Defining a Super App and Analyzing It from an Ecosystemic Perspective

Defining a Super App and Analyzing It from an Ecosystemic Perspective | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Defining a Super App and Analyzing It from an Ecosystemic Perspective Durval Lucas Jr, Evandro Luiz Lopes This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4542297/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The creation of super apps is a recent development, establishing itself as the new pinnacle of increased technology and digital market participation in retail operations. It is primarily inspired by Chinese apps, open platforms where partners can create mini-applications and make them available to users. Although the rise of super apps is a widely disseminated phenomenon, there has been a lack of harmonization regarding the concept. Therefore, this paper aims to present a definition of the super app concept, analyzing how it consolidates the perspective oriented towards digital ecosystems. To this end, a systematic literature review was conducted, which included, at the end of the screening process, 26 scientific articles published in journals from the years 2018 to 2023. Following the analysis, a harmonized concept of super apps was achieved. Furthermore, it was observed that the concept is divided into two specific viewpoints, characterized by their geographical origin and the way these apps materialize digital ecosystems. These viewpoints support the perspective of DeSanctis and Poole (1994) and Schmitz et al. (2016) regarding the variability in technology appropriation processes, disciplined by the social context in which these artifacts are embedded. Figures Figure 1 1 Introduction Once the growing proliferation of mobile devices worldwide, especially smartphones, apps have become the primary tool for communication between companies and their customers. By making these apps available to users, companies seek greater personalization of their value propositions by obtaining data that characterizes their users and customizing offers and marketing communication. As the features and services offered by apps expand, a new category of the app, known as the "super app", has emerged. Increasingly sophisticated, super apps have several features that go beyond the traditional business model, known as virtual stores. In the Brazilian context, most super app projects offer new services to enhance customers' experiences and encourage them to remain connected. Therefore, the experiences companies provide in the retailing and financial sectors deserve to be highlighted. Retailing companies offer financial products related to the purchasing journey, such as credit cards, microinsurance, bank accounts, and digital wallets [ 1 ]. Financial companies offer non-financial products in their apps, such as gadgets, wines, or even grocery items. In all these cases, the main goal is to obtain more data regarding customers' profiles to make tailor-made offers and increase engagement levels with their brands. Considering that several companies are creating apps to offer experiences to their customers, a significant challenge is keeping their apps on users’ devices as much as possible. This phenomenon is observed in developing economies once people purchase devices with low memory capacity, implying they must carefully select the apps they install and keep. In this respect, the more essential features an app has, the more likely the user is to keep it installed [ 2 ]. Super apps have become relevant in Brazil over the last few years [ 3 ]. It represents a new chapter of the growing presence of technology and the digital market in retail operations [ 4 ]. Its main inspiration is Chinese apps, as several are open platforms for any company to create its mini-apps and offer them to users [ 5 ]. Although the rise of super apps is widespread, there is a lack of consensus regarding the “super app” concept. In literature, it is not uncommon to find discussions that contextualize a super app and exemplify it [ 6 – 12 ]. However, it is not clearly conceptualized. In this sense, this lack of consensus implies certain difficulty regarding whether a particular mobile app should be classified as a super app. Considering the arguments presented so far, this paper aims to present a definition of the super app concept, analyzing how it consolidates the perspective oriented toward digital ecosystems. For this purpose, we have conducted a systematic literature review, which included, after a screening process, 26 papers published in journals from 2018 to 2023. These papers were selected because they included conceptualizations (albeit rudimentary), characterizations, and applications in various countries and market segments. The primary justification for this research lies in the growing interest of researchers and companies in better understanding the potential impact of super apps on companies' value propositions, increasing user engagement levels, and creating new business models. Therefore, it is necessary to set a consensus that adequately reflects the characteristics of a super app and allows different studies worldwide to be reviewed and compared. Consequently, the contribution of this research is that it presents a super app concept, which enables the classification of apps technically and objectively, allowing a global approach to the topic. 2 Theoretical Background 2.1 Super Apps and the Platformization Phenomenon Literature generally highlights the versatility of super apps and their ever-growing range of features as important attributes [ 5 , 13 , 14 ]. Therefore, it is almost a consensus that super apps have become practically indispensable in their users’ daily lives, as personal and professional communication services, transport tools, payment methods, and even audio and video streaming are among the available features [ 14 ]. It is also agreed that super apps originated in China, given the growing development of mobile technologies and competition between major players. This phenomenon has driven the development of increasingly versatile and innovative solutions [ 8 ]. The increasing importance of data in the business context must be highlighted. In this respect, the growing volume of data generated in digital environments controlled by companies leads them to seek new mechanisms for manipulating these data to obtain the essential competitive advantages they afford. In other words, companies have begun to face a significant technological challenge, which has implications from a business perspective and, consequently, for how companies are organized [ 15 ]. As apps have become more complex, the concept of “platformization” has become more intrinsic since the companies can no longer internally develop all the features they offer users. Therefore, they have begun to develop integration mechanisms between platforms and their potential partners so that partners can effectively take over the development of these features [ 14 ]. With the integration of partners and their new features and the consequent transformation of apps into “super apps”, the ecosystem consolidates a new perspective of adding value, through which the company begins to profit from the intermediation of transactions carried out in its environment. Thus, financial flows started to give super apps a new dimension, also reaching the natural world through the embodiment of digital wallets, which can be used on public transport and in other everyday transactions [ 13 , 14 ], generate more data about users' purchasing behaviors, and allow companies to personalize their offers. 2.2 Adaptive Structuration Theory Adaptive Structuration Theory (AST) proposes a model that describes the interaction between information technologies, social structures, and human interactions [ 16 ]. The theory assumes that social structures and people's interactions with these structures and technological devices change their original conception [ 17 ]. From this perspective, we cannot discuss technology usage solely based on its technical features but also in the social context in which given technology was conceived and/or adopted, as well as the consequences of its use for the social groups that adopted it. However, Schmitz et al. [ 17 ] highlight the technological context in which AST was created, oriented towards group decision support systems. Due to this particularity, the authors noted AST’s restrictions on evaluating individuals' relationships with technology. They proposed a derivation of AST focused on individual behaviors regarding the use of technology. It is possible to analyze how people relate to technological artifacts, both from the original perspective of DeSanctis and Poole [ 16 ] and from the derivation of Schmitz et al. [ 17 ]. However, the context of this study addresses a less personalistic perspective of the use of super apps, focusing on their collective use, especially regarding possible differences observed in the various regions of the world. This perspective is because the creation and use of super apps are phenomena that originated in Asian countries, and their transmutation to the West has not occurred in the same terms in which they were initially conceived. In the organizational context, Schwieger et al. [ 18 ] considered adapting to the use of technologies as a cyclical phenomenon, which includes technological evolution and internal and external pressures on the organizational environment. Xu et al. [ 19 ] classified these external pressures as those related to regulatory and competitive environments and interactions with customers. Internal pressures, in turn, are related to individuals and organizational culture. This perspective is essential in the present study, as companies built super apps intending to reach their customers in an environment of constant technological change and fierce competition. In research conducted in Vietnam, Nguyen and Ha [ 20 ] used AST as one of the theories that support the discussion of adapting users to information and communication technologies necessary for using digital services offered by platforms characterized as super apps. Williams and Gupta [ 21 ], in turn, analyzed the use of personal devices for monitoring physical activity and health in the United States. When seeking a longitudinal perspective, capturing variations in use over time, they used AST owing to its ability to contemplate the social and psychological aspects of individuals' interaction with gadgets. Sun et al. [ 22 ], in a review of the literature about the use of mobile apps in the tourism and hospitality sector, found that AST has made an outstanding contribution to studies in the field, as it allows a deeper understanding of individuals’ interaction with technology. Findings like Ali et al. [ 23 ] and Almajali et al. [ 24 ], who, in their research on the adoption of mobile apps from financial institutions in Pakistan and Jordan, respectively, highlighted the importance of analyzing the social context as a variable of influence on technology adoption behaviors, as opposed to the tendency to analyze only the technical features of artifacts. Therefore, considering all these applications, we believe that AST is an appropriate framework for our analysis. 3 Material and Methods We characterized this research as qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive [ 25 ], and we conducted a systematic literature review as a data collection and analysis method. From March to April 2023, we searched for papers on the Google Scholar platform using the following keyword syntaxes: Syntax #1: (“SUPER APP” OR “SUPERAPP”) AND “DEFINITION” Syntax #2: (“SUPER APP” OR “SUPERAPP”) AND “FEATURE” We have used Google Scholar due to its versatility in presenting, at the same time, results from different databases, such as EBSCOhost, ScienceDirect, Emerald Insight, and Taylor & Francis. In this respect, we selected papers using the following criteria: indexed and peer-reviewed journals, business field, open access or being available to CAFe Network (Brazil) member universities. Furthermore, we conducted the study to comply with suggestions that the algorithms of the publishers' platforms should provide, as well as references to some of the papers analyzed in search of previous papers that we have yet to find. We carried out the first screening by analyzing the paper’s title, its abstract, and its consequent adaptation to the context of the business field. As a result of this screening, we selected 41 papers. Of these, we analyzed the abstracts and their metadata to include only papers directly related to the scope of this research. At the end of this selection, 26 papers remained, which formed the analysis corpus. For practical analysis, we have used NVivo software, version 14 for Mac devices, owned by QSR International. Following Miles and Huberman’s [ 26 ] premises, we carried out an a priori coding scheme, considering the research assumptions and establishing the analysis parameters shown in Table 1 . Table 1 Coding scheme that supported the analysis of the papers Codes Description of the Attribute Level 1 Level 2 APLI -- Application mentioned/introduced as a super app MRKT The market segment in which the super app operates COUN Country of origin/operation of the super app CONC -- Super app concept AUTC Authorship of the super app concept presented in the paper REFC References to the document with the attributed authorship of the concept FEAT -- Features attributed to a super app GOAL Goals/purposes of the features attributed to a super app PAPR AUTH Authorship of the analyzed paper COUN Country of the HEI of origin of the people who authored the paper Following the coding in the 26 selected papers, we conducted the analyses shown in Table 2 : Table 2 Analyses performed in this paper Cluster Code Description of the Analysis Context of the Analyzed Paper RES-COUN Country of origin of the studies Number of papers per researchers’ country of origin RES-AUTH Authors of the papers Authors’ HEI of origin Number of papers per author Number of authors per paper Analyzed super apps APLI The most frequently mentioned apps APP-MRKT Market segments of apps APP-COUN Countries of origin of the analyzed apps Features of super apps FEAT Technical characteristics of the super app Typologies of super app concepts FEAT-GOAL Categories of services available in the super apps Examples of services available in the super apps Super app concept CONC-AUTH Potential authors of the super app concept CONC Concepts presented Taxonomic clusters of the concepts We also analyzed the super app concept by preparing a word cloud with the concepts presented in the papers. This view revealed the main attributes of the super app concept and aided in the construction of the concept that is the object of the paper. 4 Results and Discussion 4.1 The Context of the Analyzed Papers We observed the origin of the authors of the analyzed papers considering the countries in which their research institutions are located. Although the number of papers varied by world region, we have observed that the discussion on super apps is ongoing in all regions. In this context, Africa is represented by Kenya; the Americas by Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and the USA; Asia-Pacific by Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, and Singapore; Europe by France, Italy, and The Netherlands. Regarding the total number of papers per region of the world, the research institutions were in the Americas (14), Asia-Pacific (11), Europe (3) and Africa (1). In this context, China is among the countries that have researched the topic the most, with four papers. The country is the origin of super apps and the headquarters of the most famous apps in this market. Canada and the United States, in turn, are also featured with four papers each, owing to their role as relevant global research centers. However, Colombia is also highlighted due to the three papers by authors from the same research institution, who have striven to research the topic at the regional level. Additionally, India and Indonesia have two papers each, and the following countries have one each: Australia, Brazil, France, Iran, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, The Netherlands, Peru, and Singapore. Regarding the contingent of researchers who authored the papers analyzed in this research, we found 50 people from 16 countries. From the perspective of their institutions of affiliation, the University of Macau, in China, is the university with the most authors of the papers observed (6), which may demonstrate the existence of a research group conducting studies on the use of super apps, reinforcing the Asian country's leadership in studies on the topic. Also in Asia, IPB University in Indonesia contributed three authors, followed by the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, in India, with two authors. Outside the Asia-Pacific region, Universidad de los Andes, in Colombia, stands out for contributing three authors. This indicates that a research group may be conducting studies on using super apps. It is also worth highlighting that nine authors are linked to the Colombian and Mexican subsidiaries of Rappi. This company operates a super app in several American countries, providing food delivery services and other products. Therefore, this demonstrates companies' interest in understanding the features and potential of super apps. Regarding the participation of authors by the number of papers, only one of these participated in three papers, Prof. Alejandro Correa-Bahnsen, then a professor at the Universidad de los Andes in Colombia. Five people authored two papers, and the remainder were involved in only one. Regarding the number of authors per paper, we observed that 13 papers were written by a single author, two papers by two authors, six by three authors, two by four authors, one by five authors, and one by six authors. In addition to observing a tendency for papers to be written by a few authors, this production is quite dispersed, showing that the topic has interested several researchers in different regions of the globe. 