Exploring Design Principles for SME Complementor-Suitable Digital Platforms

Background: Some of the world's most valuable platform businesses rely on products and services provided by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Though, the modern digital platform economy is increasingly shaped by uncertainties and power asymmetries benefitting dominant platform owners and threatening smaller players participating as complementors in those ecosystems. Negative consequences include lock-in effects and platform dependency, exploitative participation terms and eroded entrepreneurial autonomy on the SMEs' side, which altogether harm the digital platforms' long-term viability, too. Addressing these issues, this paper investigates design principles for digital platforms taking SME complementors' needs into account.Objective: This study investigates design principles for digital platforms that enhance suitability for SMEs as complementors, focusing on stakeholder-centric platform design approaches that better accommodate SME-specific needs and requirements. In this, this study aims to address current negative developments concerning imbalanced power dynamics and uncertainties emerging from platform owner-SME-partnerships in dominant digital platform ecosystems.Methods: A qualitative reflective meta-analysis approach was employed, combining explorative expert interviews with SME specialists and a thematic literature review of SME platform design research. The methodology synthesized findings to identify meta-requirements and derive design principles through interpretive analysis.Results: Eleven meta-requirements were identified and synthesized into four design principles: the principle of SME empowerment, the principle of open boundaries, the principle of transparent and fair participation terms, and the principle of reflection of individuality. In combination, these principles aim to inform future digital platform design that takes SME complementor needs into account.Conclusion: The conceptual proposal of four design principles guides researchers and practitioners in creating SME-suitable digital platforms with stakeholder-centric design approaches. The principles enable digital platform models that accommodate diverse SME requirements, enhance participation experiences, and foster collaborative ecosystems tailored to SME characteristics and their operational contexts.