Organizational buyersxe2x80x99 assimilation of B2B platforms: Effects of ITenabled service functionality Abstract   This paper investigates service functionality in the domain of B2B platform assimilation from the buyerxe2x80x99s perspective. Using a customer service life cycle framework, we identified five dimensions of service functionality, namely, information search, negotiation, acquisition, ownership, and retirement. We theorize that the importance of these dimensions is contingent upon current level of B2B platform assimilation. Furthermore, building on an enablerinhibitor perspective, we theorize that the benefits and top management support are the enablers, whereas assimilation costs, managerial complexity, and demand uncertainty are the inhibitors of a firmxe2x80x99s future decision to assimilate a B2B platform. Using a twostaged field survey, we tested our theory on a sample of 191 professionals. The results indicate that the importance of service functionality dimensions varies depending on the current level of service assimilation, namely, the importance of information search functionalities decreases while the importance of ownership and retirement functionalities increases as the firms move from the awareness stage to the general deployment stage. Furthermore, our results indicate that benefits and top management support enable future platform assimilation irrespective of the assimilation stage a firm is in currently. Assimilation costs were found to have negative impact on future platform assimilation among the companies who had a low level of current assimilation. However, the effect became nonsignificant for the companies with a higher level of current assimilation. Our paper contributes to the theory development by (i) showing that the importance of different IT mediated services is contingent upon current level of assimilation; and (ii) showing which factors retain their importance throughout the assimilation stages. We describe management implications for B2B platform owners and buyer organizations.

Value codestruction: Exploring the role of actorsxe2x80x99 opportunism in the B2B context Abstract   This exploratory study investigates value codestruction in the BusinesstoBusiness (B2B) context and examines the impact of actorsxe2x80x99 opportunistic behaviour on value cocreation. The research undertakes an indepth case study based approach. It uses data triangulation, where multiple sources of evidence (interviews, conference audio recordings and documents) are collected from the case organisation (a vendor) and its service ecosystem partners in the ICT sector. The partners included in the study are distributors, channel partners, competitors, and customers. B2B alliances are driven by the motivations to maximise strategic value and minimise transaction cost. Thus, using the ecosystem lens, we find that actorsxe2x80x99 capabilities (resources and perceived value), vendoru0027s approach to achieving strategic benefit and the channel governance mechanism enable value cocreation. However, using the transaction cost theory lens, we report that actorsxe2x80x99 opportunistic behaviour, technological disruptions and new business model challenges lead to value codestruction (in the form of termination of relationship, conflict and business liquidation). Alliance partners need to evaluate the strategic benefits of collaboration, knowledge sharing, learning, trust building, market expansion and technology sharing, considering partnersxe2x80x99 selfserving behaviour driven by transaction cost economies. All ecosystem actors are seeking to develop capabilities, exhibit knowledge differentiators, demonstrate technology leadership, reduce uncertainty and respond to new business model challenges thus causing value codestruction. Thus, this research is more encompassing because it explores factors that lead to both value cocreation and codestruction.