4.2 The Super Apps Analyzed The most frequently mentioned super app in the papers was WeChat (14), followed by Grab (5), Gojek (3), Line (3), TataNeu (2), and Rappi (2), with the latter being the only one not operating in the Asian market. Papers mentioned another ten apps only once: GoTo, i-mode, Kakao Talk, Mercado Libre, Opay, Paytm, Reliance, Rubika, SBI YONO, and Uber. However, analyzing only mentions of specific apps does not cover the full diversity of discussions of super apps. This is because only some of the papers discuss a specific super app but rather address a market or a region. Thus, the discussion takes on a different perspective concerning the potential of super apps to meet the demands of a specific market sector or regional context. As for the market segments mentioned in the analyzed papers, financial services are predominant (three papers), followed by media and entertainment, and digital services (two papers each). Other market segments mentioned in at least one paper are grocery delivery, transport, meal delivery, healthcare services, and insurance. Regarding the regional contexts of the papers, discussions focusing on China (10 papers) are predominant, consolidating the importance of understanding super apps since their origins in the Asian country. The papers also mentioned the following regional contexts: Japan (three papers), Latin America, India, and Indonesia (two papers each), Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Singapore, and South Korea (one paper each). 4.3 Characteristics of Super Apps Concerning the characteristics and features of a super app, the papers show different perspectives since they considered the concepts of super apps, the regional contexts, and the market segments. By grouping the various characteristics presented, we found four typologies that consolidate these characteristics: Conceptual Model: deals with the super app from the perspective of its contextual experience, represented in the value proposition it offers to its users and the ecosystemic representation materialized through the relationships between the companies that interact with it. Business Model: analyzes the super app from the perspective of the market sectors it represents, the service categories made available to users, and the materialization of the user experience through its capabilities to retain and engage its users. Technical Characteristics: represents the super app from the perspective of its internal engineering, that is, in its constitution as a software apparatus. From this perspective, it deals with the diversity of features and the potential for integrating the app with other third-party applications and services. Services: deals with the services offered by the super app to its users, demonstrating its value proposition. These services are always described and analyzed from the user's perspective since the tendency is not to perceive the ecosystem attributes inherent to the app's value proposition or the other typologies. Table 3 displays the main characteristics of super apps, clustered into the presented typologies: Table 3 Typologies and characteristics of super apps identified in the literature. Typology Characteristic Conceptual Model Contextual experience Presents ecosystemic logic Integrated platform perspective Business Model Focus on a specific industry Multiplicity of categories Fluidity between applications with different purposes, unifying user experience Strong attraction Capacity to retain users for long periods Diversity of applications under the same brand Technical characteristics Diverse features Similar to a Swiss knife Diverse services Integration of third-party applications (built-in apps) Similar to the operational system of a smartphone Allows the use of third-party programs without the need for installation Services Focus on daily life activities* Social and communication applications News and entertainment content e-commerce applications Mobility and transport Financial services Public services Health service The diversity of services described in the literature regarding super apps is quite significant. In this research, we sought to systematize the primary services listed in the papers analyzed. In this way, we found the following categories of services: Delivery Services: involves logistical processes generally destined for the final consumer of products from a wide range of market segments. Financial Services: involves relationships with financial system institutions and payment of products and services inside and outside the super apps ecosystem. Electronic Commerce: involves the purchase of goods and services offered by retailers to their customers in the digital environment. Communication Services: involves features that allow users to communicate with people of interest inside and outside the super app environment. Services: involves providing professional services from a wide range of market segments or carrying out ancillary activities that make them feasible in a natural environment. Transport: involves access to a wide range of modes of transport, generally in urban regions, covering short, medium, and long distances. Health: involves access to public or private health services, generally through telemedicine or ancillary activities, such as scheduling appointments and exams. Public Services: involves providing public services to a given region’s citizens. Entertainment: involves consuming content related to a wide range of topics, as well as access to cultural and entertainment services or carrying out ancillary activities, such as ticket sales. Table 4 demonstrates the diversity of services offered by the super apps to their users, obtained through the analyzed papers: Table 4 Examples of services offered by super apps to their users. Category Applications Delivery Services Meals, supermarket purchases, pharmacies, cargo, and orders. Financial Services Loans, digital wallet, financing, investments, payments and insurance. e-commerce Travel marketplaces, discounts and rewards, gifts, peer-to-peer sales, and marketplaces. Communication Services Messaging and cell phone top up. Services Accommodation and professional services. Transport Carpooling, taxi services, bicycle rental, airline and train tickets. Health Medical services. Public Services Mail services and other unspecified services Entertainment Movie tickets, online games, digital books, online news, and video streaming. 4.4 The Super App Concept Considering that the guiding question of this study arose from a lack of consensus regarding the super app concept, it was to be expected that there would also not be a convergence on the authorship of the concept. Therefore, we searched the literature for the main mentions that attributed authorship to the concept of super app. After conducting the analysis, the following potential authors were identified: Mike Lazaridis: mentioned in four of the papers analyzed [ 2 , 27 – 29 ], the Canadian executive founder of Blackberry is the most referred as the author of Super App concept. This concept states that “a super app is a closed ecosystem of many apps that people would use every day because they offer such a seamless, integrated, contextualized, and efficient experience”. Chen et al. [ 30 ]: the paper is mentioned in three of the analyzed papers [ 7 , 14 , 31 ]. Kessel and Mozur [ 32 ]: the report published in the USA newspaper The New York Times is mentioned in two of the analyzed papers [ 11 , 33 ]. In this case, there is no general definition of a super app, but WeChat is described as “a Swiss army knife that basically does everything for you”. Steinberg: the researcher from Concordia University, in Canada, has three of his works mentioned in two of the papers analyzed [ 34 , 35 ]. It is worth highlighting that two works by Steinberg that are among the papers analyzed in this research directly mention Chen et al. [ 30 ]. From the set of 26 papers analyzed in this study, seven did not present any concept, only mentioning their features. A priori, this can be explained by the popularity of super apps. From this perspective, presenting a concrete concept would be unnecessary. However, throughout the process of conducting this research, it was found that a wide range of apps have been classified as super apps, either in the literature or by the apps parent-companies. Thus, it is necessary to understand how a given app can come to be considered a super app. After coding the concepts on the NVivo platform, the word cloud shown in Fig. 1 was created. The objective of this first analysis was to observe the elements common to all the concepts presented, identifying the main keywords and seeking a first sentence that included these common elements. The word cloud shows that the most important word, highlighted in the papers in question, is service. In an exercise condensing this cloud into a sentence that might synthesize it, the following sentence was created: Applications that bring many services together within one single digital ecosystem. Although this sentence demonstrates important aspects of the super app concept, it does not cover all the elements discussed in the papers analyzed. Thus, the concepts presented in the papers were clustered according to the most common elements. In total, six clusters were created, and they are presented on Tables 5 to 10: Definition Author super-apps are digital platforms that encompass many different services Acevedo-Viloria et al. [36] The term superapp is related to the platforms present in the Chinese market that bring together in a single application various services, from supermarkets to financial services. Dias et al. [37] SuperApp offering a multitude of services for “everyday everything” needs. San [38] Super apps are do-everything apps that bring together an expansive suite of services within a single interface. Steinberg et al. [31] A superapp is a platform that integrates multiple types of services that stretch across industries. Ye [29] Table 5. First cluster of Super App concepts In the first cluster, shown in Table 5, the concepts of Acevedo-Viloria et al. [36] and Dias et al. [37], who classified super apps mainly as digital platforms, deserve to be highlighted. From this perspective, integration that can encompass one or more industries materialized through multiple services, which meet users' daily needs through a centralized and unified interface. Definition Author a closed ecosystem of many utilities that people would use every day because they offer such a seamless, integrated, contextualized and efficient experience Acevedo-Viloria et al. [27] a closed ecosystem of many apps used daily Diaz Baquero [2] Super app is defined as a closed ecosystem of many apps used daily Salehi et al. [39] A Superapp is a closed ecosystem of many functions that allows users to access multiple different services on the same platform or mobile application. Ye [29] Table 6. Second cluster of Super App concepts In the concepts illustrated in the second cluster, shown in Table 6, super apps are characterized as closed ecosystems. In this sense, Steinberg [14] explained that there is a company that controls the ecosystem and is responsible for creating the app context which, in turn, materializes and supports the value proposition that is presented to users. Furthermore, the concepts highlight the multiple nature of services and their impact on users' daily lives due to the integrated and contextualized experience provided. Definition Author like creating a seamless experience for the customers through integrated applications that will become a part of people’s routine life. Barure & Singh [28] Super apps are mobile applications that bundle numerous services together creating a seamless experience for users without the need to open specialty apps Gioseffi [40] One app, one sign-in, one user experience, for virtually any product or service the modern consumer needs, seamlessly integrated into the user’s daily digital consumption habits. San [38] Table 7. Third cluster of Super App concepts In the third cluster, shown in Table 7, concepts focused on the differentiated user experience. Therefore, super apps mean that users have access to a fluid and integrated experience regarding the different services on offer. As a result, users do not need to move between single-feature apps to achieve their browsing goals. Definition Author Super Apps are marketplaces that offer a wide range of products and services. They bundle many single apps’ functionalities and bring them together in one app that works as the umbrella for many services. Diaz Baquero [2] A super app can be thought of as a digital mall where everything is available under one roof. Barure & Singh [28] Super app can be conceptualised as a mirror of real business in terms of design and structure. Momaya [34] The super-app here is an all-inclusive eco-system of applications, contents, and services. Qiu [10] mobile applications that in the same environment seek to satisfy different daily needs of consumers without requiring them to download another application. In other words, Super-apps play the role of a marketplace or ecosystem that hosts in itself different types of solutions, services and experiences that traditionally would only be found in an app specifically designed for it. Roa et al. [41] SUPER applications (super apps) are marketplaces that offer a wide range of services. They bundle various single apps’ functionalities and bring them together in one app that works as the umbrella for many services Salehi et al. [39] Table 8. Fourth cluster of Super App concepts In the fourth cluster, shown in Table 8, the super app is presented as a marketplace. As e-stores, the integration between different business partners stands out in offering services to users of the super app. In addition to digital services, seen conventionally, in this case, the technical features of super apps are also included. In other words, it is a more aggregating vision, which treats apps, services, and technical features as possible materializations of the super app's value proposition, and which can be provided by different partners. Definition Author multi-modal online application that allows users to send short text messages, pictures, emoji, graphical interchange formats (GIFS), audio files, and/or some combination of each Sandel et al. [11] A superapp is an “umbrella” app, which acts as a portal for a range of apps provided by firms other than the superapp developer. Porteous [42] Super apps are super due to their ability to weave together functionalities and affordances, from music to ride hailing to money. Steinberg et al. [31] “super app,” described as like a “Swiss Army knife that basically does everything for you” Sandel et al. [11] super application known as a “digital Swiss Army knife for modern life” Yu et al. [43] Super application (super app) is a technology that integrates different functionalities for users to access various services in one umbrella app. Salehi et al. [39] Table 9. Fifth cluster of Super App concepts In the fifth cluster, shown in Table 9, a super app is described based on its set of features. From this perspective, a super app has multiple features available in the same app. Analogies are made to versatile instruments, such as a Swiss army knife, as well as references are made to an umbrella. Interpreting these analogies, it was observed that, when talking about the Swiss army knife [11,43], the emphasis is placed on the engineering of super apps. In turn, when talking about an umbrella [39,42], the focus is on the multiple services offered by different business partners in the ecosystem. Definition Author “It’s a portal to the internet for a mobile-first generation” Gelici [44] Super Apps also called mega-platforms, wherein a single app takes over an array of often services such that it becomes a platform to support other platforms Momaya [34] “functions as a smartphone-within-the-smartphone, a meta-smartphone or catch-all app that replaces the smartphone OS as the hub of digital life, and has the potential to become a megaplatform like i-mode” Mukherjee [35] The super app is a particular model of an app that assumes most functions of the smartphone can be done within either a single app or a suite of apps Steinberg et al. [31] Table 10. Sixth cluster of Super App concepts Finally, the sixth cluster, shown in Table 10, involves a technical perspective, in which a super app is conceptualized as mimicking a smartphone's operating system (OS). Although the platform concept is also explored from this perspective, it is not observed as a business ecosystem, but regarding its engineering complexity. The mimicry of a smartphone OS is not a random analogy, but a reflection of the somewhat tumultuous relationships that exist between app developers and the companies that manage the main mobile OS. In this case, super apps, especially in Asia, became more relevant by simplifying the app development process. From this perspective, it can therefore be said that a super app is: A digital platform that combines multiple features and/or services, representing a closed business ecosystem that can comprise one or more industries, in which users undergo experiences in a fluid, contextual, integrated, and centralized way. Although this concept has a more aggregating character, it is important to highlight that, in the papers analyzed, two distinct aspects were observed that deal with the technical characteristics of super apps. These aspects are characterized by the separation of features (technical perspective) and services (marketing perspective). However, they can also be characterized by their geographical context, since research oriented to the Eastern model addresses super apps from a technical perspective, and Western model-oriented research looks at super apps from a marketing perspective. These different perspectives are consistent with the assumptions of DeSanctis and Poole [16] when they discussed the influences of local culture on the appropriation of certain technologies. In the context of super apps, in addition to the appropriation process having been influenced by aspects of an external nature, such as pressure exerted by regulatory agencies, the type of competitive environment, and the existence (or not) of infrastructure challenges, aspects of an internal nature also stand out, such as individuals' perception of technology, which materializes in how people interact with technological apparatus. 