What Motivates Firms to Contribute to Consortium-Based E-Business Standardization?

Author List: Zhao, Kexin; Xia, Mu; Shaw, Michael J.;
Journal of Management Information Systems, 2011, Volume 28, Issue 2, Page 305-334.
E-business standards are a key infrastructure for electronic commerce. In many industries, they are collaboratively developed by firms in an open and neutral industry consortium. It is imperative to understand what drives firms' resource investments in such consortia, as they are critical for the success of e-business standardization. Based on collective action theory, we propose a research model to investigate the drivers of standard development within consortia. We test the model through a data set of 232 firms from 7 consortia. Consistent with collective action theory, our results demonstrate that firms' interests, resource availability, and consortium management effectiveness jointly determine their resource expenditures within the consortium. However, our exploratory investigation indicates differences between vendors and users, as vendors are more motivated by perceived standard benefits whereas users are more motivated by perceived process benefits. Our research provides a deeper understanding of firms' behaviors within consortia and factors driving their standard making.
Keywords: collective action theory; e-business standards; IT vendors; motivations to contribute; standard consortia; user organizations
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#117 0.312 standards interorganizational ios standardization standard systems compatibility effects cooperation firms industry benefits open interoperability key heterogeneous vertical propose vendors collective
#284 0.092 users user new resistance likely benefits potential perspective status actual behavior recognition propose user's social associated existing base using acceptance
#108 0.090 model research data results study using theoretical influence findings theory support implications test collected tested based empirical empirically context paper
#104 0.087 action research engagement principles model literature actions focus provides developed process emerging establish field build guidance known project elements insights
#42 0.081 perceived results study field individual support effects microcomputer pressure external usefulness test psychological obligations characteristics variables indicate existence availability investigating
#214 0.072 resource resources allocation chargeback manager effectiveness problem firms case gap allocating diverse dependence just bridge cooperative criticality acquisition duplication extent
#224 0.053 complexity task environments e-business environment factors technology characteristics literature affect influence role important relationship model organizational contingent actual map dimension
#15 0.052 motivation intrinsic theory social extrinsic expectancy motivations motivate usage enjoyment rewards consequences reciprocity organizational motivational focus helping system's exploratory substantial