Exploring operating mechanisms of agricultural e-commerce service ecosystems from a multileveled perspective

Purpose This research aims to explore the relationships among actors involved in value co-creation, determine how actors integrate resources and identify operating mechanisms of service ecosystems. Design/methodology/approach The study aims were achieved through multiple-case analysis, focusing on four agribusinesses and their ecosystem partners. Findings The authors identified the operating mechanisms of successful agricultural e-commerce service ecosystems. This enabled us to elaborate on the operating processes of the system, including resource integration and institutional compliance. Furthermore, they examined how actors integrate resources through institutional work and institutionalized practices within multilevel service ecosystems, and identified their key constraints and enablers. These pieces of empirical evidence create a comprehensive picture of the interactions among the various levels of the agricultural e-commerce service ecosystem. Originality/value Integrating a multilevel perspective and network dynamics into a service-dominant logic approach to value co-creation is a novel contribution. The authors explored the highly social, dynamic and interactive process in which different e-commerce actors come together to solve their problems. Insights gained serve those interested in applying a more systemic approach to service ecosystem development. Specifically, the authors explained how service ecosystems co-create value through resource integration from the perspective of network dynamics. This served as a response to Shukla et al. (2023), who called for research into alternative mechanisms to exploit the benefits of virtual platforms, especially for low-resource actors at the bottom of the ecosystem pyramid. Moreover, this work recognizes emergence and institutionalization as interrelated processes for value co-creation in service ecosystems.