4.5 The Eastern and Western Branches of Super Apps The Eastern branch of super apps is characterized by a strong orientation towards technical characteristics in the development process, leading them to have multiple features integrated into a converging operational environment. Among the main foundations presented in the literature are the following: The more closed context of the digital market to Western apps: especially in the Chinese market, there is a very limited presence of apps offered by large Western big techs [31,44]. In return, local companies were encouraged to “emulate” the features of these apps. As a result, companies developed their technical expertise and began to create products and services that were more in keeping with the needs of the local market [33]. Regional patterns of interaction with apps: some regional particularities linked to users' relationships with mobile apps have become decisive factors in the construction of these technological artifacts. Among these particularities are the need to optimize the device's memory space, adapt to oriental writing, as well as the need to establish more fluid contexts of interaction between features, as they are more in line with the mental model of users of the device in the region [8,29]. In the process of developing apps using the logic of the Eastern branch, even when it comes to meeting needs of a marketing nature, the technical pattern of interaction ends up being the driving element in the development of Eastern super apps [2]. The role of the company responsible for the ecosystem is to provide the basic technical conditions for integration so that apps can be developed more freely by those responsible for this task [7]. The Western branch, in turn, focuses on the marketing aspects established by the company responsible for the ecosystem when designing its offer of products and services to its users. Thus, a super app conceived through the logic of the Western branch is characterized due to: The predominance of marketing fundamentals throughout the conception stages, the definition of features and materialization as a technological artifact. In these cases, a partnership will only be established if there is a linked business process that supports it, or the offer of a new product or service [36,37]. The limited level of features added to super apps compared with Eastern super apps. This is because of the need for greater control of the ecosystem by the main company since the relationship with the user occurs through its value proposition [44]. Consequently, in these cases, the diversity of services ends up becoming transparent to the user, who believes that all services offered are directly related to the main company [37]. In the super app context developed following the Western branch, the role of the company responsible for the ecosystem is to orchestrate the interaction environment between the different partners, structuring the linked business processes and integrating the technical features each partner offers in return for offering a product or service. In some situations, features are developed by the company itself and offered to partners as interaction tools, meaning that it is also possible for partners who may not contribute technically to the ecosystem to participate [14,37]. An example that illustrates this multiplicity of partner participation may be given in the case of a super app that specializes in food delivery. For a user to place an order to a restaurant, the restaurant must register as a partner on the platform. Once registered, this new partner has access to a set of features and digital services that are complementary to the user's own experience in the super app but are responsible for enabling this participation. In this way, the partner restaurant can: make its menu and other information available on the platform; use the app provided by the platform to manage orders in real-time; contract delivery plans, if this service does not exist internally; and use management systems offered by the platform to manage the restaurant operations in real-time, even outside the store. Moreover, there are specific platforms that enable the participation of couriers who wish to join the ecosystem and handle payment processing services, along with other services. More recently, one of these platforms launched, in Brazil, a product focused on companies' HR areas, through which they can offer benefits such as the payment of meals for their employees. These, in turn, make use of a credit card that can be added as a means of payment on the delivery platform itself, expanding the potential reach of a service that is already offered to users separately. Table 11 presents the main characteristics observed in each of the super app branches, enabling a comparison: Dimension Eastern Branch Western Branch Role of the Ecosystem Manager Create the technical conditions for partners to develop their solutions and integrate them into the platform. Structure the marketing environment that will be responsible for offering the company’s value proposal by integrating features and structuring business processes. Characteristics of the Super App Operating system environment through which micro apps integrate with the platform offering their digital services. Marketing environment through which partners fulfill parts of the business process that enable the platform's central value proposition. Integration Profile between Partners Technical Marketing Diversity of Features High Low Navigation Fluidity Profile Oriented towards technical integration between the solutions offered, allowing the user to quickly move between different features. Oriented towards the delivery of the product or service characterized as central to the ecosystem’s value proposition. Features and partnerships become transparent to the user. Table 11. Comparison of the Eastern and Western branches of Super Apps 5 Conclusions Following the analyses, the concept of a super app was determined as "a digital platform that combines multiple features and/or services, representing a closed business ecosystem that can comprise one or more industries, in which users undergo experiences in a fluid, contextual, integrated and centralized way". Furthermore, it was observed that super apps can be divided into two specific groups, characterized by their geographical origin, but mainly by how these apps materialize digital ecosystems. These are the Eastern and Western branches, which corroborate the perspective of DeSanctis and Poole [ 16 ] and Schmitz et al. [ 17 ] regarding variability in the processes of appropriation of a given technological artifact, disciplined to the social context in which these artifacts are included. On the Eastern branch, more focused on technical features, the role of the ecosystem manager is to create the technical conditions for partners to develop their solutions and integrate them into the platform. This means that the super app is treated as an Operating System, through which micro apps integrate with, offering their digital services. Consequently, the integration profile between partners is technical, generating highly diverse features. For the user, the perception is of greater fluidity, since there is a strong technical integration between the solutions offered, which allows the user to move quickly from one feature to another. Meanwhile, in the Western branch, which is more oriented towards marketing, the role of the ecosystem manager is to organize the marketing environment that will be responsible for offering the company's value proposition, through the integration of features and structuring of business processes. This means that the super app materializes in the marketing environment so that partners end up fulfilling parts of the business process that enable the platform's value proposition. Consequently, the integration profile between partners is based on a marketing perspective, in a few diversity of features, compared with Eastern super apps. For the user, fluidity occurs through the delivery of the product or service that is characterized as central to the ecosystem's value proposition. Thus, features and partnerships become transparent to the user. The limitations of the study include the scope of the literature review. Papers with no Open Access or unavailable in the subscription were not considered, and this may have influenced the results. Future studies can conduct research that aims to statistically validate the aspects that were identified herein. Furthermore, there is potential in investigating the organizations responsible for the platforms that support super apps, regarding the processes of identifying and materializing the value propositions of their super apps. Declarations Author Contribution Durval Lucas Jr. conceived the original idea. Evandro Luiz Lopes supervised the project.Durval Lucas Jr. wrote the manuscript with support from Evandro Luiz Lopes.Both Durval Lucas Jr. and Evandro Luiz Lopes contributed to the final version of the manuscript. Acknowledgements This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. References Datt F (2021) Aplicativo na mão. Valor Econômico (Suplementos), São Paulo, 30/07/2021. https://valor.globo.com/publicacoes/suplementos/noticia/2021/07/30/aplicativo-na-mao.ghtml Accessed 16 May 2024 Diaz Baquero AP (2021) Super Apps: opportunities and challenges. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Master of Science in Engineering and Management) Mattos A (2021) PicPay entra no varejo de produtos de consumo. Valor Econômico (Empresas), São Paulo, 13/04/2021. https://valor.globo.com/empresas/noticia/2021/04/13/picpay-entra-no-varejo-de-produtos-de-consumo.ghtml Accessed 16 May 2024 Morgado M (2020) O que será do varejo. GV Executivo 19(6):14–17 Cheng K, Schreieck M, Wiesche M, Krcmar H (2020) Emergence of a Post-App Era – An Exploratory Case Study of the WeChat Mini-Program Ecosystem. Proceedings of 15th International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik, Potsdam, Germany. https://doi.org/10.30844/wi_2020_n1-cheng Herdiyanti A (2022) Information System Integration to Improve the Quality of Digital Public Services in Jakarta. Smart Governance Policy Brief Huang Y, Miao W (2021) Re-domesticating social media when it becomes disruptive: Evidence from China’s super app WeChat. Mob Media Communication 9(2):177–194. https://doi.org/10.1177/2050157920940765 Jiang Q (2018) WeChat – A super app from China. Diggit Magazine, 23/09/2018. https://www.diggitmagazine.com/articles/wechat-super-app-china Krisnamurti P, Ratnawati A, Widi A (2022) Acceptance analysis of ‘X Super-App’ digital banking service through TAM and TPB integration. Bus Rev Case Stud 3(3):271–279. https://doi.org/10.17358/brcs.3.3.271 Qiu JL (2021) WeChat: super app and its super-stickiness. Proceedings of the 22nd Annual Conference of the Association of Internet Researchers, virtual, 2021, http://spir.aoir.org Sandel TL, Ou C, Wangchuk D, Ju B, Duque M (2019) Unpacking and describing interaction on Chinese WeChat: A methodological approach. J Pragmat 143:228–241 Speckmannn J-H (2022) Super App or super disruption? Analyzing digital business models in the financial industry - A case study analysis investigating the transformation of financial institutions towards a Super App. Thesis, University of Innsbruck (Master’s degree in strategic management) Giudice F (2020) WeChat: the impact of the super app on Chinese society. Thesis, Università Ca’Foscari (Master’s Degree in Language, Economics and Institutions of Asia and North Africa) Steinberg M (2020) LINE as super app: platformization in East Asia. Social Media + Soc 6(2):1–10. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120933285 Naab M, Braun S, Lenhart T, Hess S, Eitel A, Magin D, Carbon R, Kiefer F (2015) Why Data needs more Attention in Architecture Design: Experiences from prototyping a large-scale mobile app ecosystem. 12th Working IEEE/IFIP Conference on Software Architecture, 75–84. https://doi.org/10.1109/WICSA.2015.13 DeSanctis G, Poole MS (1994) Capturing the complexity in advanced technology use: adaptive structuration theory. Organ Sci 5(2):121–147 Schmitz KW, Teng JTC, Webb KJ (2016) Capturing the complexity of malleable IT use: Adaptive Structuration Theory for individuals. MIS Q 40(3):663–686 Schwieger D, Melcher A, Ranganathan C, Wen HJ (2004) Appropriating Electronic Billing Systems: Adaptive Structuration Theory Analysis. Hum Syst Manage 23(4):235–243 Xu Y, Li H, Yu L, Zha S, He W, Hong C (2021) Influence of mobile devices’ scalability on individual perceived learning. Behav Inform Technol 40(11):1137–1153. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2020.1742789 Nguyen DG, Ha M-T (2022) What makes users continue to want to use the digital platform? Evidence from the ride-hailing service platform in Vietnam. SAGE Open 12(1):1–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211069146 Williams JA, Gupta S (2022) Changing Post-Adoptive Personal Healthcare IT Use during the COVID19 Pandemic. Proceedings of the 55th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, online, 4057–4066. https://aisel.aisnet.org/hicss-55/hc/wellness_management/5/ Sun S, Law R, Schuckert M, Kucukusta D, Guillet BD (2017) From Information Technology to Mobile Information Technology: Applications in Hospitality and Tourism. Proceedings of ENTER 2017: Conference on Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism, 8 (Research Notes), paper 4. https://ertr.tamu.edu/files/2016/12/RN33.pdf Ali A, Hameed A, Moin MF, Khan NA (2022) Exploring factors affecting mobile-banking app adoption: a perspective from adaptive structuration theory. Aslib J Inform Manage 75(4):773–795. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJIM-08-2021-0216 Almajali D, Al-Radaideh AT, Nussir NA, Eid AA, Al-Fakeh FA, Masad F (2023) Antecedents of mobile banking app adoption during COVID19: A perspective of Jordanian consumer. Int J Data Netw Sci 7:477–488. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.ijdns.2022.8.011 Hesse-Biber SN, Leavy P (2011) The practice of qualitative research. 2nd edition. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Miles MB, Huberman MA (1994) Qualitative data analysis: an expanded sourcebook, 2nd edn. SAGE, Thousand Oaks Acevedo-Viloria JD, Valencia C, Correa-Bahnsen A (2021a) HanCred: Heterogeneous Graph Attention Networks for Credit Risk Assessment in a Super-App Environment. Universidad de los Andes, Dec. 2021, Bogotá, D.C Barure B, Singh D (2021) CCS Project: Super Apps. Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. https://repository.iimb.ac.in/handle/2074/21703 Accessed 16 May 2024 Ye S (2023) The Rise of Superapps in Emerging Countries. In: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Economic Management and Cultural Industry (ICEMCI 2022), 1847–1856. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-098-5_207 Chen Y, Mao Z, Qiu JL (2018) Super-sticky WeChat and Chinese society. Emerald Publishing Limited Steinberg M, Mukherjee R, Punathambekar A (2022) Media power in digital Asia: Super apps and megacorps. Media Cult Soc 44(8):1405–1419. https://doi.org/10.1177/01634437221127805 Kessel JM, Mozur P (2016) How China is changing your internet. The New York Times (Times Video) 9 August 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAesMQ6VtK8 Accessed 16 May 2024 Ju B, Sandel T, Fitzgerald R (2019) Understanding Chinese Internet and Social Media: the innovative and creative affordances of technology, language and culture, vol 59. Cahiers de l'ILSL, pp 161–177 Momaya KS (2022) Breakthrough innovation and platform leadership: a case of super app from India. Int J Global Bus Competitiveness 17:229–238. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42943-022-00059-7 Mukherjee R (2020) Review of Marc Steinberg’s The Platform Economy: How Japan Transformed the Consumer Internet. Communication Rev 23(2):176–179. https://doi.org/10.1080/10714421.2020.1802677 Acevedo-Viloria JD, Perez SS, Solano J, Zarruk-Valencia D, Paulin FG, Correa-Bahnsen A Feature-Level Fusion of Super-App and Telecommunication Alternative Data Sources for Credit Card Fraud Detection. 