Purpose Digitalization has transformed several industries during the past two decades. In this paper the authors focus on the retail sector, where new business models help retailers and suppliers meet the ever changing and demanding needs of retail shoppers. One example of this business model innovation is multi-sided digital platforms, which have become popular as they connect consumers with suppliers from around the world with a large ecosystem to support the retail platform. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of how multi-sided digital platforms are transforming the retail exchange logic and assess the implications and impact of these platform-based businesses on the retail sector, especially for business managers and consumers. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, the authors employ literature review, conceptual analysis and qualitative case study methodology. The authors provide an overview of how the platform economy is affecting the retail sector through the illustration of four digital multi-sided platforms: Alibaba Group, Amazon.com, eBay and Rakuten Group, and what differentiates them from incumbent business models in retailing. Findings The findings suggest that platforms transform the transaction logic of retailing as they simply intermediate transactions between buyers and suppliers rather than handling the entire supply and logistics chain themselves. The authors highlight the role of consumer understanding and Big Data as one example of how multi-sided digital platforms differentiate from their non-platform competitors. Practical implications The paper highlights how incumbent retailers can compete against new forms of business, such as digital platforms, and the authors demonstrate some of the managerial capabilities needed to remain relevant amidst this new digital competition. Originality/value Very little empirical studies in marketing and retail literature have focused on multi-sided digital platforms and their business models. The present study fills this gap with an overview of how multi-sided digital platforms transform the retail sector.

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to bring clarity to the concept of social capital in the value creation in firms from the knowledge management perspective. To discuss the social characteristics of different types of knowledge. Design/methodology/approach-Based on a review of the literature, it is argued that different types of knowledge have the distinctive logic of value creation and social capital. Social capital is seen as a network of individuals with shared norms, beliefs and trust. Findings-The social network structure for explicit knowledge is centralized and maintained by clearly defined rules, beliefs in high quality and trust in organizational hierarchy. The social network structure for tacit knowledge is distributed and maintained by the norms of reciprocity, beliefs in lifelong learning and an incremental trust. Finally, the social network structure for emergent, potential knowledge is decentralized and maintained by liberal norms, beliefs in innovativeness and an enabling type of trust. Practical implications-This paper helps to understand the role of social capital in the value creation of a firm and the connections between different types of knowledge and their corresponding types of social characteristics. Originality/value-This paper presents a holistic approach to explicit, tacit and potential types of knowledge and the argument that all are needed. It is stated that these three types of knowledge form a basis for three management systems of firms.

To provide a theoretical model of the dynamics of intellectual capital creation in regional clusters and in inter-organizational networks. The model has been constructed on the basis of earlier studies, especially system's theoretical interpretation of organizations as knowledge systems, and then applied to the examination of a regional cluster operating in the mechanical wood processing industry in Eastern Finland. Intellectual capital in regional clusters is created by three main knowledge creation activities, each of which corresponds to a specific type of an inter-organizational network. First, production networks aiming at efficiency and replication should function according to mechanistic system logic, focusing on the enactment of rules and regulations. Development networks aiming at continuous incremental development, on the other hand, are most successful when adhering to an organic mode, which emphasizes participation, tacit knowledge sharing, dialogue and mutual adjustments. Finally, innovation networks seeking to produce new intangible assets benefit from a dynamic systems model, where entropy and spontaneous knowledge flows form the basis for mastering radical change. Model should be applied to more cases to ascertain its validity. Provides means for understanding, assessing and managing creation of knowledge-based value in inter-organizational collaboration. Addresses three gaps in existing research: it focuses on regional intellectual capital; it examines the ways in which intellectual capital is created as a dynamic process; it provides means for understanding the future potential of a region.

Purpose-The purpose of this article is to provide a tool to map the critical roles of intermediate organizations. To clarify the concept of intermediate organizations in a regional context, especially from the network dynamics point-of-view. Design/methodology/approach-Regional dynamics are presented as networks of production, development and innovation in the regional cluster. The intermediaries are divided into national, regional and local level actors. The roles of the intermediaries from the network dynamics point-of-view are then illustrated with examples from a case study in a medical technology cluster located in a sparsely inhabited area in Finland. Findings-According to the results of the case study, the regional intermediaries have the most important role in the creation and supporting of the network dynamics. The most critical roles include forming shared innovation strategies between the actors and attracting anchor tenants to the region. Research limitations/implications-The characteristics of the case region are discussed in a generic sense with the concepts of social capital and communities of practice. Practical implications-Conceptually, the article provides an approach to reducing the complexity of the regional networks to a more understandable level. The model provides a tool for the decision makers in a region to define the critical roles of the intermediaries from the network dynamics point-of-view. Originality/value-The novel approach introduced in this paper addresses three gaps in existing research: it helps to define the concept of an intermediary in a regional context; it shows that the intermediaries have a much broader role in a region than just knowledge transfer and that the roles of the intermediaries differ on national, regional and local levels.