Platform Ecosystem Governance: Exploring the Cross-Sector Collaboration Mechanisms within the Online Grocery Platform Ecosystem during the City Lockdown Period

Online grocery platform becomes an important tool to meet people’s daily demand for fresh produce and other living essentials during the pandemic. Why do online grocery platforms in Shenzhen come to be highly efficient, well meeting the demand for living essentials during the lockdown period? Existing research on the platform shows the governance of platform owners and other related firms. In our study, however, we examine the orchestration of stakeholders from the perspective of the platform ecosystem which consists not only of firms but also of non-profit organizations. Based on an in-depth case study on the Missfresh online grocery platform, we try to address the question by developing a model that explains why and how the Shenzhen online grocery platform was able to secure the supply of fresh produce during the lockdown period. The model will provide practical guidance on the process of collaboration between stakeholders in different sectors.