2021 IEEE International Conference on Intelligence and Security, Informatics (2021b) https://doi.org/10.1109/ISI53945.2021.9624796 Dias AL, Rodrigues A, Santos FFS (2022) Da Transformação Digital ao SuperApp Magalu: impactos contábeis dos investimentos em startups. GVcasos – Revista Brasileira de Casos de Ensino em Administração 12(1), doc. 5. https://doi.org/10.12660/gvcasosv12n1c5 San RCS (2020) Leveraging Digital Innovation for Good? A Case Study of Grab, The Asian SuperApp Phenomena. Thesis, École des Ponts Business School (Executive Doctor of Business Administration) Salehi S, Miremadi I, Nejati MG, Ghafouri H (2023) Fostering the Adoption and Use of Super App Technology. IEEE Trans Eng Manage 71:4761–4775. https://doi.org/10.1109/TEM.2023.3235718 Gioseffi P (2019) Palate: the app for finding a restaurant faster. Dissertation, Ryerson University (Master of digital media) Roa L, Correa-Bahnsen, Suarez G, Cortés-Tejada F, Luque MA, Bravo C (2021) Super-app behavioral patterns in credit risk models: Financial, statistical and regulatory implications. Expert Syst Appl 169:114486. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2020.114486 Porteous D (2020) Revisiting superplatforms and their implications. FIBR Briefing Note, January 2020 Yu H, Zhang G, Hjorth L (2023) Mobilizing care? WeChat for older adults’ digital kinship and informal care in Wuhan households. Mob Media Communication 0(0):1–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/20501579221150716 Gelici A (2022) Super Apps: Super desired or not? An explorative study into the commercial potential of an Asian type ‘super app’ within the Netherlands. Dissertation, University of Twente (Master in business administration) Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4542297","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":315941820,"identity":"6832fd74-66ea-4dfc-abfb-dbc1bb1027e9","order_by":0,"name":"Durval Lucas Jr","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA9UlEQVRIie3NMWvCQBTA8XcEkuWR+Q5D/QrXJaFg8avoEpcECgXp6BQXP4Dfo0vGSIZbjs4ZRITAuXRQsmTo0DvbpYUY3ETuP7x7b/hxADbbLVaY8QLB+TgCoLfQC1n0EQ5oHrLWBItriGNmL/GrVNFWEy7KunnOtgF6S7Un+a6TsGoWspUhMg4HaaYQUUacyNdOwqvY4WhIBaGTZiWOaeJSkk0uksevM/Ga5kkTHB5UHyH1zy/IB8QQCuFFwqQidcApMpnM2epDE0wiPpXdxBcxbD7fRg++EO/Hdl6O0RNqf8q7yW/0z+VCL/ifey2w2Wy2++4beWNN1nNozzIAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Federal University of São Paulo","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Durval","middleName":"","lastName":"Lucas","suffix":"Jr"},{"id":315941821,"identity":"c2597d2e-4e4d-4b4a-934e-9ea3df944cd6","order_by":1,"name":"Evandro Luiz Lopes","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Evandro","middleName":"Luiz","lastName":"Lopes","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-06-06 20:08:18","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4542297/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4542297/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":58820651,"identity":"6fe08f39-bc1c-49e2-98d4-53f133c394b0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-06-21 14:32:23","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":90080,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWord cloud of Super App concepts\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4542297/v1/b347a9ee1983334f0b934f0f.png"},{"id":87090901,"identity":"76b7a7f2-c2c4-4e68-96e2-f058e8471a22","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-07-19 08:23:52","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":910993,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4542297/v1/df5e30db-de03-467f-b147-29babf836e5b.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Defining a Super App and Analyzing It from an Ecosystemic Perspective","fulltext":[{"header":"1 Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eOnce the growing proliferation of mobile devices worldwide, especially smartphones, apps have become the primary tool for communication between companies and their customers. By making these apps available to users, companies seek greater personalization of their value propositions by obtaining data that characterizes their users and customizing offers and marketing communication. As the features and services offered by apps expand, a new category of the app, known as the \"super app\", has emerged.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIncreasingly sophisticated, super apps have several features that go beyond the traditional business model, known as virtual stores. In the Brazilian context, most super app projects offer new services to enhance customers' experiences and encourage them to remain connected. Therefore, the experiences companies provide in the retailing and financial sectors deserve to be highlighted. Retailing companies offer financial products related to the purchasing journey, such as credit cards, microinsurance, bank accounts, and digital wallets [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e]. Financial companies offer non-financial products in their apps, such as gadgets, wines, or even grocery items. In all these cases, the main goal is to obtain more data regarding customers' profiles to make tailor-made offers and increase engagement levels with their brands.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eConsidering that several companies are creating apps to offer experiences to their customers, a significant challenge is keeping their apps on users\u0026rsquo; devices as much as possible. This phenomenon is observed in developing economies once people purchase devices with low memory capacity, implying they must carefully select the apps they install and keep. In this respect, the more essential features an app has, the more likely the user is to keep it installed [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e]. Super apps have become relevant in Brazil over the last few years [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e]. It represents a new chapter of the growing presence of technology and the digital market in retail operations [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e]. Its main inspiration is Chinese apps, as several are open platforms for any company to create its mini-apps and offer them to users [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAlthough the rise of super apps is widespread, there is a lack of consensus regarding the \u0026ldquo;super app\u0026rdquo; concept. In literature, it is not uncommon to find discussions that contextualize a super app and exemplify it [\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR7 CR8 CR9 CR10 CR11\" citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e]. However, it is not clearly conceptualized. In this sense, this lack of consensus implies certain difficulty regarding whether a particular mobile app should be classified as a super app.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eConsidering the arguments presented so far, this paper aims to present a definition of the super app concept, analyzing how it consolidates the perspective oriented toward digital ecosystems. For this purpose, we have conducted a systematic literature review, which included, after a screening process, 26 papers published in journals from 2018 to 2023. These papers were selected because they included conceptualizations (albeit rudimentary), characterizations, and applications in various countries and market segments.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe primary justification for this research lies in the growing interest of researchers and companies in better understanding the potential impact of super apps on companies' value propositions, increasing user engagement levels, and creating new business models. Therefore, it is necessary to set a consensus that adequately reflects the characteristics of a super app and allows different studies worldwide to be reviewed and compared. Consequently, the contribution of this research is that it presents a super app concept, which enables the classification of apps technically and objectively, allowing a global approach to the topic.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2 Theoretical Background","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.1 Super Apps and the Platformization Phenomenon\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eLiterature generally highlights the versatility of super apps and their ever-growing range of features as important attributes [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e]. Therefore, it is almost a consensus that super apps have become practically indispensable in their users\u0026rsquo; daily lives, as personal and professional communication services, transport tools, payment methods, and even audio and video streaming are among the available features [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e]. It is also agreed that super apps originated in China, given the growing development of mobile technologies and competition between major players. This phenomenon has driven the development of increasingly versatile and innovative solutions [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe increasing importance of data in the business context must be highlighted. In this respect, the growing volume of data generated in digital environments controlled by companies leads them to seek new mechanisms for manipulating these data to obtain the essential competitive advantages they afford. In other words, companies have begun to face a significant technological challenge, which has implications from a business perspective and, consequently, for how companies are organized [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs apps have become more complex, the concept of \u0026ldquo;platformization\u0026rdquo; has become more intrinsic since the companies can no longer internally develop all the features they offer users. Therefore, they have begun to develop integration mechanisms between platforms and their potential partners so that partners can effectively take over the development of these features [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e]. With the integration of partners and their new features and the consequent transformation of apps into \u0026ldquo;super apps\u0026rdquo;, the ecosystem consolidates a new perspective of adding value, through which the company begins to profit from the intermediation of transactions carried out in its environment. Thus, financial flows started to give super apps a new dimension, also reaching the natural world through the embodiment of digital wallets, which can be used on public transport and in other everyday transactions [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e], generate more data about users' purchasing behaviors, and allow companies to personalize their offers.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.2 Adaptive Structuration Theory\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdaptive Structuration Theory (AST) proposes a model that describes the interaction between information technologies, social structures, and human interactions [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e]. The theory assumes that social structures and people's interactions with these structures and technological devices change their original conception [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e]. From this perspective, we cannot discuss technology usage solely based on its technical features but also in the social context in which given technology was conceived and/or adopted, as well as the consequences of its use for the social groups that adopted it.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHowever, Schmitz et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e] highlight the technological context in which AST was created, oriented towards group decision support systems. Due to this particularity, the authors noted AST\u0026rsquo;s restrictions on evaluating individuals' relationships with technology. They proposed a derivation of AST focused on individual behaviors regarding the use of technology.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIt is possible to analyze how people relate to technological artifacts, both from the original perspective of DeSanctis and Poole [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e] and from the derivation of Schmitz et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e]. However, the context of this study addresses a less personalistic perspective of the use of super apps, focusing on their collective use, especially regarding possible differences observed in the various regions of the world. This perspective is because the creation and use of super apps are phenomena that originated in Asian countries, and their transmutation to the West has not occurred in the same terms in which they were initially conceived.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the organizational context, Schwieger et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e] considered adapting to the use of technologies as a cyclical phenomenon, which includes technological evolution and internal and external pressures on the organizational environment. Xu et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e] classified these external pressures as those related to regulatory and competitive environments and interactions with customers. Internal pressures, in turn, are related to individuals and organizational culture. This perspective is essential in the present study, as companies built super apps intending to reach their customers in an environment of constant technological change and fierce competition.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn research conducted in Vietnam, Nguyen and Ha [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e] used AST as one of the theories that support the discussion of adapting users to information and communication technologies necessary for using digital services offered by platforms characterized as super apps. Williams and Gupta [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e], in turn, analyzed the use of personal devices for monitoring physical activity and health in the United States. When seeking a longitudinal perspective, capturing variations in use over time, they used AST owing to its ability to contemplate the social and psychological aspects of individuals' interaction with gadgets.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSun et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e], in a review of the literature about the use of mobile apps in the tourism and hospitality sector, found that AST has made an outstanding contribution to studies in the field, as it allows a deeper understanding of individuals\u0026rsquo; interaction with technology. Findings like Ali et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e] and Almajali et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e], who, in their research on the adoption of mobile apps from financial institutions in Pakistan and Jordan, respectively, highlighted the importance of analyzing the social context as a variable of influence on technology adoption behaviors, as opposed to the tendency to analyze only the technical features of artifacts. Therefore, considering all these applications, we believe that AST is an appropriate framework for our analysis.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"3 Material and Methods","content":"\u003cp\u003eWe characterized this research as qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e], and we conducted a systematic literature review as a data collection and analysis method. From March to April 2023, we searched for papers on the Google Scholar platform using the following keyword syntaxes:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSyntax #1: (\u0026ldquo;SUPER APP\u0026rdquo; OR \u0026ldquo;SUPERAPP\u0026rdquo;) AND \u0026ldquo;DEFINITION\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSyntax #2: (\u0026ldquo;SUPER APP\u0026rdquo; OR \u0026ldquo;SUPERAPP\u0026rdquo;) AND \u0026ldquo;FEATURE\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe have used Google Scholar due to its versatility in presenting, at the same time, results from different databases, such as EBSCOhost, ScienceDirect, Emerald Insight, and Taylor \u0026amp; Francis. In this respect, we selected papers using the following criteria: indexed and peer-reviewed journals, business field, open access or being available to CAFe Network (Brazil) member universities. Furthermore, we conducted the study to comply with suggestions that the algorithms of the publishers' platforms should provide, as well as references to some of the papers analyzed in search of previous papers that we have yet to find.