Purpose

Digital platforms increase their function and scope by leveraging boundary resources and complementary add-on products from third-party developers to interact with external entities and producers. Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are essential boundary resources developers use to connect applications, systems and platforms. This notwithstanding, previous API studies tend to focus more on the technical dimensions, with little on the social and cultural contexts underpinning API innovations. This study relies on the new (neo) institutional theory (focusing on regulative, normative and cultural-cognitive pillars) as an analytical lens to understand the institutional forces that affect API integration among digital firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts a qualitative case study methodology and relies on phone calls and a semi-structured in-depth interview approach of a Ghanaian digital music platform to uncover the institutional forces affecting API integration.

Findings

The findings reveal that regulative institutions such as excessive tax regimes mostly constrained API development and integration initiatives. However, other regulative institutions like the government digitalization agenda enabled API integration. Normative institutions, such as the growing use of e-payment options, enabled API integration in digital music platforms. Cultural-cognitive institutions like employee ego constrained the API integration process in music digital platforms.

Originality/value

This study primarily contributes to deepening understanding of the relevant literature by exploring the institutional forces that affect API integration among digital firms in a developing economy. The study also uncovered a new form of an institution known as motivational institution as an enabler for API development and integration in digital music platforms.

中文翻译：

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应用程序编程接口开发和集成的机构视角

 目的

数字平台通过利用边界资源和第三方开发商的补充附加产品与外部实体和生产者互动来扩大其功能和范围。应用程序编程接口 (API) 是开发人员用来连接应用程序、系统和平台的重要边界资源。尽管如此，之前的 API 研究往往更多地关注技术层面，而很少关注支撑 API 创新的社会和文化背景。本研究依靠新（新）制度理论（重点关注监管、规范和文化认知支柱）作为分析镜头，以了解影响数字公司之间 API 集成的制度力量。

设计/方法论/途径

该研究采用定性案例研究方法，依靠电话和对加纳数字音乐平台的半结构化深度访谈方法来揭示影响 API 集成的制度力量。

 发现

研究结果表明，过高的税收制度等监管制度主要限制了 API 的开发和集成举措。然而，其他监管机构（例如政府数字化议程）启用了 API 集成。规范机构（例如电子支付选项的日益使用）使得 API 能够集成到数字音乐平台中。员工自我等文化认知机构限制了音乐数字平台中的 API 集成过程。

 原创性/价值

这项研究主要通过探索影响发展中经济体中数字公司之间 API 集成的制度力量来加深对相关文献的理解。该研究还发现了一种新形式的机构，称为激励机构，作为 API 开发和数字音乐平台集成的推动者。