Different roles, different strokes: disseminating e‐WOM in industrial internet platform through multi‐actor value co‐creation

Prior research has primarily focused on electronic Word of Mouth (e-WOM) in consumer markets, lacking in-depth exploration of its dynamics within B2B contexts. Addressing this gap, our study investigates e-WOM in B2B markets on industrial internet platforms. Specifically, we examine how digital platform capabilities can be leveraged to create positive e-WOM through multi-actor value co-creation processes. Utilizing a case study approach, we analyze heterogeneous data from multiple sources to understand how digital platform capabilities—such as digital ecological capability, digital coordination capability, and digital innovation capability—promote multi-actor value co-creation (including intrapreneurship within the focal firm, support for complementary products or services, and users' reciprocal participation), thereby disseminating positive e-WOM in B2B markets. Our findings provide insights into e-WOM in B2B markets and reveal the mechanisms of multi-actor value co-creation through which digital platform capabilities activate e-WOM. This study enriches the theoretical framework of e-WOM in B2B contexts and underscores the significance of digital transformation in enhancing interaction and collaboration among multiple actors on industrial internet platforms.