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe carried out the first screening by analyzing the paper\u0026rsquo;s title, its abstract, and its consequent adaptation to the context of the business field. As a result of this screening, we selected 41 papers. Of these, we analyzed the abstracts and their metadata to include only papers directly related to the scope of this research. At the end of this selection, 26 papers remained, which formed the analysis corpus. For practical analysis, we have used NVivo software, version 14 for Mac devices, owned by QSR International. Following Miles and Huberman\u0026rsquo;s [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e] premises, we carried out an \u003cem\u003ea priori\u003c/em\u003e coding scheme, considering the research assumptions and establishing the analysis parameters shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCoding scheme that supported the analysis of the papers\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCodes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDescription of the Attribute\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLevel 1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLevel 2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAPLI\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eApplication mentioned/introduced as a super app\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMRKT\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe market segment in which the super app operates\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCOUN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCountry of origin/operation of the super app\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCONC\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSuper app concept\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAUTC\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAuthorship of the super app concept presented in the paper\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eREFC\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eReferences to the document with the attributed authorship of the concept\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFEAT\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFeatures attributed to a super app\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGOAL\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGoals/purposes of the features attributed to a super app\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePAPR\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAUTH\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAuthorship of the analyzed paper\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCOUN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCountry of the HEI of origin of the people who authored the paper\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFollowing the coding in the 26 selected papers, we conducted the analyses shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAnalyses performed in this paper\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCluster\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCode\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDescription of the Analysis\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"5\" rowspan=\"6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eContext of the Analyzed Paper\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRES-COUN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCountry of origin of the studies\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNumber of papers per researchers\u0026rsquo; country of origin\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRES-AUTH\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAuthors of the papers\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAuthors\u0026rsquo; HEI of origin\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNumber of papers per author\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNumber of authors per paper\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAnalyzed super apps\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAPLI\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe most frequently mentioned apps\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAPP-MRKT\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMarket segments of apps\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAPP-COUN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCountries of origin of the analyzed apps\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFeatures of super apps\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFEAT\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTechnical characteristics of the super app\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTypologies of super app concepts\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFEAT-GOAL\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCategories of services available in the super apps\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExamples of services available in the super apps\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSuper app concept\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCONC-AUTH\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePotential authors of the super app concept\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCONC\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eConcepts presented\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTaxonomic clusters of the concepts\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe also analyzed the super app concept by preparing a word cloud with the concepts presented in the papers. This view revealed the main attributes of the super app concept and aided in the construction of the concept that is the object of the paper.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"4 Results and Discussion","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e4.1 The Context of the Analyzed Papers\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe observed the origin of the authors of the analyzed papers considering the countries in which their research institutions are located. Although the number of papers varied by world region, we have observed that the discussion on super apps is ongoing in all regions. In this context, Africa is represented by Kenya; the Americas by Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and the USA; Asia-Pacific by Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, and Singapore; Europe by France, Italy, and The Netherlands.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRegarding the total number of papers per region of the world, the research institutions were in the Americas (14), Asia-Pacific (11), Europe (3) and Africa (1). In this context, China is among the countries that have researched the topic the most, with four papers. The country is the origin of super apps and the headquarters of the most famous apps in this market. Canada and the United States, in turn, are also featured with four papers each, owing to their role as relevant global research centers. However, Colombia is also highlighted due to the three papers by authors from the same research institution, who have striven to research the topic at the regional level. Additionally, India and Indonesia have two papers each, and the following countries have one each: Australia, Brazil, France, Iran, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, The Netherlands, Peru, and Singapore.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRegarding the contingent of researchers who authored the papers analyzed in this research, we found 50 people from 16 countries. From the perspective of their institutions of affiliation, the University of Macau, in China, is the university with the most authors of the papers observed (6), which may demonstrate the existence of a research group conducting studies on the use of super apps, reinforcing the Asian country's leadership in studies on the topic. Also in Asia, IPB University in Indonesia contributed three authors, followed by the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, in India, with two authors.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOutside the Asia-Pacific region, Universidad de los Andes, in Colombia, stands out for contributing three authors. This indicates that a research group may be conducting studies on using super apps. It is also worth highlighting that nine authors are linked to the Colombian and Mexican subsidiaries of Rappi. This company operates a super app in several American countries, providing food delivery services and other products. Therefore, this demonstrates companies' interest in understanding the features and potential of super apps.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRegarding the participation of authors by the number of papers, only one of these participated in three papers, Prof. Alejandro Correa-Bahnsen, then a professor at the Universidad de los Andes in Colombia. Five people authored two papers, and the remainder were involved in only one. Regarding the number of authors per paper, we observed that 13 papers were written by a single author, two papers by two authors, six by three authors, two by four authors, one by five authors, and one by six authors. In addition to observing a tendency for papers to be written by a few authors, this production is quite dispersed, showing that the topic has interested several researchers in different regions of the globe.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e4.2 The Super Apps Analyzed\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe most frequently mentioned super app in the papers was WeChat (14), followed by Grab (5), Gojek (3), Line (3), TataNeu (2), and Rappi (2), with the latter being the only one not operating in the Asian market. Papers mentioned another ten apps only once: GoTo, i-mode, Kakao Talk, Mercado Libre, Opay, Paytm, Reliance, Rubika, SBI YONO, and Uber. However, analyzing only mentions of specific apps does not cover the full diversity of discussions of super apps. This is because only some of the papers discuss a specific super app but rather address a market or a region. Thus, the discussion takes on a different perspective concerning the potential of super apps to meet the demands of a specific market sector or regional context.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAs for the market segments mentioned in the analyzed papers, financial services are predominant (three papers), followed by media and entertainment, and digital services (two papers each). Other market segments mentioned in at least one paper are grocery delivery, transport, meal delivery, healthcare services, and insurance. Regarding the regional contexts of the papers, discussions focusing on China (10 papers) are predominant, consolidating the importance of understanding super apps since their origins in the Asian country. The papers also mentioned the following regional contexts: Japan (three papers), Latin America, India, and Indonesia (two papers each), Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Singapore, and South Korea (one paper each).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e4.3 Characteristics of Super Apps\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eConcerning the characteristics and features of a super app, the papers show different perspectives since they considered the concepts of super apps, the regional contexts, and the market segments. By grouping the various characteristics presented, we found four typologies that consolidate these characteristics:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eConceptual Model: deals with the super app from the perspective of its contextual experience, represented in the value proposition it offers to its users and the ecosystemic representation materialized through the relationships between the companies that interact with it.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eBusiness Model: analyzes the super app from the perspective of the market sectors it represents, the service categories made available to users, and the materialization of the user experience through its capabilities to retain and engage its users.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eTechnical Characteristics: represents the super app from the perspective of its internal engineering, that is, in its constitution as a software apparatus. From this perspective, it deals with the diversity of features and the potential for integrating the app with other third-party applications and services.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eServices: deals with the services offered by the super app to its users, demonstrating its value proposition. These services are always described and analyzed from the user's perspective since the tendency is not to perceive the ecosystem attributes inherent to the app's value proposition or the other typologies.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 3 displays the main characteristics of super apps, clustered into the presented typologies:\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTypologies and characteristics of super apps identified in the literature.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTypology\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCharacteristic\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eConceptual Model\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eContextual experience\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePresents ecosystemic logic\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntegrated platform perspective\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBusiness Model\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFocus on a specific industry\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMultiplicity of categories\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFluidity between applications with different purposes, unifying user experience\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eStrong attraction\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCapacity to retain users for long periods\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDiversity of applications under the same brand\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTechnical characteristics\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDiverse features\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSimilar to a Swiss knife\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDiverse services\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntegration of third-party applications (built-in apps)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSimilar to the operational system of a smartphone\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAllows the use of third-party programs without the need for installation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"7\" rowspan=\"8\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eServices\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFocus on daily life activities*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSocial and communication applications\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNews and entertainment content\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ee-commerce applications\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMobility and transport\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFinancial services\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePublic services\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHealth service\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe diversity of services described in the literature regarding super apps is quite significant. In this research, we sought to systematize the primary services listed in the papers analyzed. In this way, we found the following categories of services:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eDelivery Services: involves logistical processes generally destined for the final consumer of products from a wide range of market segments.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eFinancial Services: involves relationships with financial system institutions and payment of products and services inside and outside the super apps ecosystem.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eElectronic Commerce: involves the purchase of goods and services offered by retailers to their customers in the digital environment.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eCommunication Services: involves features that allow users to communicate with people of interest inside and outside the super app environment.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eServices: involves providing professional services from a wide range of market segments or carrying out ancillary activities that make them feasible in a natural environment.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eTransport: involves access to a wide range of modes of transport, generally in urban regions, covering short, medium, and long distances.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eHealth: involves access to public or private health services, generally through telemedicine or ancillary activities, such as scheduling appointments and exams.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003ePublic Services: involves providing public services to a given region\u0026rsquo;s citizens.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eEntertainment: involves consuming content related to a wide range of topics, as well as access to cultural and entertainment services or carrying out ancillary activities, such as ticket sales.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \n\u003cp\u003eTable 4 demonstrates the diversity of services offered by the super apps to their users, obtained through the analyzed papers:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eExamples of services offered by super apps to their users.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCategory\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eApplications\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDelivery Services\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMeals, supermarket purchases, pharmacies, cargo, and orders.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFinancial Services\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLoans, digital wallet, financing, investments, payments and insurance.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ee-commerce\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTravel marketplaces, discounts and rewards, gifts, peer-to-peer sales, and marketplaces.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCommunication Services\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMessaging and cell phone top up.