Multi-sided Platforms Adoption in Manufacturing Companies Supply Process: a Configurational Approach

The rise of multi-side platforms (MSPs) has transformed the way businesses transact and collaborate. Platforms have become well-accepted in Business-to-Business (B2B) markets as they facilitate collaborative networking, strategic partnerships, information transparency and traceability. These aspects have become particularly critical in sourcing activities that are becoming an even more strategic area in terms of supplier selection and collaboration. Despite the growing importance of MSPs, the drivers leading to adoption or non-adoption of MSPs in manufacturing companies are still unclear, especially in regards to the sourcing processes. Following Social Network Theory (SNT), Diffusion of Innovation (DOI), and the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, this research identified supply network capabilities, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers as the major determinants of MSPs adoption on the sourcing processes of manufacturing companies. With a sample of 318 upper and middle managers working in SMEs and large companies, the study shows how diverse decisional combinations influence the adoption of MSPs in SMEs and large companies via fsQCA analysis.