Phenomena First: How Real-World Problems Build Better Theory — Lessons from Platform Ecosystem Research and the Road to AI
Digital platforms, ecosystem governance, and AI are reshaping markets and institutions. This talk examines how the study of platform ecosystems evolved into a cumulative research program grounded in phenomenon-based theorizing. It argues that enduring scholarly contribution requires sustained engagement with real-world problems and the development of domain expertise. As AI transforms digital markets and regulatory scrutiny intensifies, the talk makes the case for a renewed commitment to phenomena-first research in strategy and organization studies, and a call for scholars to prioritize domain expertise over theoretical fashion.
Carmelo Cennamo
Copenhagen Business School
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Carmelo Cennamo is Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at Copenhagen Business School, Affiliate Professor at SDA Bocconi School of Management, and has been a faculty member at Bocconi University, visiting research fellow at Harvard University and visiting professor at IE Business School and St. Gallen University. A frequent keynote speaker in academic and corporate events, he is a leading expert on competition in digital platform markets, and on business ecosystems. His research aims at understanding competitive dynamics in digital markets, and the strategies for managing platform ecosystems. Recently, his focus is on the impact of platforms on traditional sectors, and the policy implications in terms of market definition, competition, and antitrust. His work has appeared in top academic journals such as SMJ, OrgSci, JMS, JoM, ISR, RP as well as HBR, MIT SMR, CMR and FT. On competition policy, he was one of the three experts invited by the European Parliament committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) to review the EU Digital Markets Act, and has provided comments and authored different articles on digital platforms regulation. He is also the director of the Digital MarketsCompetition Forum at CBS, and the Platform Economy & Regulation Lab at SDA Bocconi, bridging academic research and practice on the pressing challenges for competition regulation in digital markets.