BEYOND BOTTOM-UP VS TOP-DOWN: WHEN AND HOW OF INFRASTRUCTURE GOVERNANCE OVER TIME?

This paper explores the dynamics of governance in the development of corporate infrastructure within industries that consist of diverse stakeholders, such as vendors, contractors, operators, and service providers. Unlike platform-based sectors, these industries lack a centralized platform owner. While many industries strive to establish such ownership, they have yet to succeed, making infrastructuring a more dominant framework in these contexts. In most industries, infrastructure governance combines both top-down and bottom-up approaches. Our study offers a longitudinal perspective on corporate infrastructuring, moving beyond traditional governance models of top-down and bottom-up approaches. We provide empirical evidence of when and how various governance mechanisms come into play during the inception, development, and adoption of corporate infrastructure, specifically in the case of a traditional oil and gas company operating on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS).