioia methodology, and the abductive process included transcribing the interviews, coding, and thematically categorizing the data. Finally, the results were compared to previous body of knowledge on platform ecosystems, EV charging networks, and value creation in an iterative manner to allow emerging theory to form.
The key findings expose the role of the reseller within the EV charging platform and explains the contextual implications to the value creation mechanisms of the case platform in relation to the classic value creation notions in the literature. The findings raise intriguing questions regarding the nature and extent of the reseller’s role within an EV charging platform ecosystem and provide interesting basis for further research.
The theoretical contribution of this thesis is clarifying the actor roles in the specific architecture of EV charging platform ecosystem, and their implications to the value creation theory. The managerial contributions of the study are useful for assessing an EV charging platform’s value creation mechanisms, and possibly applicable to other platform businesses.
The aim of this study is to: 1) build understanding of electric vehicle (EV) charging platform eco- system roles; 2) define the role of a reseller; 3) apply the implications of EV charging platform context to the value creation for the resellers participating in the platform; 4) to explain the value creation mechanisms of the case company for their resellers. The study combines two major research streams, platform ecosystems and value creation, with the specific context of an EV charging platform.
The empirical data was collected with 14 semi-structured interviews with the case company representatives and the reseller partners of the focal firm. The data was analyzed using Gioia methodology, and the abductive process included transcribing the interviews, coding, and thematically categorizing the data. Finally, the results were compared to previous body of knowledge on platform ecosystems, EV charging networks, and value creation in an iterative manner to allow emerging theory to form.
The key findings expose the role of the reseller within the EV charging platform and explains the contextual implications to the value creation mechanisms of the case platform in relation to the classic value creation notions in the literature. The findings raise intriguing questions regarding the nature and extent of the reseller’s role within an EV charging platform ecosystem and provide interesting basis for further research.
The theoretical contribution of this thesis is clarifying the actor roles in the specific architecture of EV charging platform ecosystem, and their implications to the value creation theory. The managerial contributions of the study are useful for assessing an EV charging platform’s value creation mechanisms, and possibly applicable to other platform businesses.