Toward an Integrative Framework of Industry Platform Management: A Systematic Literature Review and Agenda for Future Research

Abstract

The advent of industry platforms, with some rising to become among the most valuable companies by market capitalization, has attracted significant attention from both practitioners and academics. While various firms have sought to embrace industry platforms, many have struggled with their management. Although prior research has provided valuable insights into how platform owners manage their industry platforms, the literature remains fragmented across disciplines, narrowly focused on specific topics, and underexplores diverse aspects of platform management. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of industry platform management remains lacking despite substantial research efforts. In response, we conducted a systematic literature review of 359 articles spanning a range of disciplines that focus on industry platforms. This research contributes to the platform literature by conceptualizing industry platform management as the dynamic interplay of interrelated, iterative, and simultaneous processes—creation, integration, orchestration, navigation, and evolution—that collectively shape the emergence, configuration, and advancement of industry platforms. This conceptualization is embodied in an integrative framework that captures the five processes, their underlying approaches, and their inter- and intra-process dynamics. Building on the framework, this research proposes a future research agenda that addresses the key gaps in the platform literature through research directions at the process, intra-process, and inter-process levels.