Research agenda for the digital economy

Abstract

In this study, a research agenda is proposed to understand the current development and future landscape of the digital economy. The shift from the industrial economy to a digital economy brings tremendous changes in terms of new production factors, new organizations, new models, and new contexts, calling for a new theoretical framework. Therefore, the IBCDE framework is proposed for digital economy research from five perspectives: digital infrastructure (I), to-B industry platforms (B), to-C two-sided platforms (C), data ecosystem (D), and economic contexts (E). By relating the current practice of the digital economy with extant literature, potential directions for future research are identified.