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eServices\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccommodation and professional services.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTransport\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCarpooling, taxi services, bicycle rental, airline and train tickets.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHealth\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedical services.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePublic Services\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMail services and other unspecified services\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEntertainment\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMovie tickets, online games, digital books, online news, and video streaming.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e4.4 The Super App Concept\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eConsidering that the guiding question of this study arose from a lack of consensus regarding the super app concept, it was to be expected that there would also not be a convergence on the authorship of the concept. Therefore, we searched the literature for the main mentions that attributed authorship to the concept of super app. After conducting the analysis, the following potential authors were identified:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eMike Lazaridis: mentioned in four of the papers analyzed [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR28\" citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e29\u003c/span\u003e], the Canadian executive founder of Blackberry is the most referred as the author of Super App concept. This concept states that \u0026ldquo;a super app is a closed ecosystem of many apps that people would use every day because they offer such a seamless, integrated, contextualized, and efficient experience\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eChen et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e]: the paper is mentioned in three of the analyzed papers [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eKessel and Mozur [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e32\u003c/span\u003e]: the report published in the USA newspaper The New York Times is mentioned in two of the analyzed papers [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e]. In this case, there is no general definition of a super app, but WeChat is described as \u0026ldquo;a Swiss army knife that basically does everything for you\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eSteinberg: the researcher from Concordia University, in Canada, has three of his works mentioned in two of the papers analyzed [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e]. It is worth highlighting that two works by Steinberg that are among the papers analyzed in this research directly mention Chen et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e].\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrom the set of 26 papers analyzed in this study, seven did not present any concept, only mentioning their features. A priori, this can be explained by the popularity of super apps. From this perspective, presenting a concrete concept would be unnecessary. However, throughout the process of conducting this research, it was found that a wide range of apps have been classified as super apps, either in the literature or by the apps parent-companies. Thus, it is necessary to understand how a given app can come to be considered a super app. After coding the concepts on the NVivo platform, the word cloud shown in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e was created. The objective of this first analysis was to observe the elements common to all the concepts presented, identifying the main keywords and seeking a first sentence that included these common elements.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe word cloud shows that the most important word, highlighted in the papers in question, is service. In an exercise condensing this cloud into a sentence that might synthesize it, the following sentence was created:\u003c/p\u003e \n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eApplications that bring many services together within one single digital ecosystem.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough this sentence demonstrates important aspects of the super app concept, it does not cover all the elements discussed in the papers analyzed. Thus, the concepts presented in the papers were clustered according to the most common elements. In total, six clusters were created, and they are presented on Tables 5 to 10:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n \u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"602\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"66.94352159468438%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDefinition\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.056478405315616%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAuthor\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"66.94352159468438%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003esuper-apps are digital platforms that encompass many different services\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.056478405315616%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAcevedo-Viloria et al. [36]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"66.94352159468438%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe term superapp is related to the platforms present in the Chinese market that bring together in a single application various services, from supermarkets to financial services.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.056478405315616%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDias et al. [37]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"66.94352159468438%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSuperApp offering a multitude of services for \u0026ldquo;everyday everything\u0026rdquo; needs.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.056478405315616%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSan [38]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"66.94352159468438%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSuper apps are do-everything apps that bring together an expansive suite of services within a single interface.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.056478405315616%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSteinberg et al. [31]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"66.94352159468438%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eA superapp is a platform that integrates multiple types of services that stretch across industries.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"33.056478405315616%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYe [29]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 5. First cluster of Super App concepts\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the first cluster, shown in Table 5, the concepts of Acevedo-Viloria et al. [36] and Dias et al. [37], who classified super apps mainly as digital platforms, deserve to be highlighted. From this perspective, integration that can encompass one or more industries materialized through multiple services, which meet users\u0026apos; daily needs through a centralized and unified interface.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n \u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"605\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"65.84158415841584%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDefinition\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"34.15841584158416%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAuthor\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"65.84158415841584%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ea closed ecosystem of many utilities that people would use every day because they offer such a seamless, integrated, contextualized and efficient experience\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"34.15841584158416%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAcevedo-Viloria et al. [27]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"65.84158415841584%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ea closed ecosystem of many apps used daily\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"34.15841584158416%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDiaz Baquero [2]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"65.84158415841584%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSuper app is defined as a closed ecosystem of many apps used daily\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"34.15841584158416%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSalehi et al. [39]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"65.84158415841584%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eA Superapp is a closed ecosystem of many functions that allows users to access multiple different services on the same platform or mobile application.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"34.15841584158416%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYe [29]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 6. Second cluster of Super App concepts\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the concepts illustrated in the second cluster, shown in Table 6, super apps are characterized as closed ecosystems. In this sense, Steinberg [14] explained that there is a company that controls the ecosystem and is responsible for creating the app context which, in turn, materializes and supports the value proposition that is presented to users. Furthermore, the concepts highlight the multiple nature of services and their impact on users\u0026apos; daily lives due to the integrated and contextualized experience provided.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n \u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"604\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"74.66887417218543%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDefinition\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25.33112582781457%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAuthor\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"74.66887417218543%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003elike creating a seamless experience for the customers through integrated applications that will become a part of people\u0026rsquo;s routine life.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25.33112582781457%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBarure \u0026amp; Singh [28]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"74.66887417218543%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSuper apps are mobile applications that bundle numerous services together creating a seamless experience for users without the need to open specialty apps\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25.33112582781457%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGioseffi [40]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"74.66887417218543%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eOne app, one sign-in, one user experience, for virtually any product or service the modern consumer needs, seamlessly integrated into the user\u0026rsquo;s daily digital consumption habits.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25.33112582781457%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSan [38]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n \u003c/table\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 7. Third cluster of Super App concepts\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the third cluster, shown in Table 7, concepts focused on the differentiated user experience. Therefore, super apps mean that users have access to a fluid and integrated experience regarding the different services on offer. As a result, users do not need to move between single-feature apps to achieve their browsing goals.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"604\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"74.66887417218543%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDefinition\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25.33112582781457%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eAuthor\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"74.66887417218543%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSuper Apps are marketplaces that offer a wide range of products and services. They bundle many single apps\u0026rsquo; functionalities and bring them together in one app that works as the umbrella for many services.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25.33112582781457%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDiaz Baquero [2]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"74.66887417218543%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eA super app can be thought of as a digital mall where everything is available under one roof.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25.33112582781457%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eBarure \u0026amp; Singh [28]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"74.66887417218543%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSuper app can be conceptualised as a mirror of real business in terms of design and structure.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25.33112582781457%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMomaya [34]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"74.66887417218543%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe super-app here is an all-inclusive eco-system of applications, contents, and services.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25.33112582781457%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eQiu [10]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"74.66887417218543%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003emobile applications that in the same environment seek to satisfy different daily needs of consumers without requiring them to download another application. In other words, Super-apps play the role of a marketplace or ecosystem that hosts in itself different types of solutions, services and experiences that traditionally would only be found in an app specifically designed for it.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25.33112582781457%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRoa et al. [41]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"74.66887417218543%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSUPER applications (super apps) are marketplaces that offer a wide range of services. They bundle various single apps\u0026rsquo; functionalities and bring them together in one app that works as the umbrella for many services\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25.33112582781457%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSalehi et al. [39]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 8. Fourth cluster of Super App concepts\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the fourth cluster, shown in Table 8, the super app is presented as a marketplace. As e-stores, the integration between different business partners stands out in offering services to users of the super app. In addition to digital services, seen conventionally, in this case, the technical features of super apps are also included. In other words, it is a more aggregating vision, which treats apps, services, and technical features as possible materializations of the super app\u0026apos;s value proposition, and which can be provided by different partners.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"604\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"74.50331125827815%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDefinition\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25.496688741721854%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"74.50331125827815%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003emulti-modal online application that allows users to send short text messages, pictures, emoji, graphical interchange formats (GIFS), audio files, and/or some combination of each\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25.496688741721854%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSandel et al. [11]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"74.50331125827815%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eA superapp is an \u0026ldquo;umbrella\u0026rdquo; app, which acts as a portal for a range of apps provided by firms other than the superapp developer.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25.496688741721854%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003ePorteous [42]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"74.50331125827815%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSuper apps are super due to their ability to weave together functionalities and affordances, from music to ride hailing to money.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25.496688741721854%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSteinberg et al. [31]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"74.50331125827815%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;super app,\u0026rdquo; described as like a \u0026ldquo;Swiss Army knife that basically does everything for you\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25.496688741721854%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSandel et al. [11]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"74.50331125827815%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003esuper application known as a \u0026ldquo;digital Swiss Army knife for modern life\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25.496688741721854%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eYu et al. [43]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"74.50331125827815%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSuper application (super app) is a technology that integrates different functionalities for users to access various services in one umbrella app.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"25.496688741721854%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSalehi et al. [39]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 9. Fifth cluster of Super App concepts\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the fifth cluster, shown in Table 9, a super app is described based on its set of features. From this perspective, a super app has multiple features available in the same app. Analogies are made to versatile instruments, such as a Swiss army knife, as well as references are made to an umbrella. Interpreting these analogies, it was observed that, when talking about the Swiss army knife [11,43], the emphasis is placed on the engineering of super apps. In turn, when talking about an umbrella [39,42], the focus is on the multiple services offered by different business partners in the ecosystem.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"619\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"75.12116316639741%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDefinition\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"24.878836833602584%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"75.12116316639741%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s a portal to the internet for a mobile-first generation\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"24.878836833602584%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eGelici [44]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"75.12116316639741%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSuper Apps also called mega-platforms, wherein a single app takes over an array of often services such that it becomes a platform to support other platforms\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"24.878836833602584%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMomaya [34]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"75.12116316639741%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;functions as a smartphone-within-the-smartphone, a meta-smartphone or catch-all app that replaces the smartphone OS as the hub of digital life, and has the potential to become a megaplatform like i-mode\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"24.878836833602584%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMukherjee [35]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"75.12116316639741%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eThe super app is a particular model of an app that assumes most functions of the smartphone can be done within either a single app or a suite of apps\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"24.878836833602584%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eSteinberg et al. [31]\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 10. Sixth cluster of Super App concepts\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFinally, the sixth cluster, shown in Table 10, involves a technical perspective, in which a super app is conceptualized as mimicking a smartphone\u0026apos;s operating system (OS). Although the platform concept is also explored from this perspective, it is not observed as a business ecosystem, but regarding its engineering complexity. The mimicry of a smartphone OS is not a random analogy, but a reflection of the somewhat tumultuous relationships that exist between app developers and the companies that manage the main mobile OS. In this case, super apps, especially in Asia, became more relevant by simplifying the app development process.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom this perspective, it can therefore be said that a super app is:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA digital platform that combines multiple features and/or services, representing a closed business ecosystem that can comprise one or more industries, in which users undergo experiences in a fluid, contextual, integrated, and centralized way.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlthough this concept has a more aggregating character, it is important to highlight that, in the papers analyzed, two distinct aspects were observed that deal with the technical characteristics of super apps. These aspects are characterized by the separation of features (technical perspective) and services (marketing perspective). However, they can also be characterized by their geographical context, since research oriented to the Eastern model addresses super apps from a technical perspective, and Western model-oriented research looks at super apps from a marketing perspective.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese different perspectives are consistent with the assumptions of DeSanctis and Poole [16] when they discussed the influences of local culture on the appropriation of certain technologies. In the context of super apps, in addition to the appropriation process having been influenced by aspects of an external nature, such as pressure exerted by regulatory agencies, the type of competitive environment, and the existence (or not) of infrastructure challenges, aspects of an internal nature also stand out, such as individuals\u0026apos; perception of technology, which materializes in how people interact with technological apparatus.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e4.5 The Eastern and Western Branches of Super Apps\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Eastern branch of super apps is characterized by a strong orientation towards technical characteristics in the development process, leading them to have multiple features integrated into a converging operational environment. Among the main foundations presented in the literature are the following:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eThe more closed context of the digital market to Western apps: especially in the Chinese market, there is a very limited presence of apps offered by large Western \u003cem\u003ebig techs\u003c/em\u003e [31,44]. In return, local companies were encouraged to \u0026ldquo;emulate\u0026rdquo; the features of these apps. As a result, companies developed their technical expertise and began to create products and services that were more in keeping with the needs of the local market [33].\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eRegional patterns of interaction with apps: some regional particularities linked to users\u0026apos; relationships with mobile apps have become decisive factors in the construction of these technological artifacts. Among these particularities are the need to optimize the device\u0026apos;s memory space, adapt to oriental writing, as well as the need to establish more fluid contexts of interaction between features, as they are more in line with the mental model of users of the device in the region [8,29].\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the process of developing apps using the logic of the Eastern branch, even when it comes to meeting needs of a marketing nature, the technical pattern of interaction ends up being the driving element in the development of Eastern super apps [2]. The role of the company responsible for the ecosystem is to provide the basic technical conditions for integration so that apps can be developed more freely by those responsible for this task [7].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Western branch, in turn, focuses on the marketing aspects established by the company responsible for the ecosystem when designing its offer of products and services to its users. Thus, a super app conceived through the logic of the Western branch is characterized due to:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eThe predominance of marketing fundamentals throughout the conception stages, the definition of features and materialization as a technological artifact. In these cases, a partnership will only be established if there is a linked business process that supports it, or the offer of a new product or service [36,37].\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eThe limited level of features added to super apps compared with Eastern super apps. This is because of the need for greater control of the ecosystem by the main company since the relationship with the user occurs through its value proposition [44]. Consequently, in these cases, the diversity of services ends up becoming transparent to the user, who believes that all services offered are directly related to the main company [37].\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the super app context developed following the Western branch, the role of the company responsible for the ecosystem is to orchestrate the interaction environment between the different partners, structuring the linked business processes and integrating the technical features each partner offers in return for offering a product or service. In some situations, features are developed by the company itself and offered to partners as interaction tools, meaning that it is also possible for partners who may not contribute technically to the ecosystem to participate [14,37].\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn example that illustrates this multiplicity of partner participation may be given in the case of a super app that specializes in food delivery. For a user to place an order to a restaurant, the restaurant must register as a partner on the platform. Once registered, this new partner has access to a set of features and digital services that are complementary to the user\u0026apos;s own experience in the super app but are responsible for enabling this participation. In this way, the partner restaurant can: make its menu and other information available on the platform; use the app provided by the platform to manage orders in real-time; contract delivery plans, if this service does not exist internally; and use management systems offered by the platform to manage the restaurant operations in real-time, even outside the store. Moreover, there are specific platforms that enable the participation of couriers who wish to join the ecosystem and handle payment processing services, along with other services. More recently, one of these platforms launched, in Brazil, a product focused on companies\u0026apos; HR areas, through which they can offer benefits such as the payment of meals for their employees. These, in turn, make use of a credit card that can be added as a means of payment on the delivery platform itself, expanding the potential reach of a service that is already offered to users separately.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTable 11 presents the main characteristics observed in each of the super app branches, enabling a comparison:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\" width=\"634\"\u003e\n \u003ctbody\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.40378548895899%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDimension\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"38.801261829652994%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eEastern Branch\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"44.79495268138801%\" valign=\"top\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eWestern Branch\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.40378548895899%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eRole of the Ecosystem Manager\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"38.801261829652994%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCreate the technical conditions for partners to develop their solutions and integrate them into the platform.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"44.79495268138801%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eStructure the marketing environment that will be responsible for offering the company\u0026rsquo;s value proposal by integrating features and structuring business processes.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.40378548895899%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eCharacteristics of the Super App\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"38.801261829652994%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eOperating system environment through which micro apps integrate with the platform offering their digital services.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"44.79495268138801%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMarketing environment through which partners fulfill parts of the business process that enable the platform\u0026apos;s central value proposition.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.40378548895899%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eIntegration Profile between Partners\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"38.801261829652994%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTechnical\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"44.79495268138801%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eMarketing\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.40378548895899%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eDiversity of Features\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"38.801261829652994%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eHigh\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"44.79495268138801%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eLow\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"16.40378548895899%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eNavigation Fluidity Profile\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"38.801261829652994%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eOriented towards technical integration between the solutions offered, allowing the user to quickly move between different features.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"44.79495268138801%\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eOriented towards the delivery of the product or service characterized as central to the ecosystem\u0026rsquo;s value proposition. Features and partnerships become transparent to the user.\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003ctr\u003e\n \u003ctd width=\"100%\" colspan=\"3\"\u003e\n \u003cp\u003eTable 11. Comparison of the Eastern and Western branches of Super Apps\u003c/p\u003e\n \u003c/td\u003e\n \u003c/tr\u003e\n \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e"},{"header":"5 Conclusions","content":"\u003cp\u003eFollowing the analyses, the concept of a super app was determined as \"a digital platform that combines multiple features and/or services, representing a closed business ecosystem that can comprise one or more industries, in which users undergo experiences in a fluid, contextual, integrated and centralized way\". Furthermore, it was observed that super apps can be divided into two specific groups, characterized by their geographical origin, but mainly by how these apps materialize digital ecosystems. These are the Eastern and Western branches, which corroborate the perspective of DeSanctis and Poole [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e] and Schmitz et al. [\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e] regarding variability in the processes of appropriation of a given technological artifact, disciplined to the social context in which these artifacts are included.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOn the Eastern branch, more focused on technical features, the role of the ecosystem manager is to create the technical conditions for partners to develop their solutions and integrate them into the platform. This means that the super app is treated as an Operating System, through which micro apps integrate with, offering their digital services. Consequently, the integration profile between partners is technical, generating highly diverse features. For the user, the perception is of greater fluidity, since there is a strong technical integration between the solutions offered, which allows the user to move quickly from one feature to another.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMeanwhile, in the Western branch, which is more oriented towards marketing, the role of the ecosystem manager is to organize the marketing environment that will be responsible for offering the company's value proposition, through the integration of features and structuring of business processes. This means that the super app materializes in the marketing environment so that partners end up fulfilling parts of the business process that enable the platform's value proposition. Consequently, the integration profile between partners is based on a marketing perspective, in a few diversity of features, compared with Eastern super apps. For the user, fluidity occurs through the delivery of the product or service that is characterized as central to the ecosystem's value proposition. Thus, features and partnerships become transparent to the user.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe limitations of the study include the scope of the literature review. Papers with no Open Access or unavailable in the subscription were not considered, and this may have influenced the results. Future studies can conduct research that aims to statistically validate the aspects that were identified herein. Furthermore, there is potential in investigating the organizations responsible for the platforms that support super apps, regarding the processes of identifying and materializing the value propositions of their super apps.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eDurval Lucas Jr. conceived the original idea. Evandro Luiz Lopes supervised the project.Durval Lucas Jr. wrote the manuscript with support from Evandro Luiz Lopes.Both Durval Lucas Jr. and Evandro Luiz Lopes contributed to the final version of the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAcknowledgements\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDatt F (2021) Aplicativo na m\u0026atilde;o. Valor Econ\u0026ocirc;mico (Suplementos), S\u0026atilde;o Paulo, 30/07/2021.\u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://valor.globo.com/publicacoes/suplementos/noticia/2021/07/30/aplicativo-na-mao.ghtml\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://valor.globo.com/publicacoes/suplementos/noticia/2021/07/30/aplicativo-na-mao.ghtml\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e Accessed 16 May 2024\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDiaz Baquero AP (2021) Super Apps: opportunities and challenges. Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Master of Science in Engineering and Management)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMattos A (2021) PicPay entra no varejo de produtos de consumo. Valor Econ\u0026ocirc;mico (Empresas), S\u0026atilde;o Paulo, 13/04/2021. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://valor.globo.com/empresas/noticia/2021/04/13/picpay-entra-no-varejo-de-produtos-de-consumo.ghtml\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://valor.globo.com/empresas/noticia/2021/04/13/picpay-entra-no-varejo-de-produtos-de-consumo.ghtml\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e Accessed 16 May 2024\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMorgado M (2020) O que ser\u0026aacute; do varejo. GV Executivo 19(6):14\u0026ndash;17\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCheng K, Schreieck M, Wiesche M, Krcmar H (2020) Emergence of a Post-App Era \u0026ndash; An Exploratory Case Study of the WeChat Mini-Program Ecosystem. Proceedings of 15th International Conference on Wirtschaftsinformatik, Potsdam, Germany. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.30844/wi_2020_n1-cheng\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.30844/wi_2020_n1-cheng\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHerdiyanti A (2022) Information System Integration to Improve the Quality of Digital Public Services in Jakarta. Smart Governance Policy Brief\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHuang Y, Miao W (2021) Re-domesticating social media when it becomes disruptive: Evidence from China\u0026rsquo;s super app WeChat. Mob Media Communication 9(2):177\u0026ndash;194. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1177/2050157920940765\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1177/2050157920940765\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJiang Q (2018) WeChat \u0026ndash; A super app from China. Diggit Magazine, 23/09/2018. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.diggitmagazine.com/articles/wechat-super-app-china\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.diggitmagazine.com/articles/wechat-super-app-china\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKrisnamurti P, Ratnawati A, Widi A (2022) Acceptance analysis of \u0026lsquo;X Super-App\u0026rsquo; digital banking service through TAM and TPB integration. Bus Rev Case Stud 3(3):271\u0026ndash;279. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.17358/brcs.3.3.271\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.17358/brcs.3.3.271\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eQiu JL (2021) WeChat: super app and its super-stickiness. Proceedings of the 22nd Annual Conference of the Association of Internet Researchers, virtual, 2021, \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttp://spir.aoir.org\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"http://spir.aoir.org\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSandel TL, Ou C, Wangchuk D, Ju B, Duque M (2019) Unpacking and describing interaction on Chinese WeChat: A methodological approach. J Pragmat 143:228\u0026ndash;241\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSpeckmannn J-H (2022) Super App or super disruption? Analyzing digital business models in the financial industry - A case study analysis investigating the transformation of financial institutions towards a Super App. Thesis, University of Innsbruck (Master\u0026rsquo;s degree in strategic management)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGiudice F (2020) WeChat: the impact of the super app on Chinese society. Thesis, Universit\u0026agrave; Ca\u0026rsquo;Foscari (Master\u0026rsquo;s Degree in Language, Economics and Institutions of Asia and North Africa)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSteinberg M (2020) LINE as super app: platformization in East Asia. Social Media + Soc 6(2):1\u0026ndash;10. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120933285\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1177/2056305120933285\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNaab M, Braun S, Lenhart T, Hess S, Eitel A, Magin D, Carbon R, Kiefer F (2015) Why Data needs more Attention in Architecture Design: Experiences from prototyping a large-scale mobile app ecosystem. 12th Working IEEE/IFIP Conference on Software Architecture, 75\u0026ndash;84. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1109/WICSA.2015.13\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1109/WICSA.2015.13\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDeSanctis G, Poole MS (1994) Capturing the complexity in advanced technology use: adaptive structuration theory. Organ Sci 5(2):121\u0026ndash;147\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSchmitz KW, Teng JTC, Webb KJ (2016) Capturing the complexity of malleable IT use: Adaptive Structuration Theory for individuals. MIS Q 40(3):663\u0026ndash;686\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSchwieger D, Melcher A, Ranganathan C, Wen HJ (2004) Appropriating Electronic Billing Systems: Adaptive Structuration Theory Analysis. Hum Syst Manage 23(4):235\u0026ndash;243\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eXu Y, Li H, Yu L, Zha S, He W, Hong C (2021) Influence of mobile devices\u0026rsquo; scalability on individual perceived learning. Behav Inform Technol 40(11):1137\u0026ndash;1153. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2020.1742789\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1080/0144929X.2020.1742789\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNguyen DG, Ha M-T (2022) What makes users continue to want to use the digital platform? Evidence from the ride-hailing service platform in Vietnam. SAGE Open 12(1):1\u0026ndash;18. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211069146\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1177/21582440211069146\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWilliams JA, Gupta S (2022) Changing Post-Adoptive Personal Healthcare IT Use during the COVID19 Pandemic. Proceedings of the 55th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, online, 4057\u0026ndash;4066. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://aisel.aisnet.org/hicss-55/hc/wellness_management/5/\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://aisel.aisnet.org/hicss-55/hc/wellness_management/5/\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSun S, Law R, Schuckert M, Kucukusta D, Guillet BD (2017) From Information Technology to Mobile Information Technology: Applications in Hospitality and Tourism. Proceedings of ENTER 2017: Conference on Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism, 8 (Research Notes), paper 4. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://ertr.tamu.edu/files/2016/12/RN33.pdf\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://ertr.tamu.edu/files/2016/12/RN33.pdf\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAli A, Hameed A, Moin MF, Khan NA (2022) Exploring factors affecting mobile-banking app adoption: a perspective from adaptive structuration theory. Aslib J Inform Manage 75(4):773\u0026ndash;795. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1108/AJIM-08-2021-0216\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1108/AJIM-08-2021-0216\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlmajali D, Al-Radaideh AT, Nussir NA, Eid AA, Al-Fakeh FA, Masad F (2023) Antecedents of mobile banking app adoption during COVID19: A perspective of Jordanian consumer. Int J Data Netw Sci 7:477\u0026ndash;488. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.5267/j.ijdns.2022.8.011\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.5267/j.ijdns.2022.8.011\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHesse-Biber SN, Leavy P (2011) The practice of qualitative research. 2nd edition. Thousand Oaks: SAGE\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMiles MB, Huberman MA (1994) Qualitative data analysis: an expanded sourcebook, 2nd edn. SAGE, Thousand Oaks\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAcevedo-Viloria JD, Valencia C, Correa-Bahnsen A (2021a) HanCred: Heterogeneous Graph Attention Networks for Credit Risk Assessment in a Super-App Environment. Universidad de los Andes, Dec. 2021, Bogot\u0026aacute;, D.C\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBarure B, Singh D (2021) CCS Project: Super Apps. Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://repository.iimb.ac.in/handle/2074/21703\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://repository.iimb.ac.in/handle/2074/21703\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e Accessed 16 May 2024\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYe S (2023) The Rise of Superapps in Emerging Countries. In: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Economic Management and Cultural Industry (ICEMCI 2022), 1847\u0026ndash;1856. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-098-5_207\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.2991/978-94-6463-098-5_207\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChen Y, Mao Z, Qiu JL (2018) Super-sticky WeChat and Chinese society. Emerald Publishing Limited\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSteinberg M, Mukherjee R, Punathambekar A (2022) Media power in digital Asia: Super apps and megacorps. Media Cult Soc 44(8):1405\u0026ndash;1419. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1177/01634437221127805\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1177/01634437221127805\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKessel JM, Mozur P (2016) How China is changing your internet. The New York Times (Times Video) 9 August 2016. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAesMQ6VtK8\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAesMQ6VtK8\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e Accessed 16 May 2024\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJu B, Sandel T, Fitzgerald R (2019) Understanding Chinese Internet and Social Media: the innovative and creative affordances of technology, language and culture, vol 59. Cahiers de l'ILSL, pp 161\u0026ndash;177\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMomaya KS (2022) Breakthrough innovation and platform leadership: a case of super app from India. Int J Global Bus Competitiveness 17:229\u0026ndash;238. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1007/s42943-022-00059-7\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1007/s42943-022-00059-7\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMukherjee R (2020) Review of Marc Steinberg\u0026rsquo;s The Platform Economy: How Japan Transformed the Consumer Internet. Communication Rev 23(2):176\u0026ndash;179. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1080/10714421.2020.1802677\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1080/10714421.2020.1802677\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAcevedo-Viloria JD, Perez SS, Solano J, Zarruk-Valencia D, Paulin FG, Correa-Bahnsen A Feature-Level Fusion of Super-App and Telecommunication Alternative Data Sources for Credit Card Fraud Detection. 2021 IEEE International Conference on Intelligence and Security, Informatics (2021b) \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1109/ISI53945.2021.9624796\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1109/ISI53945.2021.9624796\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDias AL, Rodrigues A, Santos FFS (2022) Da Transforma\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o Digital ao SuperApp Magalu: impactos cont\u0026aacute;beis dos investimentos em startups. GVcasos \u0026ndash; Revista Brasileira de Casos de Ensino em Administra\u0026ccedil;\u0026atilde;o 12(1), doc. 5. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.12660/gvcasosv12n1c5\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.12660/gvcasosv12n1c5\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSan RCS (2020) Leveraging Digital Innovation for Good? A Case Study of Grab, The Asian SuperApp Phenomena. Thesis, \u0026Eacute;cole des Ponts Business School (Executive Doctor of Business Administration)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSalehi S, Miremadi I, Nejati MG, Ghafouri H (2023) Fostering the Adoption and Use of Super App Technology. IEEE Trans Eng Manage 71:4761\u0026ndash;4775. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1109/TEM.2023.3235718\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1109/TEM.2023.3235718\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGioseffi P (2019) Palate: the app for finding a restaurant faster. Dissertation, Ryerson University (Master of digital media)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRoa L, Correa-Bahnsen, Suarez G, Cort\u0026eacute;s-Tejada F, Luque MA, Bravo C (2021) Super-app behavioral patterns in credit risk models: Financial, statistical and regulatory implications. Expert Syst Appl 169:114486. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.eswa.2020.114486\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.eswa.2020.114486\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePorteous D (2020) Revisiting superplatforms and their implications. FIBR Briefing Note, January 2020\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYu H, Zhang G, Hjorth L (2023) Mobilizing care? WeChat for older adults\u0026rsquo; digital kinship and informal care in Wuhan households. Mob Media Communication 0(0):1\u0026ndash;18. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1177/20501579221150716\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1177/20501579221150716\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGelici A (2022) Super Apps: Super desired or not? An explorative study into the commercial potential of an Asian type \u0026lsquo;super app\u0026rsquo; within the Netherlands. Dissertation, University of Twente (Master in business administration)\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4542297/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4542297/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"The creation of super apps is a recent development, establishing itself as the new pinnacle of increased technology and digital market participation in retail operations. It is primarily inspired by Chinese apps, open platforms where partners can create mini-applications and make them available to users. Although the rise of super apps is a widely disseminated phenomenon, there has been a lack of harmonization regarding the concept. Therefore, this paper aims to present a definition of the super app concept, analyzing how it consolidates the perspective oriented towards digital ecosystems. To this end, a systematic literature review was conducted, which included, at the end of the screening process, 26 scientific articles published in journals from the years 2018 to 2023. Following the analysis, a harmonized concept of super apps was achieved. Furthermore, it was observed that the concept is divided into two specific viewpoints, characterized by their geographical origin and the way these apps materialize digital ecosystems. These viewpoints support the perspective of DeSanctis and Poole (1994) and Schmitz et al. (2016) regarding the variability in technology appropriation processes, disciplined by the social context in which these artifacts are embedded.","manuscriptTitle":"Defining a Super App and Analyzing It from an Ecosystemic Perspective","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-06-21 14:32:18","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4542297/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"97594bf9-0aa0-43a9-b5fc-d61671e014d1","owner":[],"postedDate":"June 21st, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-07-19T08:23:42+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-06-21 14:32:18","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4542297","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4542297","identity":"rs-4542297","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}